|
Meeting: |
Executive |
|
Meeting date: |
14 November 2024 |
|
Report of: |
Director of Children Services and Education and Director of Housing and Communities |
|
Portfolio of: |
Cllr Webb – Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education; Cllr Pavlovic – Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities |
Decision Report: Young People
Belong in York - Our Youth Strategy
Subject of
Report
1. This report presents the new Youth Strategy for the city. The strategy has been developed with young people and partners and is called ‘Young people belong in York’. This demonstrates from the outset our commitment to young people in our city having access to the right support they need.
2. The strategy is focused on the role youth provision plays in our city and sets out the following vision:
York is a place that young people belong.
Young people in York have places to go, things to do and someone to talk to.
Benefits and Challenges
3. We want York to be a place where young people know they belong. We believe in the power of youth work and the importance of having places to go and things to do, all supported by people who genuinely care.
4. A youth strategy helps us to focus on what really matters for young people in our city. It ensures that we listen to their voices, understand their needs, and work together to provide the best opportunities for them.
5. By developing a youth strategy, we are also meeting our responsibilities to make sure every young person has access to the support and resources they need. This isn't just about meeting statutory expectations; it's about showing that we care and are committed to making a positive difference in their lives.
6. We would hope to see a range of benefits from delivering on our youth strategy. We want to:
a) Connect young people with their communities, enabling them to develop a strong sense of belonging and contribute to society.
b) Champion young people to have a voice in decisions which affect their lives.
c) Enable young people to socialise safely with their peers, spend time with people from different backgrounds and develop trusting relationships with adults.
d) Offer opportunities to take part in a wide range of activities through which young people build skills for life and work and the capabilities they need to make a successful transition to adulthood.
e) Raise young peoples’ aspirations in education, training or employment encouraging them to reach their potential.
f) Help disadvantaged and vulnerable young people, as well as young people at risk of not reaching their full potential.
7. York has a number of providers of youth services, largely within the voluntary and community sector. We have been working closely with this network of youth providers to understand the challenges and opportunities in delivering our strategy.
8. The YMCA has highlighted the national challenge faced by local authorities in ensuring sufficient youth provision. Research undertaken by the YMCA shows that nationally the level of spending on youth services by English local authorities in 2022/23 is 73% lower than in 2010/11. York is not immune to these challenges and our strategy sets out new ways of working together to help meet the needs of young people.
Policy Basis for Decision
9. The local authority has a responsibility under section 507b of the Education Act 1996 (as amended by Education and Inspections Act 2006) to secure, so far as reasonably practical, sufficient educational and recreational activities which are for the improvement of young people's wellbeing, personal and social development, and sufficient facilities for young people aged 13 - 19 (or up to 25 for young people with additional needs).
10. The guidance on the statutory responsibility had not been updated nationally since 2012. However, in September 2023 the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) published updated statutory guidance for local authorities under section 507b of the Education Act 2006.
11. The revised statutory guidance requires local authorities to, so far as 'reasonably practicable', secure access for young people to a 'sufficient' quantity of youth services.
12. The statutory guidance suggests that the educational leisure-time activities must include sufficient activities which are for the improvement of young people's personal and social development. These are the types of activities traditionally provided through youth work.
13. Locally the youth strategy sits alongside other key strategies in the city. One City, for all, the City of York Council's Council Plan (2023-2027), sets a strong ambition to increase opportunities for everyone living in York to live healthy and fulfilling lives. Under the priority of 'a health generating city, for children and adult's the council will:
a) Start good health and wellbeing young:
b) Continue our improvement journey to deliver good and outstanding children's services with the voice of the child heard throughout all council operations.
14. York Youth Strategy provides a great opportunity to help deliver the ambitions for all children and young people as set out in the Children and Young People’s Plan. In delivering our youth strategy we should always think how it can help to achieve the priorities for young people to; be Happy and Healthy, Stay Safe and Ready for the Future.
15. There is a direct link from the Youth Strategy to York’s Anti-Racism strategy. This sets out a commitment to support youth services and youth club provision to meet the needs of young people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Financial Strategy Implications
16. The council does not directly deliver youth services, and has not done so for many years. Instead the council works in partnership with local youth providers to try and meet young people’s needs. The launch of the new youth strategy will have financial implications for how the council ensures youth services either through working in partnership or commissioning.
