Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader of the Council/Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Young People’s Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/202

Contact: Jessie Dobson, Partnership Youth Development Manager Tel: 07776 997935

Report by Corporate Director of Children’s Services (CA13).

For information only.

The purpose of this report is to share progress of the youth offer development.  It provides details about the structure for the Youth Services that the Children Education and Families Department are currently putting in place

Cabinet received for information a report to share progress of the youth offer development, providing details about the structure for the Youth Services that the Children Education and Families Department were putting in place.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services, introduced the report.  She stated that youth workers will be employed across the county for the first time in many years.  They will support the work of other professionals and the voluntary sector.  The report was clear on the outcomes expected.

Kevin Gordon, Corporate Director for Children’s Services, hoped that in the new year Members could be involved in road show events in their own areas and play a role in how this was shaped.

Councillor Glynis Phillips noted that the new workers would be placed consistently across the county.  After a year or so they would have more information on inequalities and she hoped the workforce would then be enlarged and additional staff allocated equitably.

Councillor Andy Graham noted that there was significant reliance on the voluntary sector and he thought that refresher training might be needed.  He added that it should be on the agenda for each locality meeting how they can work with this great initiative.

Councillor Brighouse responded that there was some magnificent training being delivered thanks to good infrastructure in the county to support voluntary work and the new workers will work alongside that system.  She believed that there was already a lot of information available on inequalities and thanked Jessie Dobson in particular for her work on this.

Cabinet Members welcomed implementation of this election manifesto promise to reintroduce youth workers, noting how the pandemic restrictions had been particularly hard on young people.