PAPER D Purpose: For Decision Committee CHILDREN’S COMMITTEE Date 21 JULY 2016 Title YOUTH OFFER Report of CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DIRECTORATE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Local authorities have a statutory duty under section 507B of the Education Act 2006 to secure, as far as is practicable, sufficient services and activities to improve the wellbeing of young people. This duty also requires local authorities to take into account young people’s views and publicise information about what is available (HM Government, 2011: p.64). A range of targeted and universal services is recognised as essential to a full Youth Offer. This report details the performance of the 13 voluntary and community groups, which have been commissioned by the council to deliver a range of activities, support and interventions for children aged 11 to 19 (up to 25 for specified additional needs). 2. Members previously received a presentation outlining the Youth Offer and progress after a year of delivery. This report demonstrates the progress of the youth offer grant and the performance of the 13 voluntary/community groups delivering youth provisions on behalf of the council. 3. The outcome of the recommendations will be taken forward by the early help commissioning support officer and the Youth Offer development officer based at Community Action IW. 4. The Children’s Committee is recommended to receive a further progress report in January 2017 describing the outcomes achieved and development progress over the year 2016/17, performance against the grant conditions and feedback from children and young people about the services they have received from the Youth Offer providers. BACKGROUND 5. In May and June 2014, groups, organisations and enterprises of all types were invited through a prospectus process to bid for grant funding to deliver youth opportunities and positive activities within an environment where children and young people can engage in a safe, social setting. The aim is to deliver provision to support the Children’s Trust priorities. The council has funded a community D-1 development officer managed by Community Action IW to support the providers and to develop funding routes for the providers to continue delivery post March 2017. 6. The Youth Offer has an overall budget of £987,888.00 over a period from October 2014 to March 2017. The mid-2013 population estimates from the Office of National Statistics indicate that there is a population of 14,110 11 to 19 year old residents on the Isle of Wight with 266 18 to 24 year olds with learning disabilities. Thirteen providers were awarded a grant as detailed in table 1: Table 1 Youth Offer provider Total grant awarded 2014-2017 Project outline Early Help locality Brading Town Trust £84,435.00 Delivery of 3 Youth Centre drop-in sessions per week. North East Wigh Breakout Youth £13,999.00 Delivery of a bi-monthly session for Lesbian, Gay, Bi- West & Central sexual, Transgender and Wight Questioning (LGBT & Q) young people. Central Eltham Youth Project £15,500.00 Delivery of two youth club evening sessions per week in Sandown with daytime activities in school holidays. The Footprint Trust £120,000.00 After school daily boutique drop-in coffee bar wWest & Central upcycling and recycling activities Wight in Newport, promoting sustainable lifestyle and business enterprise with outreach in Cowes. The Foyer for the Island (YPSN) £202,500.00 Delivering in Ryde, Wootton and East Cowes North East Universal drop-in café/ central access points; activity Wight sessions; targeted support services and a Saturday University. Island Scouts £35,000.00 Deliver in 10 existing and 2 new explorer units in Oakfield and Ventnor. Extend Island wide smuggler’s network accessing outdoor activities. Deliver Queens Scout and Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Pan Together £9,705.00 Quay Arts/ Vectis Radio £80,000 Revive Newport £140,000 Extend existing offer, delivering extra weekly sessions West & Central through a youth café and outdoor activity Wight programme, including Forest and Beach Schools on Saturday mornings to enable young people to access ‘alternative education’ through nature. Delivery of targeted referral/ open access West & Central Wave workshops, existing Quay Arts Wight Workshops and Vectis Radio 4 Ps project. Provide a Newport drop-in café for 2 sessions per West & Central week, including peer led workshops and young Wight people volunteer opportunities at events. South Wight £80,000 Area Youth Partnership (SWAY) Ventnor Town Council £86,833 Delivery of youth clubs in Niton, Brighstone and Chale with outreach to cover rural areas including Shorwell, Mottistone, Brook and Whitwell. Delivery of 2 additional weekly drop-in sessions at Café 34; 1 weekly creative workshop, six South Wight South Wight South Wight/ West & Central Wight South Wight D-2 West Wight Sports Centre Trust YMCA £85,000 £34,916 one-day workshops (during the grant period) in partnership with Ventnor Exchange; and a monthly skate workshop in partnership with Ventnor Skate Park. 1 Weekly drop-in café, 1 weekly senior West & Central youth club, a lifesaving course and to Wight develop outreach to the rural areas of West Wight. Deliver 17 social enterprise South Wight groups, providing £1000 seed funding per group with support through business mentors and 3 celebration events. 