Minute 1  -  Welcome and Apologies

Cllr Harney welcomed everyone and suggested that for this meeting, a member of the Executive Youth Board, Craig Kenny took the Chair.

Proposed by:  Cllr. C. Meaden.

Seconded by:  Cllr. C Povall.

The proposal was carried unanimously.

Resolved:

i)  that Craig Kenny take the Chair for the meeting.

All those attending introduced themselves and apologies were taken

Apols:Cllr. Pat Williams

  Debbie McCabe (Senior Youth Worker – Engagement)

  Amy Butterworth (Forum Housing)

Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 16 February 2010.

Minute 2  -  Minutes of the last Meeting held on 16^th February 2010

The minutes were checked for accuracy, and no corrections were needed:

Resolved:

i)  that the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 16^th February 2010, be accepted as a true record.

Minute 3  -  Matters Arising

There were no matters rising.

Minute 4  -  Head of Service’s Report

The Service Manager, Lindsay Davidson, presented the report of the Youth and Play Service’s recent activities, and drew the Committee’s attention to the following:

1.  Following the Youth Service re-configuration and creation of the District-based hubs, the majority of staff are now in post.

2.  At the Birkenhead Youth Hub at Shaftesbury YC, the urban garden is developing well with the young people learning a great deal from looking after the livestock which includes ducks, chickens and rabbits.

3.  Callister Youth Club is working with Aiming High for Disabled Children to recruit new young people to the club.  With this in mind, an open evening for young people and their parents will be held in the autumn.

4.  Charing Cross Youth Club has been successful in raising money for a minibus which has been specially adapted for young people with disabilities.

5.  Over the summer, building enhancements have been taking place in South Wirral Youth Hub at Eastham Youth Centre.  The building now has a computer suite and dedicated rooms for life skills and sports.

6.  The recent service reconfiguration also involved the Outreach Teams.  The table (see paragraph 3.1 of the report) informs the Committee of the districts/wards covered by each of the 6 teams.

7.  South Wirral Outreach Team has launched the Trailblazers mountain bike project in partnership with the Fire & Rescue Service.

8.  In partnership with the Police, Response and the Youth Respect Team, West Wirral Outreach Project is playing a key role in addressing anti-social behaviour issues in West Kirby on a Friday evening.  Positive activities that have been organised include sports and BBQs

9.  Wallasey Youth Hub was launched on the 15th June this year.  There is a stand alone report later in the agenda on the progress of this new project for young people.

10.  Leasowe Youth Club is working closely with other youth providers in the area to develop the youth offer via and the Unity in the Community initiative.

11.  West Wirral Youth Hub at West Kirby YC has developed links with local church youth groups and as a result an after school drop is operating on a Tuesday and Wednesday.

12.  On Monday this week Wirral Youth Theatre relocated to Gilbrook School in Birkenhead.  It is envisaged that in the future the building will be maximised as a focal point for wider youth arts activities.

13.  55 young people from the Youth Theatre have received their V awards for achieving 50 or 100 hours volunteering.

14.  Currently the Youth Theatre’s peer education outreach company are touring their latest production – “Somebody’s Son”.  This thought provoking piece explores the consequences of violent behaviour and peer pressure.  The performance has been extremely well received by audiences in schools and youth clubs across the Borough.

15.  The Youth Theatre was instrumental in enabling workshops for young people which culminated in performances at each of the 4 Youth Hub launches.  This included bands, rap, dance and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Minute 5  -  “Stop Gap”

Maria Charlesworth, other members of the Housing Support Team and clients of the “Stop Gap” service reported on the achievements of the programme over its life so far using a powerpoint presentation.  This programme is funding until 31^st March 2011.

The programme is directed at young people aged 16-18 who do not fit easily into existing provision and for whom unsupported accommodation was not suitable.

There had been 62 referrals of whom 51 were engaged. None of those who had exited the programme are currently homeless, with all of them active in education, training or employment.

Two young people spoke of their experiences and how the programme enabled them to live positive lives.

Elected members expressed the view that this service added great value to the lives of young people and this success should be shared with the wider council.  Various ways such as showcasing and Elected Member training were suggested. 

