Meeting documents
Youth and Play Service Advisory Committee
Tuesday, 10th January 2006
Present
Chair
Cllr Les Rowlands
Councillors
O W Adam, SA Brown, T Harney, Mrs CM Meaden, ED Prout, PTC Reisdorf, GCJ Watt
Members
Peter Brandrick (Forum Housing Association)
Council Officers
Steve Chan (Acting Head, Play), Lindsay Davidson (Deputy Head of Youth Service: Policy Development), Caron Drucker (Head of Wirral Youth Theatre), Jim Lester (Head of Branch, Cultural Services) , Pauline Miller
Apologies
Maureen Bonny (Wirral Play Council), Maureen McDaid (Head of Youth & Community Service), Chelsea Renahan (Youth Forum), Lyn Williams (Acting Head, Community)
Index to Minutes
- Minute 10 - INTRODUCTIONS AND APOLOGIES
- Minute 11 - MINUTES
- Minute 12 - MATTERS ARISING
- Minute 13 - PRESENTATION BY YOUNG PEOPLE FROM THE "SOUND STEPS" PROJECT, WIRRAL YOUTH THEATRE
- Minute 14 - HEAD OF SERVICE'S REPORT
- Minute 15 - "SOMETHING TO DO; SOMEWHERE TO GO" - RESPONSE BY YOUNG PEOPLE OF WIRRAL TO THE NATIONAL SURVEY
- Minute 16 - SUMMER PLAYSCHEME REPORT (WIRRAL PLAY COUNCIL)
- Minute 17 - DATE AND TIME FOR NEXT MEETING
Minute 10 - INTRODUCTIONS AND APOLOGIES
Minute Text :
The Committee welcomed Peter Brandrick, who was attending his first meeting, and Pauline Mellor, who was deputising for Terry Hall.
Apologies - as above.
Minute 11 - MINUTES
Minute Text :
The minutes of the previous meeting, held on 27 September 2005, were circulated.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the minutes be received.
Minute 12 - MATTERS ARISING
Minute Text :
The Committee was advised that the two remaining appointments of permanent representatives from the Youth Forums (in addition to Andrew Hughes and Chelsea Renaghan) had still to be made.
Minute 13 - PRESENTATION BY YOUNG PEOPLE FROM THE "SOUND STEPS" PROJECT, WIRRAL YOUTH THEATRE
Minute Text :
Caron Drucker, Head of the Wirral Youth Theatre, gave a presentation on the "Sound Steps" project. She explained that, over the previous three years, Wirral Youth Theatre had facilitated a number of music-based projects ranging from large-scale original musical productions to regular smaller scale outreach projects. In May 2005 it had successfully bid to Youth Music, a UK-wide charity, and received £40,000 to set up the Sound Steps project. The key aim of the project was to provide a preventative programme for young people at risk, with the intention to use a range of music-making opportunities and youth work strategies in order to make a significant difference to the lives of young people aged 13-19, especially those most at risk. The project had also contributed substantially to the continuing professional development of youth music support workers connected with the Theatre. She added that no decision had been made regarding future funding of the project after the current grant ran out in four months time.
A detailed note of the aims, activities and achievements of the project was circulated. Five young musicians (see below) had been recruited as trainee workshop leaders and peer educators and were currently on the BTEC course in Peer Education (together with 15 other peer educators from other Youth Theatre projects). Liam Corcoran described the various activities within Sound Steps and introduced the five peer educators - Matt, Paul, Lee, Tina and Emma, each of whom described their involvement and how it had benefited them. They then played two songs, composed by themselves, which were warmly applauded by the members of the Committee.
The members of the Committee asked a number of questions. Councillor Meaden aenquired whether there had been any noticeable difference in those children participating in the music sessions. It was explained contact was through taster sessions and therefore time was limited, but the sessions were well received. Councillor Harney stressed the Council's commitment to listening to the views of young people and suggested that members of the Committee might be invited to one of the events being run through Sound Steps. The Committee was advised that an open day was being held at the Pacific Road Theatre on 12 February. Councillor Adam asked what use was made of the internet. He suggested that it might be possible to use it to disseminate the excellent songs that had been played to the Committee. Liam Corcoran stated that he would look into the possibility of doing that. The activities of the Youth Theatre generally were already being publicised on the internet.
The Chair and members of the Committee thanked the young people for their presentation of what they felt was a very successful project. They also thanked the youth leaders for their involvement in it.
