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Information and public services for the Island of Jersey

L'înformâtion et les sèrvices publyis pouor I'Île dé Jèrri

Youth Service Strategic Plan

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A decision made (05.03.07) to approve the Jersey Youth Service Five Year Strategic Plan.

Subject:

Youth Service Five Year Strategic Plan 2007 - 2011

Decision Reference:

 

Exempt clause(s):

n/a

Type of Report (oral or written):

Written

Person Giving Report (if oral):

n/a

Telephone or

e-mail Meeting?

n/a

Report

File ref:

As title

Written Report –

Title:

Jersey Youth Service Five year Strategic Plan

Written report – Author:

Shirley Costigan, Principal Youth Officer

Decision(s): The Minister approved the Jersey Youth Service Five Year Strategic Plan

Reason(s) for decision: The Strategic Plan details Youth Service Strategy for the period 2007 -2011.

Action required: Instruct officers to submit the Strategic Plan to the States Greffe for publication as a Report

Signature:

Date of Decision:

 

 

 

 

 

Youth Service Strategic Plan

Education, Sport and Culture Department

Report

Subject:

Youth Service Five Year Strategic Plan 2007-2011

Exempt Clause:

N/A

Date:

26th February 2007

 

 

Author:

David Greenwood, Assistant Director : Culture & Lifelong Learning

1. Introduction

The attached documents are the Youth Service Five Year Strategic Plan 2007 – 2011.

The Five Year Strategic Plan follows on from a three year plan for the years 2004, 2005, and 2006 and it lays out the broad targets for the Service to achieve by the end of 2011.

2. Recommendations

The Minister is recommended to:

approve both the Strategic .

and

instruct officers to submit the Strategic Plan to the States Greffe for publication as a States Report.

Jersey

Youth Service

Strategic Plan

2007-2011

Section

Contents

Page

 

Introduction

3

1

Young People in Jersey

- Youth Participation

- Draft Pledge to Young People

- Youth Service Target Age Range

4

2

Strategic Objectives

- Statement Of Purpose

- What is Youth Work?

- Youth Work Values

- 6 Commitments

8

3

Management and Structure

- Structure of the Youth Service

- Policies and Guidelines

- Planning Process

- Resources and Buildings

- Financial Management

12

4

Working in Partnership

- Partnerships with Parishes

- Voluntary Youth Organisations

- Key Statutory Agencies

- Multi Agency Partnerships

19

5

Staff Development

- Roles and Responsibilities

- Staff Development Framework

- Training Opportunities

- Supporting Staff

- Recruitment and Selection

21

6

Curriculum Development

- Every Child matters 5 Key Development Areas

- Curriculum Framework

- Key Curriculum Areas

- Curriculum Base Youth Work

23

7

Quality Assurance

- Quality Standards for Youth Work

- Annual Targets and Performance Indicators

- Management Information System

- The Youth Service Quality Mark

26

Introduction

Jersey Youth Service is a well established service which employs professional youth workers, has a number of purpose-built youth centres and a range of equipment and resources all of which enables it to deliver a good level of youth work provision for the young people of Jersey.

This Strategic Plan will enable Jersey Youth Service to develop and improve youth work provision and provide:

· a strategic focus for Jersey Youth Service for 2007 - 11

· clear aims, objectives and targets

· a structure to plan, monitor and evaluate the delivery of youth work

· a vision of the Youth Work opportunities to be developed in the next 5 years

Jersey Youth Service’s Vision for the next 5 years is to work towards becoming an excellent Youth Service which is well managed and resourced and delivers a broad range of high quality youth work, which is accessible to all young people in the target age range of 12 – 18 years.

To do this the Youth Service will be concentrating on improving and developing the following key areas:

· Strategic Development – having a clear vision of what the Youth Service is hoping to achieve, with achievable targets, aims and objectives

· Management and Structure - having high quality strategic management and a clear structure to support an efficient and effective Youth Service

· Youth Participation – involving young people in the running of the Youth Service and giving them a voice on issues that impact on their lives

· Partnership Development – continuing to develop and consolidate its work with key agencies including the Parishes, Voluntary Organisations and other States departments for the benefit of young people

· Staff Development – employing and supporting a team of qualified and experienced youth workers with access to regular training opportunities to ensure they have the skills to deliver high quality youth work

· Curriculum Development – establishing a broad curriculum of youth work opportunities which meet the needs of young people

· Quality Assurance – establishing an ongoing monitoring and evaluation to ensure quality standards are achieved across the youth service

· Buildings and Resources – ensuring venues and equipment is maintained and upgraded to meet the needs of young people

1. Young People in Jersey

Jersey is a unique place, with a wealth of qualities that have created a very special community. Most young people in Jersey lead active and productive lives, achieving at school and enjoying the range of social and sporting activities on offer.