Resolved:

i)  that ways of informing the wider council of the success of “Stop Gap” be examined;

ii)  that the “Stop Gap” Team and young people be thanked for their report.

Minute 6  -  Forum Housing Association

Tony Fitzgerald reported on behalf of Forum Housing.

Forum Housing have some 800 places for young people, whose profile tends be high risk – drug users, care leavers and others who do not easily fit into more mainstream provision.  Last year there were 2,100 referrals.

Forum Housing were concerned over numbers of evictions they were carrying out.  Therefore, it was decided to tackle this issue by introducing the Residents Shareholder panel, based on the principles of participation and inclusion; encouraging perpetrators to examine the impact of their behaviour and taking more responsibility for the overall policies of the Housing Association.

The consequence of encouraging the young people to contribute rather than be a mere tenant meant that more attention had been paid to small detail and people felt more valued.

The Panel has now produced a frequently reviewed code of conduct which is written in a positive style, and the number of evictions had fallen.

Resolved:

i)   Forum Housing be thanked for an excellent presentation.

Minute 7  -  Wallasey Youth Hub

The Principal Manager summarised the report for the Committee.

The key issues were around attendances, the maximum capacity of the Youth Hub and looking at ways to approach that number.  Now that dark damp evenings made the local parks and other outdoor locations for young people less appealing, it was expected more young people would be attending this excellent facility in the Fire Station.

Staff from the centre had been to local hot spots to encourage young people to use the Youth Hub.

Resolved:

i)  that the Service Manager be thanked for the report.

Minute 8  -  Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme Officer highlighted the salient points of the report.

The Scheme has high levels of penetration in Wirral, and where mainstream provision (e.g. school, uniformed organisation) is absent, have uniquely supported groups of parents.

Wirral Council holds the Regional Licence and is responsible for quality assurance and ensuring safety for expeditions.

Registrations are increasing and there are currently over 700 young people registered for the Award at all levels. Last year, 58 young people achieved their Gold Award, and each one was invited to The Palace for a presentation ceremony and to meet Prince Philip.

Employers hold the Award in high regard, there were many incidents of young people applying for jobs where holding the Award has been a deciding factor.

The Award Scheme now has electronic registration and record keeping.

In response to questions about costs, registration is £12. In regard to expedition costs such as camp site fees and travel, there are no central subsidies but many units fund-raise for their expeditions and use these activities towards other parts of the award.

Resolved:

i)  The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme Officer was thanked for his report.

Minute 9  -  Playwork Summer Activities

The Deputy Head of Service for Play reported on the Summer Activities, which is mostly funded by grant to the Voluntary Sector and the local authority play schemes.  There were 23 schemes across the Borough.

Over half of the previous year’s temporary workers had been re-appointed, bringing valuable experience.

In preparation for the summer activities, over 40 staff gained the qualification “Take Five for Play” and 28 gained a Paediatric First Aid qualification.

At the Belvidere, which is directed at children with special or medical needs, there had been a very high level of parental involvement.

Difficulties over a venue in the Noctorum area were resolved when the Headteacher of Hillside Primary made the school premises available.

In Eastham, the South Wirral Youth Hub with its large outdoor play area was used, and it was good to see numbers of children with autism and cerebral palsy attending.

In Prenton, a positive partnership with the Residents Association enabled use of the Prenton play area.

The Annual Play Day was held in Birkenhead Park, where inflatable human football proved extremely popular, despite the rain.

Concerns were raised that there was no provision this year in Victoria Park/Albany Hall and that provision in the ward of Clatterbridge and the village of Thornton Hough is weak.

Resolved:

i)  that officers investigate the provision of summer playschemes in Victoria Park and the ward of Clatterbridge;

ii)  that the Deputy Head of Service for Play be thanked for his report.

Minute 10  -  “Stocktake”

The Commissioning Manager, Maureen McDaid, reported on an exercise which is examining the development of youth activities and provision since the introduction of Youth Hubs earlier in the year.

The exercise was facilitated by consultants connected to the MyPlace initiative, which is a ten year strategy for positive activities for improving youth facilities.

The key values of the action are collaboration and partnership, and seeking to develop programmes that attract a diverse range of participants.

Resolved:

i)  that the Report and Action Plan be accepted.

Minute 11  -  Any Other Business

There was no other business.