Meeting documents
Youth and Play Service Advisory Committee
Thursday, 21st September 2006
Present
Chair
Cllr Sheila Clarke
Councillors
SA Brown, T Harney, DJ Hunt, Mrs CM Meaden, ED Prout, GCJ Watt
Deputy
Jean Quinn (for Cllr PM Southwood)
Council Officers
Steve Chan (Acting Head, Play), John Davies (Wirral Youth Service), Peter Edmondson (Head of Branch, Participation & Inclusion), Terry Hall (Wirral Youth Service), Debbie McCabe (Wirral Youth Service), Maureen McDaid (Head of Youth & Play Service)
Index to Minutes
- Minute 1 - APOLOGIES
- Minute 2 - MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD 10 JANUARY 2006
- Minute 3 - MATTERS ARISING
- Minute 4 - HEAD OF YOUTH & PLAY SERVICE REPORT
- Minute 5 - CHILDREN’S PLAY BIG LOTTERY BRIEFING 21ST JULY 2006
- Minute 6 - WIRRAL YOUTH & PLAY SERVICE – AGE RANGE
- Minute 7 - YOUTH PARTICIPATION NEXT STEPS
- Minute 8 - DATE OF NEXT MEETING
- Minute 9 - BEACON COUNCIL (POSITIVE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT) - OPEN DAY
Minute 1 - APOLOGIES
Minute Text :
None submitted.
Minute 2 - MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD 10 JANUARY 2006
Minute Text :
The minutes of the previous meeting, held on 10 January 2006, were accepted as a correct record.
Minute 3 - MATTERS ARISING
Minute Text :
The following issues were raised arising out of the previous meeting's minutes:
Minute 12 - Maureen McDaid stated that the four youth forums would be meeting over the next few weeks and she would be seeking one nomination from each to serve on the Advisory Committee. She would also speak to Andy Hughes and Chelsea Renahan to see whether they wished to carry on for the remainder of the current year. Councillor Harney emphasised the need to ensure that there were proper lines for communication between the youth forums and the Advisory Committee.
For the current round of forums, headteachers had been asked to encourage attendance, particularly through citizenship teachers, and all future meetings of youth forums would be held in libraries.
Minute 13 - It was reported that another bid for funding had been submitted by the Youth Theatre.
Minute 14 - The Council had been awarded Beacon Status for Positive Youth Engagement and work was in hand to disseminate good practice (see also minute 9 below).
Minute 15 - The results of the national consultation on the survey "Something to Do; Somewhere to Go" had been published, and generally they accorded with the findings within Wirral.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That enquiries be made as to whether it would be in order for councillors to attend the meetings of youth forums.
Minute 4 - HEAD OF YOUTH & PLAY SERVICE REPORT
Minute Text :
Maureen McDaid submitted a comprehensive report on activities and developments within the Youth and Play Service since the previous meeting and referred particularly to the following matters:
(i) Staffing - she reported the retirement of Joan Wilkinson MBE after 27 years' service, and the death of Dot Owen, part-time Youth Worker at Bebington, who had worked with the service for 22 years.
(ii) The work of the Wirral Outreach Team - money allocated to develop outreach work was being used for to encourage participation, diversionary activities and to enhance opportunities. Councillor Harney commented that the Outreach service should be examined in more detail to establish the extent of need across the Borough and identify any unmet demand. Councillor Quinn added that it was not clear what percentage of children were reached, but Maureen McDaid confirmed that Wirral's service did out-perform national targets. Councillor Brown referred to views expressed at a recent police forum that there were insufficient youth clubs in the Borough. She was aware that some money was available, via the police, for the Tranmere/Borough Road areas. However, Councillor Meaden felt that even with the number of youth clubs already in existence, there was a general reluctance amongst young people to attend them.
A sand sculpture competition had been very successful, with good press coverage and international winners. Maureen McDaid referred to work by the Outreach Team in partnership with Community Safety staff, particularly in the Tranmere area, which was a response to a number of local incidents. The collaboration had received positive comments in meetings of the Racial Harassment Monitoring Group.
(iii) Wallasey and Deeside Area Team - there were some problems with the current number of staffing vacancies, but interviews had been scheduled.
(iv) Birkenhead and Bebington Area Team - There had been a problem in the Greasby area, with a Section 30 Order having been made, but Greasby Youth Club was working with Community Safety to ensure young people could meet in an agreed area. Councillor Quinn stated that there were still large gatherings of young people taking place in the wrong area. It appeared that gatherings were facilitated by the use of mobile phones.
(v) The work of the Response service in assisting young people with complex issues - the Head of the service had been nominated for a national award under the "Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain" initiative. There were some reservations within the service at the amount of time taken in meetings in order to apply the multi-agency approach in relation to the Child Concern Model, but the Model itself was being positively received.