However, for some young people life in Jersey can be hard. Not all young people have the support and guidance of parents. Some young people are disengaged from school and are unlikely to achieve their full potential. Many young people grow up in families that face poverty and hardship. Some may become involved in crime.

Jersey Youth Service has to try to address the needs of all these young people. It needs to use the resources it has to provide these young people with a broad range of youth work opportunities which will help them to develop the skills and attitudes to overcome any issues they face.

Young people are Jersey’s future, so it is important that an investment is made in them to support them to become strong, mature adults who have social awareness and are able to make a valuable contribution to their community.

There are approximately 7,203 young people aged 12 to 18 years who live in Jersey. The table below shows how many currently live in each Parish.

 

12yrs

13yrs

14yrs

15yrs

16yrs

17yrs

18yrs

Totals

St Helier

287

265

287

302

266

283

250

1,940

St Saviour

177

165

181

179

182

188

186

1,258

St Clement

114

127

106

149

105

126

128

855

St Brelade

123

124

110

108

138

117

106

826

Grouville

47

58

69

54

65

55

58

406

St Lawrence

53

48

56

45

57

38

57

354

St Peter

45

54

41

55

54

43

43

335

St Ouen

51

49

50

49

59

47

45

350

St Martin

51

35

41

49

37

46

55

314

St John

29

34

41

36

30

37

34

241

Trinity

22

37

32

34

27

24

35

211

St Mary

16

15

19

18

11

22

12

113

Totals

1,015

1,011

1,033

1,078

1,031

1,026

1,009

7,203

Statistics adapted from 2001 Census

Youth Participation

Youth Participation is a key part of Youth Work. Jersey Youth Service is working towards making it an integral part of the Service. Youth Work is based on engaging and involving young people in a development process, to enable them to develop a range of skills which are empowering and raise their self-esteem and confidence. The Youth Service will encourage Youth Participation by developing and improving a variety of areas of work including:

  Adopting the Hear by Right Standards which have been developed by the National Youth Agency and are based on the United Nations Rights of the Child.

  Strengthening and developing the Jersey Youth Council as a forum for young people to become a structured and representative body for discussing issues that interest them and to act as a strategic ‘voice’ for young people in Jersey

  Developing a Young People’s Website which will provide a method for young people to access information on a variety of topics and improve lines of communication between the Youth Service and Young People

  Implement an annual Young People’s Questionnaire to get feedback from both users and non- users of the Youth Service to gather information on how Jersey Youth Service can be improved

  Developing Young Worker Training for older young people aged 14- 17 years, enabling them to contribute to the running of their Youth Project whilst gaining training and experience that may enhance their career prospects

  Developing a ‘Pledge to Young People’ in conjunction with young people, to specify what the Youth Service aims to provide to show its commitment to young people

Draft Pledge to Young People

Jersey Youth Service has adapted this draft pledge from the document that was developed by the National Youth Agency in 2002. It will consult with young people to adapt the Pledge to the needs of Jersey young people and will then ask the States to support the statement.

Jersey Youth Service will endeavor to provide the following:

· Safe, warm, well equipped and accessible venues for young people to meet at times when they are needed, giving them the opportunity to participate in a broad youth work programme which meets their needs

· Varied provision which includes building based youth work such as youth clubs, drop-ins and cafes, street based detached, mobile and outreach youth work and residentials both on and off the island

· Range of youth work opportunities to support young people’s personal and social development including art, music, drama, sport and outdoor activities to develop new skills, build self-confidence and explore issues that impact on their lives

· Access to information and advice on a variety of issues that impact on their lives from trained and experienced youth workers who they trust and feel comfortable with, knowing they will be non-judgmental and supportive

· Opportunity to be involved in developing the Youth Service through decision making in their Youth Project and by completing an annual questionnaire to say what they think of youth service provision

· Empowered to have a voice and to be heard on issues that they feel strongly about both through a Youth Council and through other creative methods of involving various groups of young people

· Provide opportunities for young people to train as a Young Youth Worker or a Peer Educator

· Participate in recognized youth achievement programmes which offer accreditation for informal learning such as D. of E. Award, Prince’s Trust programmes, On 2 Wheels or the Youth Achievement Award

Youth Service Target Age Range

Jersey Youth Service has a unique role to play in young people’s development. It targets its resources at young people aged 12 to 18 years, providing a broad range of personal and social development opportunities for them in various locations across the island. It is a generic service, in that it is there for all young people to access if they so wish. This is an important aspect of Youth Work; that it is something that young people choose to become involved in, mostly in their leisure time in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays. It is important that programmes of youth work are delivered mostly during these times, in venues that are attractive and accessible to young people and which are interesting, exciting and fun. If not young people will ‘vote with their feet’ and not get involved in youth work and stay away from Youth Projects.