Minute 14 - HEAD OF SERVICE'S REPORT
Minute Text :
Lindsay Davidson presented the Head of Service's report, which provided an overview of the work undertaken by the Youth Service during the period August - December 2005. The report described a wide range of activities, and particular attention was drawn to
- the retirement of Eileen Sheppard, Community Liaison Officer, who had worked for the service for over thirty years and would be greatly missed by her colleagues;
- the outcome of Ofsted's Joint Area Review of the Wirral Youth Service - the conclusion had been that Wirral had a good youth service that provided good value for money. A copy of the Ofsted report was circulated;
- Wirral having been shortlisted for Beacon Status for Positive Youth Engagement (in community and democratic processes). An assessment panel had visited the authority in November and representatives of the authority would be going to London on 18 January to make the final presentation.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the report be noted.
Minute 15 - "SOMETHING TO DO; SOMEWHERE TO GO" - RESPONSE BY YOUNG PEOPLE OF WIRRAL TO THE NATIONAL SURVEY
Minute Text :
Lindsay Davidson submitted and reported upon the findings of the survey "Something to do: Somewhere to go", which had been carried out in Wirral by the Youth Service as part of a larger, national consultation undertaken by the DfES. That consultation related to proposals within the Youth Green Paper, "Youth Matters", for three major areas for development, namely
(i) more things to do and places to go for young people in their local area;
(ii) better information, advice and guidance about issues that mattered to young people, delivered in the way that they want to receive it;
(ii) better support for those who have more serious problems.
She explained that, although only a short time had been allowed for the survey, 424 young people had replied within a week, from the 12 youth centres/projects. That was felt to be a good return and a statistically valid number. The findings included
- a recognition that local youth clubs were the most popular place to meet friends (but that had to be balanced against the fact that all young people contacted were associated with one youth project or another);
- almost 80% of those surveyed welcomed the "youth card", although details of how it would actually operate had not been finalised;
- a large percentage of young people wished to be involved in informing and shaping services that applied to themselves;
- parents and friends were considered to be the prime source of information advice for young people, though they did value the notion of a single individual professional to help them;
- better recognition was sought in order to raise the value of voluntary community work.
A further report would be submitted on the outcome of the survey nationally.
In response to a query by the Chair, Lindsay Davidson and Jim Lester explained how the youth card might operate. It would be a pilot scheme and was likely to be activity orientated. It was likely to be a smart-card, but there were worries that it might be seen as an identity card, and therefore treated with suspicion.
Councillor Harney stated that there had been criticism in the past that surveys had been undertaken but the results had not been fed back to young people. He suggested that Wirral might conduct its own survey, more specifically related to issues within the Borough. Lindsay Davidson explained that a users' survey had been undertaken in 2004, which had been very comprehensive. The findings had been compiled by Mott McDonald (for the Merseyside Information Service) and built into the Youth Plan. The intention was to re-visit the findings every two years, so an exercise was due in 2006. Councillor Harney added that any survey should aim also to include those young people who were currently regarded as difficult to engage.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the findings of the survey be noted and that further information be presented to the Advisory Committee when the results of the national consultation are published.
Minute 16 - SUMMER PLAYSCHEME REPORT (WIRRAL PLAY COUNCIL)
Minute Text :
Steve Chan submitted a comprehensive report on the opportunities that had been provided through the Wirral Play Council Summer Holiday Playscheme Programme in 2005. He explained that 13 playschemes and projects had been funded, primarily through a grant of £58,000 from the Council. They had included full-time summer schemes, schemes for children with disabilities, an outreach play programme, a mobile play project and the Wirral Play Day held at Royden Park. Four of the summer playschemes had been inspected by Ofsted Early Years, under new guidelines to assess how they met the five outcomes from "Every Child Matters". The Greasby and Vale House playschemes had been rated as"good"; Seacombe and Pensby as "satisfactory".
The Chair commented on the fact that numbers participating in the playschemes had increased by 18% from the previous year - that was attributed in part to the outreach projects. Councillor Adam suggested that to assist in recruiting volunteers for the projects, Ward Councillors could be asked to include an invitation in their leaflets to constituents.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the officers and volunteers involved be congratulated on the success of the 2005 Summer Playscheme Programme.
Minute 17 - DATE AND TIME FOR NEXT MEETING
Minute Text :
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the next meeting be arranged for early in the new municipal year.
(Minutes Published: 20 February 2006)