PAPER C

Committee: EDUCATION, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND LIFELONG LEARNING SELECT COMMITTEE

Date: 11^th NOVEMBER 2002

Title: BEST VALUE REVIEW ON YOUTH & COMMUNITY SERVICE

REPORT OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

SUMMARY/PURPOSE

To seek support of the Select Committee for the Best Value Review, and its onwards transmission to the Executive.

KEY OUTCOMES OF THE REVIEW

In summary, the Best Value Review has concluded that the Youth Service meets many of the IW Council’s objectives, in particular: -

To care for the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
To raise standards of achievement, encourage learning and promote opportunities for all.
To develop knowledge and skills needed for employment opportunities.

The Service provides support to young people in their transition from childhood to responsible adulthood, encourages their social development and individual fulfilment and helps them engage fully in society.

The Best Value Review Report contains a number of improvements aimed at developing the service further, making it more dynamic and enabling it to meet the needs of young people. The key improvements include proposals to:

1. Develop a 5-year strategic plan for the Youth & Community Service. We need to establish a group of members who will monitor and review this, plus the Best Value Improvement Plan.

2. Restructure the service to provide a strategic and planning focus.

3. Develop management to provide strong leadership and effectively manage change.

4. Review and revise job descriptions throughout the service to meet the contemporary youth work agenda.

5. Provide an Assistant to Principal Youth & Community Officer, which is fundamental to bring about the formation of the strategic plan and raise external funds.

6. Redefine our target age range to 13 to 19.

7. Market and promote the service to its target age range and raise the service profile.

8. Build and develop strategic partnerships with communities and other organisations, in particular with Connexions and Schools to meet young people’s needs.

9. Develop inclusive services in line with IW Council policy to assist disadvantaged young people.

10. Review and develop the use of Youth and Community Centres.

11. Develop the role of young people on Management Committees.

12. Reduce the age of paid youth workers from 21 to 18 years.

The full recommendations and Draft Improvement Plan are attached as an appendix. A full copy of the review has been sent separately to members of the Select Committee.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

If members agree with the recommendations and the improvement plan, then the financial implications shown in the Improvement Plan for 2003 will need to be input into the Budget process.