WCC Activities for Young People Consultation
Worcestershire County Council's Cabinet on May 26, 2011 agreed that consultation is to take place on the future of positive activities for young people.
Positive activities are defined as those which have a positive impact on health, social or educational wellbeing. These are being reviewed as part of the council's overall BOLD programme with the council needing to save an estimated £60-70 million over the next four years.
The council's statutory duty is securing access to activities for children and young people - the minimum requirement being met with the council's 'Plug and Play' website (www.plugandplay.org.uk/). The council's proposal, which will now be consulted upon has responded to the views of local residents and has the benefit of providing the saving of £1.4 million, whilst continuing to provide a £1million annual investment in activities.
Young people and residents will now be asked their views on the proposal which would mean the council stops delivering a traditional youth service by 2014. The County Council would instead make arrangements with Local Children's Partnerships (LCPs) from April 2012, informed by the views of local young people and residents, to commission delivery of services to meet local need.
The council is also consulting on how this funding should be allocated across Worcestershire and whether funding should be targeted to those young people most in need, supporting groups of young people most at risk of anti-social behaviour or of not being in employment, education or training.
An investment in the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) is also proposed to enable locally initiated groups to get off the ground, support the commissioning process and to ensure quality and safeguarding requirements are met.
Cllr Liz Eyre, Cabinet Member for Children's Social Care and Safeguarding (Lead Member for Children's Services), said: "The County Council is committed to continue to provide access to meaningful positive activities for young people whilst making necessary savings. This proposal seeks to provide access to services in different ways, through commissioning rather than the council delivering the service, and supporting the voluntary and community sector whilst targeting resources to those most in need. Reform and transformation is always more complicated than simply cutting services. This proposal is very much about Localism and a local offer of positive activities based on local need.
"I wish for the views of young people, residents, the voluntary and community sector, partner organisations, local councillors and others with an interest in positive activities at a local level to be heard. I am really pleased the Youth Cabinet will lead the countywide consultation for young people with appropriate support. Arrangements will now be made for consultation over the summer months and I urge as many people as possible to take part."
The Cabinet agreed a transitional grant of £35,000 over 3 years (2012-15) for YouthComm Radio Trust, a media scheme running at St John's Youth Centre, Worcester. Officers will also undertake a feasibility study, informed by local views, on establishing a Trust to ensure the sustainability of the Ryland Centre, Bromsgrove, with the potential of it becoming a regional centre of excellence for disabled children and young people.
At October's meeting (October 20, 2011), the Cabinet will consider the outcome of the Ryland Centre's feasibility study and feedback from the consultation, including any implications for assets such as buildings.
More information is available on Worcestershire County Council's website at http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/ Arrangements for countywide consultation will now be made and opportunities to get involved will be widely available.