Meeting documents
Youth and Play Service Advisory Committee
Monday, 7th January 2008
Present
Chair
Cllr T Harney
Councillors
SA Brown, S L Clarke, Karen Hayes, Mrs CM Meaden, ED Prout, Sarah Quinn
Members
Peter Brandrick (Forum Housing Association)
Youth Forum representative(s)
Jamie Johnson, Allan Mason-Whelan
Council Officers
Steve Chan (Acting Head, Play), Lindsay Davidson (Deputy Head of Youth Service: Policy Development), Terry Hall (Deputy Head, Field Support), Maureen McDaid (Head of Youth & Play Service)
Apologies
Tanya Carr, Hannah Hoyle
Index to Minutes
- Minute 11 - INTRODUCTIONS AND APOLOGIES
- Minute 12 - HOMELESSNESS AND YOUNG PEOPLE
- Minute 13 - MINUTES
- Minute 14 - MATTERS ARISING
- Minute 15 - HEAD OF SERVICE'S REPORT
- Minute 16 - YOUTH PARLIAMENT
- Minute 17 - PLAY CHAMPION
- Minute 18 - THE HARMONY PROJECT
- Minute 19 - DATES FOR FUTURE MEETINGS
Minute 11 - INTRODUCTIONS AND APOLOGIES
Minute Text :
Apologies - as above.
The Chair welcomed Pat Rice (Head of Response), Maria Charlesworth (Operations Manager, Response) and Kira McSorley (Housing Support Worker), who were accompanied by a number of young people. It was agreed that the order of business be altered in order to deal with the item on homelessness and young people first.
Minute 12 - HOMELESSNESS AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Minute Text :
Maria Charlesworth explained the work of the Response Team in relation to housing issues affecting young people. In the previous quarter they had dealt with 218 requests for advice, including 79 new cases. Whilst most young people up to the age of 19 were happy to be living at home, for some it was not an option. They were assisted by agencies such as the Merseyside Accommodation Project, Forum Housing Association and Green Options. However, in addition to relationships with parents, there were other issues such as drugs and drink that could compound young people's problems. Whilst supported accommodation provided low level support, it was not equipped to deal with more serious problems. In many cases, the only other option was bed and breakfast establishments.
Four of the young people, two aged 16 and two aged 18, gave a presentation on their experiences after being obliged to leave home, including particular problems they had encountered in B & B's.
Pat Rice stated that the Govenment was looking to end the use of B & B accommodation by 16- and 17-year-olds by 2010, where they were considered to be vulnerable. Some B & B's were felt to be adequate, but they could not provide the necessary support. There was a need for a range of options in terms of accommodation, and there was a distinct lack of starter homes on offer for young people, though it was felt that suitable properties were available for that purpose.
Peter Brandrick stated that his organisation (Forum Housing) was able to provide some support, and his colleague explained that that included advising on budgeting and social issues, and assisting with motivation, food and nutrition, health and safety and identifying and assessing drug and alcohol risks. Two young people, who acted as representatives of residents, had recently attended and spoken at a conference in Birmingham. There were also social events organised for residents to showcase their talents and other events aimed at emphasising their role as stakeholders. However, there was also a lack of accommodation for young people to move on to, which impacted on Forum's ability to admit new residents. Needs inevitably outstripped supply, but currently Forum was working with Wirral Partnership Homes to refurbish some of its properties.
The Chair thanked the young people for their informative presentation and reiterated the concerns previously expressed at the Youth Parliament and by members of the Committee. The Council was keen to help and support the actions already being taken by the likes of Forum Housing. He proposed an additional meeting of the Committee to consider the matter further. Councillor Meaden felt that more facilities for young people, such as those at Pendle Court, were required, so that they might benefit from mutual support.
Councillor Clarke referred to the fact that one of the young people had had their case closed by their social worker (now the subject of a Stage complaint), and the Chair stressed that the Council ought to be in the position to guarantee the necessary support for vulnerable young people, at a time when the shortage of accommodation was becoming critical.
Minute Decision :
Resolved -
(1) That the young people, and the staff of Response, be thanked for their attendance and a most informative presentation.
(2) This Committee believes that the lack of access to housing among young people, together with the right level of support, is becoming critical, and therefore an additional meeting of the Committee be held, before Easter, in order to consider the issue of homelessness in more detail, to which appropriate officers of the Council and representatives of Wirral Partnership Homes, Forum Housing and the Merseyside Accommodation Project should be invited (see also minute 19 below).
