Chapeltown Young Peoples Club

The Youth Service has always worked in close collaboration with the Yes-Cyber project. It views the project as a crucial element in the youth provision for the ward, particularly with its success in re-engaging with the most socially excluded BME groups in the area.

The partnership work with Yes-Cyber has been financially supported through a considerable and consistent investment by providing Area Youth Work staff, a full-time seconded Information Officer Post and Transforming Youth Work grants to develop and disseminate the Yes-Cyber model of good practice across the City. Support has been provided across a number of initiatives including; the Volunteering Project, management capacity building (Connexions), PAYP programmes, the development of the CAP’s and an exchange visit to Portugal, as well as the normal daytime Youth Enquiry Service.

In partnership with the Youth Service, Yes-Cyber has been successful in bidding for funds from the CIT and Connexions to establish 3 Connexions Access satellite points in the Chapel Allerton ward. These are based at the Palace Youth Centre, the Nelson Mandela Centre, and the Prince Philip Centre. Each of the satellites is staffed by a combination of Yes-Cyber staff and Youth Workers. Additional service cover is provided through surgeries facilitated by agencies and organisations, including colleges, training agencies, Connexions, health practitioners and other providers working with young people. The 3 pc-station satellites mirror the ICT programme of the Youth Enquiry Service provision at Yes-Cyber Cafe, with the following key features:

1. Access and / or introduction to IT, the Internet, email, etc.
2. Referral – support to education, training and employment opportunities.
3. Referral – support to other positive opportunities, eg residentials, exchanges, etc.
4. Youth worker volunteering (senior member training, peer mentoring).
5. Heath Education work.

The satellites are expected to achieve the following target outcomes:

• Increased prevention and divergency work with ‘at risk’ young people away from antisocial and criminal behaviour.
• Increased engagement between young people, referral – support staff, local youth workers, PAs and volunteers.
• A significant increase in the re-engagement of young people back into education, training and employment options.
• Increased take up and attendance in Afterschool and Homework clubs, leading to increased school attendance and achievement levels.
• Increased participation of young people in Youth Centre programmes.
• A reduction in teenage pregnancy rates, sexual transmitted diseases, and drug misuse and improvement in mental and physical health, well-being.

The future developments in the next six months will focus on:

• The official launch of the 3 Connexions Access Points (satellites).
• The implementation of Quality Assurance monitoring procedures for all partnership work to highlight the success of the work. This will be much more target driven.
• In partnership with the Reach Project, the Youth Service is expected to work with at least 25% of the young people in the Chapel Allerton ward, ie736 pa.
• Agreeing a strategy for developing and resourcing new initiatives in conjunction with the priorities of the new North East area management.
• Forming better linkages with schools, colleges and local agencies leading to other key partnerships being made.
• Addressing key staff (LCC) underperformance and unsatisfactory sickness levels.

Overall the Youth Service views the last 12 to 18 months as being a period of close joint working and collaboration, the intensity of which has not been seen before. It has been a time when new initiatives have sprung up, for example the Connexions Access Points, and joint work on the planning and delivery of PAYP programmes in the area. Significant numbers of young people have benefited from a wide range of educational, recreational and sporting opportunities. However, this has not been without its difficulties. The Youth Service, with the support of Yes-Cyber continues to address the poor performance and sickness levels of a core group of its staff, and as a result it has not always been able to fully meet its staffing obligations to the project.

We expect the next year to be as exciting, with new developments, partnerships, and opportunities likely to present themselves, particularly under the new area management structure. With the prospect of an OFSTED inspection in the next 18 months we need to ensure all programmes are in full and effective operation so that the partnership can further press its claim as an example of good practice.

Neil E Bowden - Senior Youth Officer and Management Committee Member.