17. By delivering this strategy and helping to develop our Local Youth Partnership we hope we can attract more resource into the city. We know that in areas that have already developed Local Youth Partnerships they have been able to secure investment and distribution of funds in a transparent way, promoting income generation for the partnership and its members.
19. The youth strategy provides a strategic framework for use of this funding to build our Local Youth Partnership and directly fund provision for young people.
20. Existing youth provision is funded through a patchwork of different funding sources. For example the council funds a variety of youth provision through the ward grant arrangements. This helps to meet a great deal of the expected recreational and leisure time provision for young people, as outlined in the statutory guidance. This is further complemented through support for children young people and families through the Dept for Education funded Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. Through this programme for children and young people, activities are commissioned for the school term holiday periods and include a wide range of activities including physical activity, sports, arts and crafts, drama, dance, cultural and wellbeing.
21. The 2024 HAF summer programme has proved the most popular to date with children and young people with bookings exceeding previous programmes. The existing HAF programme however is due to end in March 2025 which risks the level of provision being significantly diminished should the programme not be funded through central government resources. This underlines again the need for us to find new ways of working together to grow and sustain a meaningful youth offer locally.
22. Working with the York Youth Network we are exploring the development of a bid to the Mayoral Combined Authority to support this work and align it with existing proposals related to cultural passports for young people and a potential youth zone in the city.
Recommendation and Reasons
23. It is recommended that the Executive agree the ‘Young People Belong in York’ youth strategy provided as Annex A.
24. This is to enable the implementation of the youth strategy alongside partners.
Background
25. As mentioned earlier youth provision in the city is largely delivered by a valued and committed network of voluntary and community sector partners working across the city. Alongside these partners the city has a rich and varied cultural offer.
26. From working with young people we know that some feel they do not belong in York, that the city does not provide opportunities to socialise with their friends, or when they do they feel stigmatised.
27. We also know from working with youth providers the challenges they face. Short term funding, venue costs, inflationary pressures, competing with partners and paying for training were identified as barriers to sustaining or growing youth provision locally.
28. There are actions we can collectively take to help tackle these challenges and to realise the opportunities that exist locally.
29. The first is the development of the youth strategy to set out a shared and ambitious vision for how we want our city to be. In direct response to feedback from young people we have placed ‘belonging’ at the heart of our strategy.
30. Our strategic ambition is that:
a) York is a place that young people belong.
b) Young people in York have places to go, things to do and someone to talk to.
31. Our strategic priorities are:
a) Young people have safe places to be with their friends.
b) Young people have a range of activities to do.
c) Young people are supported by people with the right skills.
32. No one service in the city has the answer. We can only achieve this ambition by working together. That means everyone across the city including youth providers, young people, the council, health, funders and communities.
33. To help deliver our shared ambition key partners have committed to exploring and developing a local youth partnership. Local Youth Partnerships are developing in a number of areas across the country. How they work in each area is unique to the local context and partners. We are committed to working together to develop a youth partnership that works for York.
34. Whilst each local youth partnership is unique the Young People’s Foundation have provided the definition below to help illustrate how they can work.
a) Local Youth Partnerships (LYPs) are cross-sectoral partnerships that are established and led at the local level with the goal of convening, supporting, and sustaining youth work delivery in a specific area. LYPs can be initiated by various local organisations, including charities, voluntary organisations, local authorities, and housing associations, among others. Regardless of who initiates the partnership, it is essential to ensure that the diversity of stakeholders and agencies in the local area are represented in the partnership.
b) LYPs may take various forms, ranging from informal collaborations to formal partnerships or legally constituted organisations. By collaborating under a shared vision informed by local insight, needs, and ambitions, LYPs improve outcomes for children and young people by expanding and shaping local provision, securing new resources, providing training and capacity, and creating spaces for leaders, youth workers, and groups and organisations to come together.
c) An ’effective’ LYP is one that takes collaborative action to improve outcomes for children and young people by enabling access to high-quality provision locally.
d) The Local Youth Partnership (LYP) approach has been tested in other areas and is showing promise in promoting independence, equity, and income generation across the network. By fostering neutrality and providing a platform for all partners, the LYP approach supports those who are most marginalised and in need of support.