Minute 13 - MINUTES
Minute Text :
The minutes of the previous meeting, held on 8 October 2007, were accepted as a correct record.
Minute 14 - MATTERS ARISING
Minute Text :
No matters were raised.
Minute 15 - HEAD OF SERVICE'S REPORT
Minute Text :
Maureen McDaid submitted a comprehensive report on the work of the Youth and Play Service since the previous meeting and highlighted a number of items.
Minute Decision :
Resolved -
(1) That Maureen McDaid be thanked for her report and the contents be noted.
(2) That the Committee record its best wishes to Lyn Robinson on her retirement after 20 years in the administrative section of the Youth Service.
(3) That the Committee record its thanks to
(i) Lindsay Davidson and John Davies for their work in helping to develop the NVQ courses in Youth Work;
(ii) the members of the Outreach Team for the assistance they have given to the members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in their research.
Minute 16 - YOUTH PARLIAMENT
Minute Text :
Maureen McDaid provided a briefing on the Youth Voice Conference and Youth Parliament held on 16 October 2007. The Committee was asked to agree that the action plan addressing the issues raised at the Youth Parliament and the feedback session in July 2007 be presented to the next meeting of the Committee. The main areas for action were:
• organising the Youth Offer around the four priorities accepted at the Youth Parliament and working with them in order of agreed priority: Respect, Information, Participation and Access;
• exploring the possibility of young people being co-opted onto each area forum and identifying the necessary support structures;
• organising a joint meeting between the Youth Parliament and Older People’s Parliament;
• arranging a meeting between young people and area Police Inspectors;
• including in the action plan the issues raised the previous year but judged by the young people as not having been addressed satisfactorily;
• establishing an Executive Youth Board to provide a strategic mechanism for young people’s participation in the decision making process in Wirral. That was in line with the actions identified as part of the Peer Support project, which had been funded by Cabinet Office and reported to a previous meeting of YAPSAC.
Additional funding of £10,000 had been identified in the budget for 2008/09 to support that work, and money made available from the Department of Children Schools and Families for consulting young people on the Youth Offer had been used as part funding for the Youth Parliament. She went on to explain the method of recruiting the young people to the Executive Board, via youth forums and school councils, and it was hoped the the Board could be operative by June.
Councillor Clarke commented that she hoped that there would be greater input from elected members at the next Youth Parliament. The Chair agreed, and stated that young people should always be encouraged to comment on how the Council and its representatives were reacting with them. In particular, they ought to be able to have an input into the Council's plans for next year, preferably through focus groups rather than formal meetings.
Minute Decision :
Resolved -
(1) That the report be noted, and the Committee looks forward to progress with the various actions.
(2) That members be invited to the next meeting of the selection panel dealing with YOP/YOF applications, to be held at Ivy Farm on 24 January.
Minute 17 - PLAY CHAMPION
Minute Text :
Further to minute 9 (8 October 2007), Steve Chan presented to the outline proposals for a Wirral Play Champion. He reminded the Committee of previous attempts to recruit, so far without success. In order to progress the appointment a sub-group had met to investigate the different options available to the Play Partnership, in particular, how children and young people might be fully involved in the appointment process. The sub-group had drafted a job description and person specification.
The next step would be the involvement of children and young people in the appointment of the Play Champion. Children would be also asked to consider the attributes of a Play Champion and what it meant for them. The job description and person specification would be developed into a final draft. The Play Partnership would take expressions of interest from potential candidates, and children and young people would draw up a shortlist of those meeting the criteria. Short-listed candidates would be asked to produce a short child-friendly resume which would be presented appropriately to children and young people. They would be supported to work in partnership with adults to organise an election to be carried out in a child-friendly setting for children and young people, whose vote would decide the final outcome.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the proposals for the appointment of a Play Champion be supported and a report on the matter be presented to the Cabinet for its endorsement.
Minute 18 - THE HARMONY PROJECT
Minute Text :
The representatives of the Harmony Project (work undertaken by the Birkenhead Youth Action Project with young people in a multi-ethnic area of Birkenhead) were unable to attend, and it was agreed to defer consideration of the matter to a future meeting.
Minute 19 - DATES FOR FUTURE MEETINGS
Minute Text :
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the next meeting be held on Thursday 20 March at 5.30pm, for the main purpose of considering the issue of homelessness among young people.
Footnote :
This date proved not to be practicable and a subsequent date of 7 May was agreed by the Chair.
(Minutes Published: 30 April 2008)