7. The performance and quality assurance of providers has been monitored against agreed measures specified in the grant agreement (see Appendix A) by the council’s Youth Offer quality performance officer. Quarterly performance reports, including case studies and review meetings provide the data for this report. The Early Help commissioning support officer will continue to monitor the provision from July 2016 to March 2017. 8. Discussions with providers took place during December 2015 through to February 2016 to amend the data set. The agreed changes reduced the quantity measures from seven to five. The collective provider performance from October 2014 to date across these agreed performance measures is detailed in charts 1 to 5 below. 9. The data shows 2,494 young people registered with the 13 youth providers, which equates to 18 per cent of the island’s population within this age range. This is an increase by eight per cent over the last nine months and on the figures recorded for the Youth Service as at 31 March 2014. This demonstrates a sustained level of engagement by the providers and a continued effort to reach young people, 15 months into the projects. 10. Chart 2 demonstrates the number of young people attending in each quarter, consistently recording 1000 attending provisions. A focus for providers will be to maintain these numbers over the second half of the grant period. D-3 11. The number of sessions (displayed in chart 3) delivered has continued to increase except for a dip in 2015-16 quarter 2 (school summer holidays). The general trend of increased sessions is mainly due to new activities starting later than planned after delays accessing facilities. D-4 12. Volunteer numbers (chart 4) have continued to fluctuate within a small parameter. Recruiting and maintaining volunteers has proven difficult and has the potential to affect the providers’ capacity for attendance. D-5 13. The number of registered young people, broken down by provider is displayed in chart 6. All providers have continued to increase from one quarter to the next. Two providers (YPS and West Wight Sports and Community Centre) have continued to increase their registrations considerably across all quarters. The projects vary in size, focus and geographic coverage. 14. Chart 7 shows the breakdown of registered young people accessing the youth offer activities in that locality rather than where they live. Some providers deliver across more than one locality. 15. West and Central Wight locality has continued to have the largest proportion of registrations, while North East Wight figures have doubled in nine months surpassing those of the South Wight which have also increased by 200. 16. Agreed changes to the data set, quality measures are now to be gathered through alternative means with satisfaction measured via a survey during autumn 2016. Impact is recognised through individual case studies. Feedback gathered prior to this decision, stating children and young people participating in the activities are still satisfied with what is being provided, shown in chart 9: D-6 17. Not all organisations submitted data for all of the quality measures, indicated in the table below: Quality measure Number of providers % of young people registered with programme who attend sessions 13 (100%) % of young people reporting satisfaction with activities directly provided 11 (85%) % of young people registered receiving targeted early help support 9 (69%) % of young people reporting satisfaction with support provided to access other opportunities 9 (69%) % of volunteers or staff receiving recognised training 12 (46%) % of young people reporting satisfaction with advice, support and information provided 9 (92%) % of young people reporting satisfaction with participation levels of young people in decision making 11 (85%) D-7 18. The quarterly monitoring meetings are used to discuss reasons why or issues with submitting data. Where necessary this triggers the resolution/notice process within the grant agreement. 19. Provider contribution to the impact of the wellbeing of children and young people is further supported by case studies. A selection of case studies are included in Appendix C. Below are some comments from young people who are accessing the Youth Offer: “The support I got was really helpful in dealing with what was going on at school and from people that go to my school” - Pan Together. “It has helped me to be more confident” - Quay Arts. “At first I was nervous to go into a room full of people, which I still am when I go but not as much anymore” - Quay Arts. “When going on workshops I can feel nervous and scared but after going once that feeling left” - Quay Arts. STRATEGIC CONTEXT 20. The delivery of the Youth Offer commissioned service relates to the new corporate plan together with the medium term financial strategy, which was approved by Full Council on 1 April 2015. There is a need for regular reviews of the corporate priorities, financial strategies and spend programmes, to ensure the key priorities remain deliverable within the reduced resources available to the council. Specifically the Youth Offer contributes to and supports the following priorities: • Keeping children safe and improving their education. • Ensuring that all resources available to the Island are used in the most effective way in achieving the Island’s priorities. • Supporting growth in the economy, making the Island a better place and keeping it safe. 21. The delivery also relates to the ‘Children and Young People’s Plan 2014-17’ (agreed at Full Council on 9 January 2014) under the following priorities: • Securing children and young people’s emotional and physical health. • Helping children and young people to be safe and feel safe. • Inspiring and providing equal opportunities for all children and young people to achieve their goals and dreams. 