Jersey Youth Service also recognizes that there is a need to develop some targeted youth work with specific groups of young people which includes:

· Street based Youth Work with the hard to reach and vulnerable

· School based Youth Work with those not engaging with formal education

· Project based Youth Work to look at issues such as drugs or sexual behaviour

· Residential Youth Work to do some intensive work with a group

The Youth Service Curriculum Framework will support Youth Workers to develop appropriate Youth Work programmes to try to meet the needs of all young people.

Working with Older Young People

Jersey Youth Service has traditionally worked with older young people up to 25 years who participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. However it also needs to develop targeted work with older young people in need of some additional support.

As the delivery partner for the Prince’s Trust the Youth Service is able to reach older young people who are vulnerable and face a variety of issues such as they have not achieved at school, are unemployed, have been in care or have had involvement with crime and/or drugs.

Programmes such as ‘Team’, a 12 week personal development course aimed at 16 to 25 year olds or ‘Soundlive’, a 5 day residential using music as a tool for personal development which targets those aged 18 to 25 years can make a real difference to lives of these older young people.

Youth Projects will also continue to develop youth work to meet the needs of older young people at local level through such as Young Parents or Unemployed Drop Ins.

Junior Youth Work

The Youth Service has historically undertaken some work with those aged 9 to 11 years. This Junior Youth Work is not directly funded through the core Youth Service budget although it is often run in Youth Service buildings. It is often reliant on Volunteer Youth Workers and/or a Parent Rota, although the Senior Youth Worker supports and co-ordinates the Junior Youth Work based in their building. Junior Youth Work may receive external funding from the Parish or from other sources to pay for Sessional Youth Workers to run the sessions. The Youth Service runs Young Worker Training courses to encourage young people aged 14 – 17 years to get involved in helping at their Junior Youth Club. This can often lead them to becoming involved as an adult Volunteer or Sessional Youth Worker, and maybe the first step to a career in Youth Work.

The Youth Service recognizes there is a need to develop a Junior Youth Work Strategy to clarify the Youth Service’s role in working with this younger age group. This would include exploring whether a major bid could be made to access external funding to be able to develop this area of work and to develop a partnership with Voluntary Organisations and other key agencies that are involved in providing opportunities for this age range.

2. Strategic Objectives

Jersey Youth Service Statement of Purpose

Youth Work is delivered by a diverse range of organizations in Jersey including voluntary youth organizations and the States of Jersey Youth Service. This statement recognizes the strength and potential of Youth Work and the impact it can have on the lives of young people in Jersey.

Youth Work provides a range of excellent opportunities for young people through:

  involving and empowering young people

  celebrating the creativity of young people

  providing personal and social development opportunities

  working towards equality of opportunity

  encouraging young people’s participation

  enabling young people to become active citizens

  promoting a safe environment for young people

What is Youth Work?

Youth Work is often hard to define. It is very flexible and can be delivered using a variety of methods and in a range of venues. In recent years professional youth workers have worked towards defining what Youth Work is by defining some of the key values that make Youth Work special. Jersey Youth Service has adopted the Youth Work Values that were developed by the National Youth Agency and promoted in the ‘Resourcing Excellent Youth Services’ report in 2002. These Youth Work Values provide a foundation for both Jersey Youth Service and the Youth Workers it employs. They explain what is meant by the term ‘Youth Work’ and clarify the key things that make Jersey Youth Service different from other services for young people in Jersey.

Youth Work Values

· Young people choose to be involved in Youth Work not least because they want to relax, meet friends and have fun

· Youth Work starts where young people are – with their view of the world and their interests

· Youth Work seeks to go beyond where young people start, in particular by encouraging them to be critical and creative in response to their experience and the world around them by supporting exploration of new ideas, interests and creativity

· Youth Work takes place because young people are young people, not because they have been labeled or categorised as deviant

· Youth Work recognises, respects and is actively responsive to the wider networks of peers, communities and cultures which are important to young people

· Through these networks Youth Work seeks to help young people achieve stronger relationships and collective identities through the promotion of inclusivity

· Youth Work is concerned with how young people feel and not just with what they know and can do

