Name of meeting

Isle of Wight Youth Council

Date and time

Wednesday 23 May 2012 at 5pm

Venue

County Hall Newport

Present







Visiting

Ashton Helyer (SW), Lawrie Mason (NW), Rebecca Browning (EW), Julia Banachowska (EW), Bronte Debenham (EW), Laura Duke, James Metcalfe (WW), Freddie Green, Daniel Clarke, Tessa Kewell, Charlotte Major-Rendell.

Andy Newman. Sharon Kingsman


Stuart Capewell (Youth Service)

Apologies

Alec Webb (EW & Chair), Alister Webb (EW), Anastasia Wlaschin-Wiest (EW), Atalanta Hersey (WW), Emily Shorter (SW), Jack Philipsborn (MYP),
Adi Volney (NW), Dennis Kurtin (DMYP), Jonathan Whitehouse (WW),
Edan Bartlett (SW), Kieren Thompson, Alice Blyth,

Apologies offered, introductions made for visitors, and no matters arising.


Youth Service

Stuart Capewell, Service Manager for the youth and community service updated the youth council on the recent restructure of the service. This involved targeting the work of the youth service better and that the service is now area based; north and east, south, and central and west.
They service is for the 13 to 19 age group and youth workers will create positive activities with and for young people.

Action: Youth service to provide contact details for senior workers in each area, and for youth council members to make contact and build closer links, exploring the possibility of holding surgeries at youth clubs.

Subgroups and Priorities

Education

Freddie reported that he had tried to get school attendance information from Medina Academy but without success.

Action: Andy N to send Janet Newton’s (Deputy Director - Schools & Education Services) email address to Freddie.
Action: Freddie to contact Janet on behalf of the youth council to ask her if the information is available anywhere else.

Members of the Youth Council asked if it might be possible to have an ID card or a letter of introduction, to help when making contact with third parties, and confirm their authority.

Action: Andy N to investigate a possible solution and the likely costs.

Health and Social

The aim of this group is to raise awareness mental health issues.
LINk is the Island organisation that acts as a voice for people using health and social care services.
LINk is also looking at mental health issues suggested the health and social group may like to make contact with them.

Action: Andy N to send email contact for LINk to Laura and to look at leaflets offered by Seven Acres.


Recycling in schools
It is noted that Biffa will not collect recycling from schools.

Action: Youth council to contribute to future consultation on Island waste collection. Contact to be made with Tash Dix (Waste Contract & Stakeholder Manager for the Council) by Ashton.


Transport

It is noted that a number of changes have and are happening at Southern Vertis regarding senior personnel.

Action: Andy N to send Tessa an email contact for the parent company.
Action: Tessa to email to obtain a contact for Southern Vectis on the Island.

Issues relating to fares and routes were discussed.

Driver’s attitude to young people also a concern.

Action: Youth council members to speak with contacts and friends to try to establish the top three routes used by young people.




Children and Young people’s scrutiny
Education provider presentations – Freddy fed back to the youth council following presentations by all the new education providers. It was noted that Christ the King and Sandown are at opposite ends of the spectrum regarding performance and attendance. Youth council members between them attend the various academy’s and all have different experiences

Action: Youth council members advised that OSTED reports are available to view on line.


Healthwatch

Sharon Kingsman explained the heathwatch initiative, and the imminent consultation is an opportunity to shape the new service.

Action: Youth Council members encouraged to visit the consultation pages and fill in the on line survey.


Leader of the Council

The leader of the Isle of Wight Council will be attending the meeting at the end of July, and it will be an opportunity for the youth council to share their work and priorities and to ask the leader questions on issues important to young people.

Action: All to prepare for the leaders visit at next meeting.


Facebook

The group discussed positives and negatives of Facebook, but agreed that the current Youth Council Facebook site needs some urgent work.

Action: Laura will speak to anyone who had admin access and work with Adi to move the pages forward.


Youth Council Newsletter

Ashton tabled the idea of an annual newsletter to inform people of the work of the Youth Council. The group discussed costs and other means of communication the information, including twitter. It was agreed that self-promotion was important.

Action: Youth council members to look at being involved in assemblies as a means of informing other young people about the youth councils work.


Rock Island

Action: Carried forward to next meeting, as members involved not present.

AOB

General attendance – Concern expressed over falling attendance, however being exam season is a key factor, and a number of the apologies received offered exams as the reason.

Concerns also over non apologies, (Constitution states “If a member fails to attend 3 times in a row without making apologies they can be asked to leave the Youth Council”)

Action: As exams also continue during June, attendance monitoring will start from July, before any application of the rule.

Youth council emails – Concern has been expressed that Andy N might not be receiving some of the emails sent from Youth Council members. It is possible that automated security systems have prevented some of the mails getting through.

Action: Andy N to investigate if youth council email addresses need to be added to a safe list.

School Councils – discussion if schools have pupil representation on councils to see if there can be an interaction between school councils and the youth council.

Action: Youth council members, if not on a school council, to seek a place, and if no school council to see if one can be set up.

Next Meeting: Wednesday 27 June, 5pm at County Hall.