22. Delivery of the Early Help commissioned services contributes to the vision of the Isle of Wight’s Health and Well Being Strategy 2013-16, of: ‘Working together as an island community to improve the quality of life for all our residents’ and ‘ensuring children and young people have the best start in life.’ D-8 CONSULTATION 23. Performance and financial data has been gathered quarterly by the Youth Offer quality and performance officer. SCRUTINY COMMITTEE OR PANEL VIEW 24. Children’s Committee members received a presentation on 14 January 2016 (followed by a detailed report, including quantitative data and case studies exploring how the service reduced harm), the council’s statutory duties and how the offer was developed and funded. The service was redesigned in 2014 when organisations were invited to bid for grant funding to deliver youth opportunities and positive activities. A number of young people were involved in the assessment process and 13 organisations were awarded grants. Activities started in October 2014. 25. The service was performing well. A figure of 12 per cent of the Island’s youth population was registered with the service reflecting a two per cent increase when compared to the previous offer in 2013/14, despite the break in service. More than 1,000 children attended between September and December 2015. 26. Discussion took place regarding funding. Individual amounts varied significantly from provider to provider depending on the size of the provision. The use of the grant was checked and any underspend was recovered and redirected. 27. In response to concerns raised regarding funding cuts, members were advised £987,888 was available through March 2017. Post 2017, there were a number of action groups on the Island who were working to source alternative funding streams. FINANCIAL / BUDGET IMPLICATIONS 28. At the half way point of the grant period (15 months), of the £496,859 grant paid, the total expenditure was £430,958, which shows an underspend of £65,901 over this period. A large proportion of this underspend is in relation to five projects, as follows: • Both Brading Town Trust (under the support of Community Action IW) and Revive Newport have been in negotiations with the Isle of Wight Council for the continued use of council owned buildings or relocation to another building resulting in less spent on rent than originally forecast. • Young People Service (YPS), project delays in difficulties securing venues in Ryde and East Cowes and lack of interest (Saturday University). • SWAY did not employ their development worker until March 2015. Salary costs were therefore not used in the first six months and £14,080 has been reclaimed. • YMCA has experienced difficulties recruiting groups of young people and commitment to the futures project. Early cessation of this project in September 2016 has been agreed and payments have now ceased. A further underspend will be reclaimed at the end of the grant period. D-9 29. The summary graph (chart 10) below displays the grant paid to providers and the expenditure verified through a detailed financial audit undertaken at the mid-way point of the grant period for the first 15 months of the Youth Offer. A full financial breakdown up to 31 December 2015 is included at the end of this report (see Appendix B). 30. The financial audit will again be implemented at the end of the grant period to verify and reconcile actual spend against the grant paid. The project finances will continue to be monitored with basic quarterly statements of expenditure and a copy of the provider’s accounts for each financial year. 31. Underspend can be recovered at the end of the grant period unless the council agrees it can be utilised to support formal proposals from the provider from 1 April 2017. The agreement allows for recovery of funds should they be misused. Grant payments are made quarterly and in advance on 1 October, 1 January, 1 April and 1 July throughout the grant period. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS 32. The statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Education under Section 507B of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 relates to local authorities’ duty to secure services and activities for young people aged 13 to 19, and those with learning difficulties to age 24, to improve their wellbeing. Local authorities are responsible for securing, so far as is reasonably practicable, a local offer that is sufficient to meet local needs and improve young people’s wellbeing and personal and social development. They should strive to secure the best possible local offer within available resources, reviewing the sufficiency of the offer if it does not result in positive feedback from young people on the adequacy and quality of local provision and positive trends in qualitative and quantitative data that are indicative of local young people’s wellbeing and personal and social development. D - 10 EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY 33. The council, as a public body, is required to meet its statutory obligations under the Equality Act 2010 to have due regard to eliminate unlawful discrimination, promote equal opportunities between people from different groups and to foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it. The protected characteristics are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. 34. An equality impact assessment would be undertaken if provisions cannot continue past March 2017. http://wightnet.iow.gov.uk/equality_diversity/Default.aspx. PROPERTY IMPLICATIONS 35. There are no property implications related to the Youth Offer provision. A number of the previous youth centre buildings have been or are in the process of being transferred to community groups through separate agreements via property services. It is a requirement of the Youth Offer agreements that providers seek and secure suitable facilities from which to deliver their Youth Offer provision, however where appropriate short term agreements with a view to community asset transfers have been established with some Youth Offer providers to assist in their delivery and ongoing community capacity to deliver services to children and young people. SECTION 17 CRIME AND DISORDER ACT 1998 36. Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (as amended by Police and Justice Act 2006) provides that: ‘…it shall be the duty of each authority ... to exercise its various functions with due regard to the likely effect of the exercise of those functions on, and the need to do all it reasonably can to prevent, crime, disorder, anti-social behaviour adversely affecting the environment, and substance misuse in its area’. 37. As a universal service providing positive activities the Youth Offer contributes to the reduction of anti-social behaviour, crime and substance misuse through diversionary activities, support, information and guidance. Early identification of children and young people feeds into the wider early help services. RISK MANAGEMENT 38. The commissioned Youth Offer universal service provision enhances the coordination of early help support for children and families and increases the opportunity of identification of children and families needing support. It provides safe and enjoyable activities for young people and contributes to reducing antisocial behaviour and improving the wellbeing of children and young people. The risk of a possible dip in performance has been managed through the monitoring process and early identification of issues that could affect providers’ delivery. 39. Risks associated with ineffective implementation of youth offer services include more children and young people escalating into higher tier statutory services (eg social care). A reduction of young people on the Isle of Wight feeling and being safe and happy about their lives as reported in the children and young people’s survey. D - 11 40. Risks associated with non-delivery post March 2017 are high with potentially only 50 per cent of the existing providers likely to continue through alternative funding routes. This could pose a significant long term impact to the wellbeing of the Island’s children and young people. To mitigate this risk from the beginning of the transition from the youth service to the Youth Offer, a community development officer has been funded by the council and based at Community Action IW (CAIW), supporting the providers to establish a collaborative partnership, access post March 2017 funding and working towards self-sufficiency and self-financing. This CAIW post is continuing until the end of March 2017 and will continue to support this process. RECOMMENDATION 41. That the Children’s Committee receives an update report at its meeting in January 2017 on the progress and impact over 2016/17. APPENDICES ATTACHED 42. Appendix A: Youth Offer performance management measures 43. Appendix B: Grant paid and expenditure financial breakdown table for each provider 44. Appendix C: Case studies - CONFIDENTIAL - This appendix is exempt from disclosure by virtue of paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), as it contains information relating to individuals together with information by which those individuals may be identified. The public interest in maintaining confidentiality is outweighed by the public interest in disclosing it. Disclosing the information could place the Council at risk of legal challenge from individuals or other bodies identified in the report. Contact Point: Darren Poplett, Youth Offer Quality & Performance Officer,  821000 ext.6531 e-mail darren.poplett@iow.gov.uk STEVE CROCKER Director of Children’s Services JONATHON BACON (CLLR) Leader of the Council, and Executive Member for Resources, Organisational Change and Children’s Services D - 12 APPENDIX A Appendix A: Youth Offer performance