The Director of Children’s Services presented an overview of services to support young people outside the school setting. Integrated Youth Support comprised universal youth support, which covered those services available to all young people, regardless of need; and targeted youth support, which covered services designed to support vulnerable young people and the communities in which they lived, by targeted interventions.

He set out the range of services that provided youth support and in response to the Youth Outreach Scrutiny Review, wider changes in National Youth Policy and the process for the commissioning of Connexions Services, recommended structural changes to the Children and Young Peoples Department (CYPD) and the Department for Regeneration. Specifically, he proposed to bring together in the Participation and Inclusion Branch of the Children and Young People’s Department, the Youth Offending Service, the Wirral Anti-Social Behaviour Team and responsibility for management of the new contract for the provision of Connexions Services.

Those services would then be under the same management as the Youth Service, Young Peoples’ Engagement and Wirral Alternative Schools Programme (WASP). He proposed the establishment of a post of Strategic Service Manager to lead and co-ordinate the growing and important area of work, which would be funded from the part of the Area Based Grant ear-marked for Connexions Service Management (see minute 173 post).

Members expressed their thanks to the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee for undertaking the Scrutiny Review and commented also upon the sterling work undertaken to date by the Wirral Anti-Social Behaviour Team, which they were confident would continue. The Chair commented also upon views that had been expressed at the Youth Parliament, which could involve young people in administering sanctions against perpetrators of anti-social behaviour.

Resolved –

(1)  That the Wirral Anti-Social Behaviour Team and relevant Sports Development Unit staff associated with the delivery of out of hours diversionary activity be transferred from the Regeneration Department to the Children and Young People’s Department and co-located at the Solar Campus.

(2)  That in order to ensure compliance of the Connexions Contract and to manage the integrated Youth Support Service, a Strategic Manager (Integrated Youth Support) be appointed.

(3)  That the Youth Offending Service (YOS), currently free standing, be moved to the Participation and Inclusion Branch.