· Youth Work is concerned with facilitating and empowering the voice of young people

· Youth Work is concerned with ensuring young people can influence the environment within which they live

· Youth Work respects and values individual differences by supporting and strengthening young people’s belief in themselves and their capacity to grow and change

· Youth Work works with other agencies which contribute to young people’s social and personal development

· Youth Work compliments and supports formal education by encouraging and providing other opportunities for young people to achieve and fulfil their potential

Jersey Youth Service’s 6 Commitments

Jersey Youth Service has set itself 6 Commitments which it will work towards achieving during the next 5 years. These are:

1. To develop an excellent Youth Service which continues to develop to meet the needs of young people in Jersey

2. To provide a broad range of youth work opportunities targeting young people aged 12 to 18 years

3. To recruit, train and support sufficient youth workers to develop the skills and knowledge to deliver high quality youth work

4. To provide warm and attractive youth work venues which are open when young people need them

5. To work towards an equitable society by targeting young people in need of additional opportunities

6. To monitor youth work provision to ensure it uses resources efficiently and effectively

The Youth Service will achieve the 6 Commitments by working towards these Key Aims:

1. To develop an excellent Youth Service which continues to meet the needs of young people in Jersey

· Define an excellent Youth Service using ‘Resourcing Excellent Youth Services’

· Use Strategic Plan as a tool to improve Jersey Youth Service over the next 5 years

· Develop range of policies, guidelines, systems and structures for the Youth Service

· Clear communication for Youth Service especially with staff and young people

· Ensure Youth Participation is an integral to the development of the Youth Service

· Promote Youth Service and unique role it plays in providing services to young people

2. To provide a broad range of youth work opportunities targeting young people aged 12 to 18 years

· Use the Curriculum Framework to define Youth Work and explain how it works

· Deliver a variety of Youth Work to meet the needs of different young people

· Promote exciting, creative and positive Youth Work that really engage young people

· Extend the range of Youth Work opportunities on offer to young people

· Ensure the core budget is to deliver Youth Work at the target age range

· Promotion to raise young peoples awareness of Youth Work opportunities on offer

3. To train and support youth workers to have the skills and knowledge to deliver high quality youth work

· Implement Staff Development Policy so all staff get regular training and support

· Undertake regular staff audits to assess training needs and use staff skills

· Develop Annual Training Programme to meet the needs of staff and Youth Service

· Creative ways to provide Senior Youth Workers with development opportunities

· Flexible and creative ways for unqualified staff to gain Youth Work qualification

· Flexible and creative ways to encourage young people to seek career in Youth Work

 

4. To provide warm and attractive youth work venues which are open when young people need them

· Review buildings to meet H&S standards and accessibility for disabled young people

· Implement ongoing refurbishment programme for States owned / managed buildings

· Use ‘Brighter Buildings’ to involve young people in refurbishment of their Projects

· Develop grants scheme for young people to access for Youth or Community Projects

· Review opening times of Youth Projects to ensure they meet needs of young people

· Review Project opening times during day, early evening, weekends and school holidays

5. To work towards an equitable society by targeting young people in need of additional opportunities

· Review the Equal Opportunities Policy and reaffirm the Youth Service’s commitment

· Develop systematic approach to identifying the needs of young people in Jersey

· Identify key target groups of young people e.g. disadvantaged disengaged vulnerable

· Develop specific Youth Work relevant to these target groups and meet their needs

· Develop Youth Information work eg One Stop Shop, Website, Info Points, Directory

· Raise awareness of young people about being non-judgmental using creative projects

6. To monitor youth work provision to ensure it uses resources efficiently and effectively

· Implement QA Framework for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of Youth Service

· Implement systematic Planning and Review process across the Youth Service

· Implement Financial systems and procedures across the Youth Service

· Develop Resources Database with a simple booking system to ensure easy access

· Involve young people monitoring Youth Service e.g. annual audit of users / non-users

· Engage independent consultant to inspect Youth Service and make recommendations

3. Management and Structure

In order for Jersey Youth Service to achieve these key aims and objectives it will need strong leadership to provide the strategic direction to ensure it develops the structures and systems required of a modern organization.

Structure of the Youth Service

Jersey Youth Service is part of the Education, Sport and Culture Division. It has a structure which provides various levels of management and development. This includes the Senior Management Team, Senior Youth Workers, Sessional Youth Workers, Administration Workers and Cleaners. There are also those who support the Youth Service in a voluntary capacity including Voluntary Youth Workers, Young Workers and members of Advisory and Management Committees.