35. The exact composition and purpose of York’s local youth partnership will be decided by York’s youth providers. We have worked with providers throughout 2024 to explore how they want to work together, what they want to do and what barriers they may face. Developing the partnership will take time and commitment. The organisations forming the partnership met at the beginning of September. The plan for that session was to move into more practical planning and work together on actions that will help test and grow the partnership. In summary the partners reflected they were ready to move on from talking about the strategy and to do something practical and ‘give it a go’. It was also agreed that the council would seek a partner organisation that can take on the role of Network Coordination / Support for the developing Local Youth Partnership. This will be undertaken through a collaborative commissioning process with the Network.
36. A piece of important learning from the pilots of Local Youth Partnerships in other areas is that on their own they are not the single answer. - they will not fix the broad range of challenges around youth work. They can attract more funding to an area but they will not solve all challenges on resources or sustainability. Working in partnership is effective but takes time and some providers are at different stages and appetites for joining a partnership in this way.
37. Pilots of Local Youth Partnerships in other areas have shown they can:
a) Ensure need is understood and met
b) Shape and support local resources
c) Secure additional new resources
d) Enable coordinated and consistent area-wide support for young people
e) Support inclusive and representative spaces
f) Increase quality of services and youth work delivery
g) Build trust and collaboration between public and VCSE sectors and the individuals that lead them
Learning from other areas
38. The Young People Foundations Trust (YPF Trust) was established in 2021. It is a national organisation that grows, supports and enables place-based collaboration and partnerships focused on the needs of young people and the organisations that support them. They have been leading the development of a growing network of Young People's Foundations (YPFs)/local youth partnerships.
39. The YPF Trust has worked to evaluate the development of youth partnerships across the country. The following summary has been drawn from their most recent report published in May 2024. This gives examples of progress made by other areas that we would hope to replicate locally.
a) “We have to be clear that investment in children and young people's organisations, and in partnership work specifically, is critically important. However, we are now seeing that modest support in local partnerships is leading to greater investment, both locally and nationally. Through support from YPF Trust, and great work at a local level, a number of local areas are turning seed funding of £5,000-£10,000 into core funding of £50,000 to £100,000 to establish a partnership, and a number of more developed areas are using that core funding to leverage further income.”
b) “A number of areas have now secured additional core funding (e.g. Sunderland, Cornwall, Somerset, Northamptonshire, Stockton) or are in discussions with local public sector partners and funders about investment in the partnership itself.”
c) “With the right support in place, we believe that every local area can be delivering the financial returns we are seeking in established partnerships like Westminster, Brent and Harrow - where for every one pound invested in the partnership a further four pound is investment in the community.”
d) In Sunderland, Sunderland All Together Consortium have secured £500,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund to deliver youth provision across the area via their membership over the next three years, with further support from two family trusts totalling £1m over the same period.
e) In Cumbria, Cumbria Youth Alliance has secured substantial funding from various sources. They have secured a five-year grant from the Lottery, over £200,000 from the Youth Futures Foundation, and £2 million in total commitment from a benefactor. They chair the Children and Young People's Voluntary Sector Reference Group, which distributes £200,000 annually for youth funding in Cumbria. In addition, they provide £30,000 per year in small grants to their network of delivery organisations
f) In Stockton, Youth United Stockton Alliance has secured £276,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund to support the delivery of a five-year Youth Offer Strategy across the area, including a focus on quality provision, income generation and workforce development.
g) Cheetham Hill in North Manchester has secured £1million investment over five years through the Youth Endowment Fund's place-based approached grant, the Neighbourhood Fund. Because this investment is managed through Young Manchester, in their role as infrastructure and partnership broker, it has been able to prioritise grassroots support and provide a platform and catalyst for change.
