Agenda item

·         Scrutiny of the Integrated Youth Offer Annual Report

Context:

We received a report presented by the Strategic Partnership Manager and Youth and Community Manager in order to advise Members on progress and achievements made by Monmouthshire’s Integrated Youth Offer group.

Key Issues:

The Local Service Board has formally delegated its statutory responsibilities for delivering Youth Support Services to the Integrated Youth Offer.

The Integrated Youth Offer has formed part of a full review of partnerships undertaken in 2014/15.  The review has found the Integrated Youth Offer has governance arrangements that are clear and purposeful.  The Integrated Youth Offer is fit for purpose and its actions and outcomes are aligned to the Single Integrated Plan.  The action plan is robust and demonstrates impact.

The continued work of the Integrated Youth Offer group has led to reduced duplication and improved focused delivery of services to young people.

Key findings from the mapping exercise carried out in the summer of 2014 have been analysed and used to inform priorities and develop future work programmes.

Collectively all youth support services as part of the IYO have worked with 14,500* young people between the ages of 11-25 in 14/15.

The IYO has clear Safeguarding protocols and hold a database of all members of IYO group for DBS clearance that is current and valid.

The IYO has gathered intelligence from partners to feed into the Single Integrated Plan to provide clear evidence on outcomes achieved.

Both Chief Officer and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People attend and receive information quarterly on the work of the Integrated Youth Offer.

Member Scrutiny:

Members commended Officers for the report and welcomed the case studies included. 

We heard that the key contacts in the report outlined the Chairs of the seven sub groups included in the Integrated Youth Offer.  Officers were mindful of the workload pressures on all agencies but were continually encouraging all members to take an active part.  It was noted that the Health Board had been absent from more than one meeting and continual negotiations aimed to encourage attendance from the health Board. There were health representatives but not always direct representatives of ABUHB.  Members felt that Council should be able to assist with encouraging ABUHB.

The Strategic Partnership Manager agreed that representation of partners could fluctuate, which had been recognised through a review process.  Part of a Performance Management Group tackled issues and challenges faced by partnerships.  Such issues were logged on a register as part of an escalation process, and then taken to the LSB Programme Board where membership issues could be addressed formally.

Members were reassured that in all Youth Support Services, every member of staff were DBS checked and held a minimum requirement of level 1 safeguarding. Copies of partners safeguarding policies were available upon request.

Members commended the linkage between employment and education but there were concerns that the facilities seemed disproportionate to some areas of Monmouthshire, for instance Magor and Undy.  There were concerns that the local public transport did not provide adequate services.  Officers were mindful of the problem and would take the issue to the next meeting of the Integrated Youth Offer.  Discussions were being held with the Transport Manager to improve services for young people.

A suggestion was made to involve Town and Community Councils to help with funding and volunteering, to place more emphasis on locality.

A question was raised regarding the figure of 14700 people engaged, but the numbers seemed much smaller per group.  We were informed that there were many areas which made up that figure, including young carers, scouting and guiding groups.  The data was a collective through all the partnerships, in all service areas.

A question was raised regarding what provisions were in place for young people under the age 11.  Those groups would be reported through Early Years.

It was questioned if there was a Young Persons Member Champion, who would act as a link between the Council and the Youth Service.  We were informed there was no Member acting as Young Persons Champion, but Cllr Hacket Pain and Chief Officer Sarah McGuiness were representatives on the group.  It was explained that the Youth and Community Manager acted as Chair on the Integrated Youth Offer, of which there were 32 members, who met quarterly.  Seven sub-groups were chaired by independent members and County Councillor Hacket Pain sat on the Young Voice sub-group as well as the main group.  Officers would welcome a Member to act as Young Persons Champion. 

A suggestion was made to include a Youth Champion who was a member of the youth to also sit on the group.  This had previously been addressed but there were complications with regards to meetings being held in the day.

Recommendations:

Members were recommended to scrutinise the Annual Report of the Monmouthshire Integrated Youth Offer Group and challenge the group on its performance in delivering measurable outcomes to young people.