(vi) Wirral Youth Theatre/Youth Arts had operated a successful large-scale production in St Luke's Church, Liverpool.
(vii) Accrediting young people's achievements - 13 young people had successfully completed the first BTEC course in Peer Education.
(viii) "My Ideal Foster Family" - the launch of the training DVD would take place the following Monday. It had been produced with considerable involvement by looked-after children and the Wirral Youth Theatre.
(ix) Outdoor education/Duke of Edinburgh's Award - particular emphasis was being placed on involving looked-after children in the Award scheme, for which resources were available to support them.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That Maureen McDaid be thanked for her report.
Minute 5 - CHILDREN’S PLAY BIG LOTTERY BRIEFING 21ST JULY 2006
Minute Text :
Steve Chan reported on progress in the Council's bid for funding through the Big Lottery Fund's £155m Children's Play initiative. He explained that, of that sum, £124m was to be divided between all local authorities; £16m would be available for the Playful Ideas programme for innovative practice in planning, design and delivery; and £15m had been allocated for the Play England Project for regional support and to develop infrastructure.
Wirral had been allocated a total of £881,208 over a period of three years and the Council would take the lead, in collaboration with its partners, in applying for funding. It would be necessary to perform a number of qualifying tasks (listed in paragraph 4 of his report). They included having a play strategy in place, which would be audited by the Big Lottery Fund; consulting young people on what they wanted and establishing why, if it were the case, they did not use existing facilities; and appointing a Play Champion - a process had been initiated in order to find a suitable candidate. The actual bid would have to be submitted by March 2007, though a delay could be negotiated if it were felt necessary.
Councillor Meaden suggested that a local footballer might be an appropriate choice for Play Champion. In response to Councillor Quinn's query, Steve Chan stated that there was currently little guidance on how to define areas of need for play facilities and whose need that might be. It was felt that the Play England Project would help in that respect in providing an audit of existing facilities and requirements. That, together with the outcome of consultations with all stakeholders, would be the subject of future reports.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the report be noted.
Minute 6 - WIRRAL YOUTH & PLAY SERVICE – AGE RANGE
Minute Text :
Maureen McDaid explained that, since the 1980s, Wirral Youth Service’s target age range had been young people aged 13 to 25 years, with a priority age range of 13-19 years. In recent years, as a direct result of the Transforming Youth Work agenda, national youth service targets and key performance indicators were now wholly concerned with young people aged 13-19 years, and funding from central government for youth services was now allocated per head for the 13-19 youth population. In order to align with the national youth work agenda, best serve the interests of Wirral young people, and maximise existing resources, it was recommended that the Wirral Youth Service age range be redefined as: "Young people aged 13-19 years, and specifically targeted young people aged 20 until their 25th birthday who have additional needs and need support with transition into adult life/services".
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the revision of the target age ranges for the Wirral Youth Service be supported and the Cabinet be requested to approve the change.
Minute 7 - YOUTH PARTICIPATION NEXT STEPS
Minute Text :
Maureen McDaid and Debbie McCain reported on various issues relating to pouth Participation and in particular on arrangements for the Youth Voice Conference on 16 October, which would be followed by the Youth Parliament/Council meeting. They also reported on the work of the four youth forums and on arrangements for encouraging attendance through schools. The next round of youth forums would be involved in the allocation of the Youth Opportunity and Youth Capital Funds.
Peter Edmondson added that, in addition to the award of Beacon Council status, "Making a Positive Contribution" had been awarded a score of 4 ("outstanding") in the recent Annual Performance Assessment conducted by Ofsted. That was due, in particular, to Maureen McDaid and her colleagues. Maureen McDaid in turn paid tribute to the contribution of young people in the achievement of Beacon Council status (see also minute 9 below).
Councillor Harney commended the high achievements made so far. However, he was worried that the Government was making increased demands on a service that had limited capacity, especially with regard to the spreading of best practice under Beacon Council arrangements. He queried whether the Council could make a charge for its services, or otherwise obtain some corporate support. He hoped that the events organised for 16 October would lead to an action plan that would ensure that youth participation was retained as a priority by the relevant committees.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the Committee record its congratulations to Maureen McDaid and all of the Youth Service staff on the quality of their work and the recognition that it has received.
Minute 8 - DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Minute Text :
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That meetings be arranged for December 2006 and March 2007 in consultation with the Chair.
Minute 9 - BEACON COUNCIL (POSITIVE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT) - OPEN DAY
Minute Text :
Maureen McDaid reported that an Open Day, to celebrate the award of Beacon Council status for Positve Youth Engagement and to inform other authotities and organisations about best practice within Wirral, had been arranged for 24 October (10.00am to 4.00pm). Invitations would be sent out in due course.
(Minutes Published: 30 November 2006)