40. Below are quotes directly from local youth partnerships in other areas and the benefits they are seeing from the approach:
a) "We have 3 consortium groups delivering a fund for youth social action projects across the city as a result of Young Southampton controlling the funding and monitoring it. Previously this would have been put out by the LA and would have been a competitive fund that organisations would have applied for individually. It has already created partnerships between members when applying for new funds and has started some really positive work in connecting opportunities we currently have in the city and some that are coming." - YOUNG SOUTHAMPTON
b)
"The partnership has been able to feel it was not alone in its
aspirations or challenges, the shared learning and support from
across the capacity building pilot allowed the Youth Provision
Partnership (YPP) to grow, reframe and change course from the
experience of others on their journeys.
The benefits included collective funding bids, joint and shared
plans and projects and enabling the YPP to articulate the
'Blackpool Model' of youth work and youth provision. None of this
would exist without the time and space for people to come together,
articulate views and agree on a shared strategy moving forward." -
BLACKPOOL YOUTH PROVISION PARTNERSHIP
c) "To put it bluntly, without the youth partnership foundation, we would never have got so quickly to a point of having a high-level strategic plan that has been endorsed by all key stakeholders and has enabled us to secure funding for the next two years and fund infrastructure support for the sector." - YOUTH UNITED STOCKTON ALLIANCE
41. We see the launch of the new youth strategy alongside a developing local youth partnership as a real opportunity to deliver on our commitment of making York a place where young people belong.
‘Give it a go week’ – Getting more young people involved
42. In developing the strategy with youth sector partners there is a real appetite to deliver something practical at an early stage of developing our partnership. Partners have worked together to build a plan for a ‘Give it a go week’ to get more young people engaged in youth provision.
43. York has a successful programme of year-round events and festivals for visitors and residents. This proposed city wide programme would follow a similar model to a Residents Weekend but would shine a light on activities for young people, engage people in new activities and showcase the positive difference youth work can make. Many young people have never experienced youth work and this festival would give more young people the opportunity to engage in positive activities.
44. The planning of this festival has helped youth providers clearly identify what is needed to help them to work together more effectively. This learning has been directly used to inform the development of the strategy and the commissioning of a ‘host’ organisation to act as a catalyst that can kick-start this work into action.
45. Through an open process we are identifying a host organisation that can enable delivery of the youth strategy and the youth partnership. Once a host organisation is appointed we expect an early visible outcome will be a city wide ‘give it a go’ week.
46. The host organisation will then continue to work over two to three years to:
a) Improve how we work together by supporting our 'Local Youth Partnership' to come together and put in place all of the foundations needed for the longer term (governance structures and plans)
b) Attracting more resource into the city to enable the youth partnership to provide youth provision for young people
c) Provide capacity to undertake tasks on behalf of the Local Youth Partnership that enables joint working and delivery of our strategic ambition and priorities.
Current Activity : Youth Network provision, activities funded through ward arrangements and the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme
47. Alongside the development of the new youth strategy and local youth partnership there continues to be a range of activity taking place across the city for children and young people, enhanced by ward funding.
48. Youth provision in York is varied and the Youth Network, made up of around 40 different organisations are the main providers of youth work in the city. Each organisation is different, but all seek to improve the health, wellbeing and attainment of young people. For example, Inspire Youth are a charity that deliver youth provision as outreach or focussed support, going to areas where there is identified need. North Yorkshire Youth deliver provision in the Tang Hall area and have recently secured lottery funding to deliver environmental youth work at Hull Road Park, collaborating with Conservation Volunteers and Choose to CIC. Door 84 based in the Groves offers a wide range of youth provision for 8 to 25 year olds alongside a wider community support offer. Haxby & Wigginton Youth and Community Association offer a variety of youth clubs and outreach work in the community. These organisations offer open access provision which is informed by young people themselves, supported by volunteers and professional youth workers.
49. Alongside regular youth clubs there are many organisations which offer sport and leisure opportunities, such as York Rugby League Foundation and York City Football Club Foundation (YCFCF). These organisations work across the city to deliver a range of sports opportunities from training camps and regular sessions to pop up parks activities. YCFCF has also delivered on some of the ward funded youth clubs, these have been particularly successful in areas where there is little other provision such as more rural areas within the city boundaries.
