The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document “J”) will be submitted to the Committee to provide an update on the work undertaken by the Youth Service in the Shipley Constituency over the past 12 months and outlines the direction of travel for the next 12 months.

Recommended –

That the work undertaken by the Youth Service in the Shipley Constituency as detailed in this report be welcomed.

(Damian Fisher – 01274 437146)

The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document “J”) was submitted to the Committee to provide an update on the work carried out by the Youth Service in the previous 12 months and the plan for the next 12 months in the Shipley constituency area.

The report outlined youth provision and the timeline of responses to the Covid pandemic, an update on how the service continued to respond to increased demand and the complexity of need, an introduction of the work and role of the Young Covid Recovery Ambassadors and an update on youth provision by ward with key developments.

The report also outlined the aims of the service in supporting young people to develop and thrive and grow to be happy, healthy, informed and inspired with a sense of pride in themselves and the community from which they come.

Support was provided in a number of ways including youth clubs, peer support groups, one to one support and encouraging young people to be more responsible and volunteer in their local community. The service also continued to work with those with specific needs, including those at risk of exploitation.

As part of a collaborative partnership between the Youth Service, Bradford District Care Trust and Youth in Mind, Youth workers had also been taking on the role of ‘buddy’ support to young people experiencing mental health issues, helping them to access and navigate local support networks.  Details of the work being done in local schools gave a constituency specific overview on part of the service.

Representatives from the service attended the meeting and included recently appointed Young Covid Recovery Ambassadors.  They gave further details of activity in the local area such as taking food from a local outlet out each week, Christmas parties with older and younger people coming together to create links across the community as well as litter picking and social events like bowling.

The Young Ambassadors both addressed the Committee and told Members about themselves and what they had taken part in carrying out their role and their formulation of a 12 week plan to promote availability of activities and opportunities in the local area.  An emphasis was placed on how young people could keep themselves safe and this even extended to self-defence classes.

Members were then given the opportunity to comment and ask questions, the details of which and the responses received are as below:

·         Where did the food from Greggs get distributed and when?

·      Officers advised that it was taken across the area on Thursdays and Saturdays

·         There were 2 groups of young people causing problems in Wrose, including causing criminal damage, more needed to be done as it needed tackling.  The work needed to be consistent and long term

·      Members were advised that some detached work had already been done but more was needed.  A new full time worker had been recruited and resources were being put into the area.  The service was well aware of the problem and professional were going out – Members were assured that the service was doing all it could

·         How much higher was anti-social behaviour compared to levels pre-Covid?  Was it driven by routines being interrupted and by mental health issues?

·      Officers advised that a technical report had not be completed but believed it was caused by the lack of facilities as young people had nowhere to go.  It was not as visible when youth centres were open as issues went unseen.  It was hoped that it would abate once a building was available (In Bingley specifically)

·         It was also noted that facilities for older skateboarders needed investigating

·         Young people were a danger to themselves by drinking, taking drugs and swimming in the river

·         Mental health needed to be discussed – a Youth group had been set up in Bingley based in Haworth Village Hall and could be accessed by GP referral.  It provided a safe space.  Details of timings would be available online

·         Officers commented on the difficulty of transition to becoming an adult with the gap in support once no longer considered to be a child.  There had been 33 avoidable deaths in this age range in the District, but funding was coming to help this age group

·         It was agreed that a discussion regarding social housing would take place outside the Area Committee meeting when raised by Members to address specific queries

·         If children were not attending school, how did the service find out?

·      Officers advised that information came from a number of sources including CAMHS, school nurses and from schools themselves.  Local schools were beginning to buy into a service as they shared concerns about non-attendance

·         A Member asked about the rise in domestic violence and where support was available in Baildon – Officers advised that they had hired facilities as pre-existing ones had closed due to Covid.  Safe spaces were available at the Methodist Church in Baildon, the Little House in Bingley as well as St Hughes and the Kirkgate Centre in Shipley

·         The Ambassadors would only be in post for another 2 months – was there any chance that this could be extended?

·      Officers advised that there would no extension as there was no more funding available

·         Was the number of avoidable deaths at a normal level?

·      Members were told that it was difficult to ascertain as GDPR prevented getting access to the necessary data

Resolved –

1.    That the work undertaken by the Youth Service in the Shipley Constituency as detailed in the report be welcomed

2.    That Members wished to thank all of the teams working with young people across the District in difficult and challenging circumstances

3.    That Officers interrogate the data and its source to bring to a future Area Committee meeting

Action: Strategic Director, Place