management measures Quantity No. of young people registered No. of sessions directly delivered No. of young people who have accessed session/activity. No. of young people supported to access other youth offer activities (ie not directly delivered) No. of volunteers engaged in programme No. of contacts with young people (eg tel calls, texts, emails, web based). No. of young people involved in decision making within the programme. Quality % of young people registered with programme who attend sessions % of young people reporting satisfaction with activities directly provided % of young people registered receiving targeted early help support % of young people reporting satisfaction with support provided to access other opportunities. % of volunteers or staff receiving recognised training % of young people reporting satisfaction with advice, support and information provided % of young people reporting satisfaction with participation levels of young people in decision making. Commissioned providers will need to demonstrate how they have contributed to the following outcomes: • Increase young people’s awareness of the Youth Offer and activities that are available locally and across the island • Increase the percentage of disadvantaged young people who participate and engage in the Youth Offer • Increase the number of young people accessing targeted early help support • Contribute to improving young people’s educational/training/employment outcomes • Improve young people’s confidence and self esteem • Increase young people’s participation in service design, delivery and governance • Improve health and wellbeing and feeling and being safe • Improve young people’s knowledge in relation to sexual health and relationships education, healthy eating, physical exercise, substance misuse, crime prevention, mental health, smoking cessation, life skills, equality and diversity, anti-bullying work, volunteering, housing support. D - 13 APPENDIX B Appendix B – Financial table Organisation Quarter 2014-15 Q3 2014-15 Q4 2015-16 Q1 2015-16 Q2 2015-16 Q3 2015-16 Q4 2016-17 Q1 2016-17 Q2 2016-17 Q3 2016-17 Q4 Total Spend Grant Left Organisation Quarter 2014-15 Q3 2014-15 Q4 2015-16 Q1 2015-16 Q2 2015-16 Q3 2015-16 Q4 2016-17 Q1 2016-17 Q2 2016-17 Q3 2016-17 Q4 Total Spend Grant Left Young People Service Central Eltham Youth Network Project Brading Youth Centre Breakout Youth Island Scouts Pan Together Quay Arts & Vectis Radio 84,435 £ 15,500 £ 9,705 £ £ 202,500.00 £ 13,999 £ 35,000 £ 80,000 Grant Paid Grant Spent Grant Paid Grant Spent Grant Paid Grant Spent Grant Paid Grant Spent Grant Paid Grant Spent Grant Paid Grant Spent Grant Paid Grant Spent £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 20,250 20,250 20,250 20,250 20,250 20,250 20,250 20,250 20,250 20,250 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 29,246 36,246 15,163 80,655 121,845 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 8,444 8,444 8,444 8,444 8,444 8,444 8,444 8,444 8,444 8,444 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 6,116 7,274 2,299 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 15,689 68,746 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 1,012 1,592 1,202 1,317 1,514 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 1,938 1,938 1,938 1,938 1,938 1,938 1,938 1,938 6,637 7,362 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 3,772 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,772 11,728 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 7,000 3,500 3,500 3,500 17,500 17,500 9,705 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 5,078 993 1,149 2,088 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 9,307 398 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 11,815 13,379 9,798 34,992 45,008 Revive Newport £ 140,000 Grant Paid Grant Spent SWAY £ 65,920 Grant Paid Grant Spent The Footprint Trust £ 120,000 Grant Paid Grant Spent Ventnor Town Council £ 86,833 Grant Paid Grant Spent West Wight Sports Centre YMCA Futures £ 85,000 £ 20,950 Grant Paid Grant Spent Grant Paid Grant Spent Total Grant P Total Spend £ 987,888 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 105,973 £ £ 96,268 £ £ 98,206 £ £ 98,206 £ £ 98,206 £ £ 95,390 £ £ 91,898 £ £ 91,898 £ £ 91,898 £ £ 91,898 £ 14,000 14,000 14,000 14,000 14,000 14,000 14,000 14,000 14,000 14,000 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 16,273 17,442 9,580 43,294 96,706 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 5,184 5,184 5,184 5,184 5,184 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 1,242 20,852 10,519 32,613 33,307 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 12,000 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 30,863 28,064 15,276 74,203 45,797 8,683 8,683 8,683 8,683 8,683 8,683 8,683 8,683 8,683 8,683 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 14,045 22,025 10,561 46,630 40,203 8,500 8,500 8,500 8,500 8,500 8,500 8,500 8,500 8,500 8,500 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 11,003 11,099 11,003 11,359 11,003 55,467 29,533 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 3,492 3,492 3,492 3,492 3,492 3,492 - £ 361 £ 3,276 £ £ 3,476 £ 2,725 £ £ £ £ £ £ 9,839 £ 430,598 £ 11,111 £ 529,244 12,376 137,644 16,698 166,083 97,798 - £ 959,842 D - 14