50. The Place at Westfield has seen the establishment of a community learning centre providing a safe space for children and young people to learn and grow and for adults to connect, access support and take part in lifelong learning or training. The Place is a venue, right in the heart of the Chapelfields estate, that provides support, fun and respite for the residents of Westfield. Delivered by the University of York, the main focus is on improving the lives of children and young people who live in the area.
51. There are also a number of youth providers who offer targeted provision and a range of support services. Young Carers support young people with caring responsibilities offering regular sessions, summer camps and trips. York MIND is currently providing Yorchoice drop in groups for young people aged 14 – 21, who feel they would benefit from a safe space to talk about mental health or find signposting for further help. This is alongside a range of other young peoples support and counselling. The Island, currently based in Huntington and with plans to build a new youth centre for the city, offer mentoring to young people, both one-to-one, group based mentoring and alternative education programs.
52. Fully inclusive provision in York is offered by SNAPPY, York Inspirational Kids and Accessible Arts and Media. These organisations offer activities and support children, young people and families who have a learning disability, autism or neurodiverse conditions. All are particularly active during school holidays, alongside regular sessions during term time.
53. The council has funded a variety of youth provision through the ward grant arrangements. This helps to meet elements of the expected recreational and leisure time provision for young people, as outlined in the statutory guidance. Recently this has included grants to support activity including drop in provision for young people, support for young parents, digital workshops for young people, activities to improve confidence, equipment and accessibility for Scouting organisations and grants to community and sports organisations to provide activities and improve the facilities on offer.
54. As well as grants, schemes have been commissioned with local leisure facility operators to offer free to access to gym, swimming and badminton sessions for young people. One ward has commissioned and managed free open access multi-provider activity programmes during school holidays most recently over the summer 2024 holiday period.
55. This is further complemented through support for children, young people and families through the Department for Education funded Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. Through this programme for children and young people, activities are commissioned for the school term holiday periods and include a wide range of activities including physical activity, sports, arts and crafts, drama, dance, cultural and wellbeing.
56. Over the course of the HAF programme in York the following funding allocations have been received from the Department of Education:
|
Financial Year |
Grant Received |
|
2021/2022 |
£235,900 |
|
2022/2023 |
£407,000 |
|
2023/2024 |
£413,250 |
|
2024/2025 |
£417,430 |
Over the period of funding a varied programme of holiday activities with food have been delivered through grants programmes and direct delivery through the Communities Team in partnership with community organisations. The success of the programme has been the bespoke and very local approach taken. The programme has built on the experience of delivery and relationships formed with food and activity providers year on year. The employment of a dedicated HAF coordinator and the implementation of a centralised booking system greatly improved capacity to develop and the reach of the scheme. There is currently some uncertainty as to whether HAF funding will continue beyond March 2025.
During the financial year 2022/2023 an impressive 19,713 places were made available through HAF, to eligible children and young people. So far this year over the Easter and Summer school term holidays 17,375 places were made available. This year, particular effort was put into securing new activities which may appeal to secondary age young people and also connecting children and young people from asylum seeker and refugee communities, into integrated activities and ensuring adequate and appropriate provision.
57. The trend in attendance patterns across all years of the HAF programme delivery to date show that take up is much higher amongst Primary aged children. This could reflect that young people choose to ‘hang out’ with friends rather than attend organised activities. Also, that primary aged children may be attending sessions more frequently as part of parents strategies to balance work and childcare needs as well as finding activities to keep the children occupied during the longer holiday period. This year, particular effort was put into securing new activities which may appeal to secondary age young people and also connecting children and young people from asylum seeker and refugee communities, into integrated activities and ensuring adequate and appropriate provision.
58. The council also supports York Youth Council (YYC) to connect with decision makers and bring the voice of local young people into strategic planning and to connect with peers on a local, regional and national basis. The Youth Council supports an active member of the Youth Parliament who is proactively working to increase the presence and representative nature of the Youth Council. The YYC is increasingly working and connecting with Youth Councils across the combined authority area.
59. Council Officers have also been working with ‘Together with Young People’ (TWYP) a network of organisations who work with young people across York. Linked to work funded by Lankelly Chase, TWYP have undertaken an enquiry into how the system can perpetuate disadvantage faced by young people. It is an intersectional approach to bringing young people together into action inquiry. Providers are exploring together what systems are, how they affect young people and how systems can be challenged or improved. The network has explored real life issues and young peoples lived experience of accessing help or support. Young people have been looking at their power and how their voices can influence people in positions of power. TWYP have provided a variety of youth led action, networking events and media work to engage young people in the process. Findings from this work have been incorporated into the York Youth Strategy, reflecting coproduction with young people and youth voice.
60. The council’s Sports and Active Leisure Team also works with over 300 community sports clubs based in the city of York. Over half of these having a junior section. The support includes governance, training, safeguarding, looking at new sessions, and grant funding. This helps to meet elements of the expected recreational and leisure time provision for young people, as outlined in the statutory guidance. The team have been working with colleagues managing the Raise York website to make sure that the information relating to these clubs is as up to date as possible. Next year the city will host group matches of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 at the York Community Stadium. We are focusing our efforts on increasing participation for women and girls, with new sessions starting in the Autumn 2024.
Consultation Analysis
61. The Youth Council helped us to develop this strategy. Their input has been really important in making sure our strategy is something that young people have shaped and help us to deliver. Their feedback is below:
a) The Youth Council welcomed the strategy and shared they felt it was really needed.
b) They liked the idea of everyone in the city working together.
c) The Youth Council want young people to have a seat at the table when decisions are being made and in holding partners to account for delivering the strategy.
d) They shared the experience of young people sometimes feeling marginalised and they want the strategy to promote inclusion and belonging.
e) Young people said the strategy needs to link with transport and that moving to different parts of the city can be difficult.
62. Throughout 2024 we have worked with local providers of youth services to develop the youth strategy and how we work together. These sessions have been facilitated by the regional youth work unit who have been supporting other areas across the region. The youth strategy has been heavily influenced by working closely with these partners.
63. The Children, Culture and Communities Scrutiny Committee have also been actively engaged in the development of the Youth Strategy and Local Youth Partnership and have constructively commented on the strategy. This feedback has been incorporated into the strategy, reflecting how we might work with the Youth Partnership to join up and promote the local youth offer more effectively.
Options Analysis and
Evidential Basis
64. Option 1: ‘The Young People Belong in York’ Youth Strategy is approved by Members, enabling us to meet the updated statutory guidance for local councils to secure sufficient educational and leisure time activities for young people and inform the developing Youth Partnership. This is the recommended option from Officers.
65. Option 2: The option exists to merely maintain current arrangements for the delivery of youth provision in York, through the informal youth network, however, this will not recognise the updated statutory guidance and will miss out on the opportunities provided by developing a Youth Partnership with clear and consistent focus, ambitions and objectives to deliver outcomes for young people in the city.
Organisational Impact and Implications
66. Financial,
A recurring revenue budget of £40,000 per annum is available to fund the delivery of targeted youth support. The proposals in this report do not commit the council to expenditure in excess of this budget. If additional external funding can be secured then further activity may be able to be supported.
67. Human Resources (HR)
There are no HR implications associated with this report.
68. Legal
The proposal in this report, to adopt a Youth Strategy, responds to the Council’s statutory duty under S507(b) of the Education Act 1996 to secure sufficient educational and recreational leisure-time activities for qualifying young people.
Local authorities have discretion as to how they to meet the duty whether they are directly providing, funding, commissioning, coordinating, or maintaining oversight of the local youth offer. They do not have to directly fund services and can charge for some services. Local authorities can take steps to secure sufficient access to provision by acting as a local coordinator or by assisting provision by local organisations.
The draft strategy has been produced in compliance with the express consultation provisions contained within the Act and with due regard both to the new Statutory Guidance and the Council’s obligations under the Equality Act 2010. These should continue to guide the Council in developing the Youth Partnership and curating and publicising the local youth offer.
69. Procurement
Whilst there are no direct procurement implications relating to the Youth Strategy itself, should any priorities arise that require procurement, all works and/or services must be procured via a compliant, open, transparent, and fair process in accordance with the council’s Contract Procedure Rules and where applicable, the Public Contract Regulations 2015, soon to be Procurement Act 2023. Further advice regarding the procurement process and development of procurement strategies must be sought from the Commercial Procurement team.
70. Health and Wellbeing
Social and emotional skills are a key asset and resource for the positive development of young people. There is a good evidence base to show that mastering these skills supports the achievement of positive life outcomes, including good health and social wellbeing, educational attainment and employment and supports the avoidance of behavioural and social difficulties. There is also a substantive international evidence base which shows that these skills can be enhanced and positive outcomes achieved through the implementation of effective interventions for young people.
71. Environment and Climate action
Young people are likely to be disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change; therefore embedding young people into the decision-making process is critical for successful implementation and supporting a just transition to a low carbon- future. We also see young people with higher levels of engagement in climate change issues than the general populations. Harnessing this engagement and enthusiasm will be required to achieve our ambitions. Providing opportunities for young people to participate in forums such as climate change strategy development, project design and delivery and forums such as York Climate Commission align with the vision of the Youth Strategy and support delivery of our Climate Change Strategy.
72. Affordability
By developing a youth strategy, we are also meeting our responsibilities to make sure every young person has access to the support and resources they need. We know from Healthwatch reports that the growth in child poverty in the city due to the pandemic and Cost of Living Crisis has resulted in a reduction in young people accessing leisure and culture activities across the city. This is not just about meeting statutory expectations; it's about showing that we care and are committed to making a positive difference in their lives. The youth strategy recognises that all young people can benefit from access to good quality youth services and as a city we want all young people to have this opportunity and to provide opportunities that help overcome poverty and social exclusion, now and for the future.
73. Equalities and Human Rights.
a) The Council recognises, and needs to take into account its Public Sector Equality Duty under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other prohibited conduct; advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it in the exercise of a public authority’s functions).
b) By developing a youth strategy, we are recognising the rights of young people to feel included with the city and their communities. Youth provision provides a valuable opportunity to explore aspects of active citizenship and social inclusion, whilst also providing opportunities to contribute to the shaping of local priorities through social action. An EIA has been completed on the strategy. The youth strategy has been developed with consideration of the needs and inequalities of children and young people in the city and how partners can address these through the delivery of shared priorities.
74. Data Protection and Privacy
The data protection impact assessment (DPIAs) screening questions were completed for recommendations and options in this report and as there is no personal, special categories or criminal offence data being processed to set these out, there is no requirement to complete a DPIA at this time. However, this will be reviewed following the approved recommendations and options from this report and a DPIA completed if required.
75. Communications.
There are no communications implications associated with this report.
76. Economy.
As this report recognises, supporting young people to understand the opportunities that York’s economy provides for them is key both to their outcomes and to those of businesses. Adopting the Youth Strategy would represent a positive impact on the economy, and there will be many opportunities in implementation to strengthen the voice of young people in the development of employment opportunities in York.
Risks and
Mitigations
77. At the heart of the youth strategy is the importance of working together. We can see from other areas how by developing Local Youth Partnerships local providers have been able to attract more funding, share resources and improve their sustainability. It is very important to recognise that the there is no single version of what a Local Youth Partnership should look like. It is the choice of the youth providers in York, how they want to work together and that this is likely to develop over time.
78. The council must be a trusted and reliable partner of youth providers but it is important to understand the council does not control the youth partnership. Where Local Youth Partnerships are working best is where partners are agreeing how to work together and working collaboratively.
Wards Impacted
79. All.
Contact details
For further information please contact the authors of this Decision
Report.
Author
|
Name: |
Niall McVicar |
|
Job Title: |
Head of Innovation and Childrens Champion |
|
Service Area: |
Childrens Services |
|
Email: |
|
|
Report approved: |
Yes |
|
Date: |
8.10.24 |
Co-author
|
Name: |
Joe Micheli |
|
Job Title: |
Head of Communities |
|
Service Area: |
Communities and Prevention |
|
Email: |
Joe.micheli@york.gov.uk |
|
Report approved: |
Yes |
|
Date: |
8.10.24 |
Background
papers
Statutory guidance for local authorities on services to improve young people’s well-being (27 September 2023)
Annexes
Annex 1: Youth Strategy
Annex 2: Equalities Impact Assessment