 

Director of Education, Sport and Culture

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assistant Director - Life Long Learning

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principal Youth Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Youth Resources Officer

 

 

Central Admin Team

Area Youth Officer Staff Development

Area Youth Officer Curriculum Development

Area Youth Officer Quality Assurance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senior Youth Workers responsible for various Youth Work Projects

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Administrative Workers

Sessional Youth Workers

Volunteer Youth Workers

Cleaners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staffing Structure

Youth Service Senior Management Team

The Senior Management Team is made up of 5 key people who are:

Principal Youth Officer with overall responsibility for the strategic management and development of the Youth Service including the budget, policies and procedures and the development of partnerships

Youth Resources Officer with responsibility for the overall management of buildings and resources as well as the overall co-ordination and development of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Area Youth Officer – Staff Development with responsibility for line managing some Senior Youth Workers plus service wide responsibility for the co-ordination of Staff Development and Training

Area Youth Officer – Curriculum Development with responsibility for line managing some Senior Youth Workers plus service wide responsibility for the development of the Youth Work Curriculum Framework

Area Youth Officer – Quality Assurance with responsibility for line managing some Senior Youth Workers plus service wide responsibility for the development of the Quality Assurance Framework

Senior Youth Workers

The Senior Youth Workers are a team of professionally qualified youth workers who have responsibility for the day to day development and management of the Youth Projects which make up Jersey Youth Service. Many of these Youth Projects are building based and are well established. More recently the Youth Service has developed various projects to address specific issues faced by young people in Jersey. Many of the Youth Projects work in partnership with either their local Parish or various other agencies or voluntary organizations.

The Senior Youth Workers have responsibility for the following Youth Projects:

· St. Brelade Youth Project

· Café Youth Project

· Grands Vaux Youth Project

· St. Lawrence Youth Project

· La Motte St Youth Project

· Le Squez Youth Project

· St. Peter Youth Project

· Street Based Youth Project

· Maufant Youth Project

· St. Ouen Youth Project

· Youth Inclusion Project

· Trinity Youth Project

· Prince’s Trust Team

 

 

There are also potentially some new posts that will be developed as the Youth Service develops partnerships with the Parishes of Grouville and St John.

Sessional Youth Workers

Each Youth Project has an allocation of sessional youth work hours which it uses to employ sessional or part-time youth workers to deliver face to face youth work. Sessional youth workers work a minimum of 3 hours per week. It is envisaged that some substantial sessional youth work posts will be developed in 2007 to create a number of Assistant Youth Worker posts at bigger Youth Projects to support the Senior Youth Workers in the delivery of more youth work provision.

Jersey Youth Service employs approximately 50 Sessional Youth Workers for a total of 10,000 hours per annum, averaging 250 hours of face to face youth work per week across the service.

Current Sessional Youth Work allocation :

  Grands Vaux

- 24 hours per week

  Le Squez

- 24 hours per week

  La Motte Street

- 24 hours per week

  St Peter

- 18 hours per week

  St. Brelade

- 18 hours per week

  Maufant

- 18 hours per week

  Move On Café

- 18 hours per week

  Mobile

- 12 hours per week

  Impact

- 12 hours per week

  St Lawrence

- 12 hours per week

  Trinity

- 12 hours per week

  St. Ouen

- 12 hours per week

  Gorey

- 12 hours per week

  Youth Inclusion

- 12 hours per week

  D of E Award

- 8 hours per week

  Youth Council

- 6 hours per week

Administrative Staff

Jersey Youth Service has a team of Admin Staff to support the Youth Officers and Senior Youth Workers in the development and delivery of youth work provision. The 2 Central Admin Staff provide support for Senior Management Team. Another 4 Admin Staff support Senior Youth Workers in the Youth Projects. Their duties are varied but include answering the telephone, IT support, correspondence, financial support and inputting information onto Youth Base. This support enables the day to day efficient running of the Youth Service, providing the Youth Officers and Senior Youth Workers with professional support which enables them to use their time more effectively.

Cleaning Staff

Each States owned / managed Youth Projects has a cleaner. Other Youth Projects based in Parish or Community buildings have cleaning staff employed by that organization.

Policies and Guidelines

To ensure the smooth running of Jersey Youth Service a number of policies and guidelines are needed to support staff in the delivery of excellent youth work provision. Some of these policies will be States or ESC documents which the Youth Service uses to meet required practice. The Youth Service is also in the process of developing some additional documents which are specific to delivering excellent Youth Work. The key Policies and Guidelines for Jersey Youth Service include:

· Staff Development Policy

· Curriculum Development Framework

· Quality Assurance Framework

· Child Protection Policy

· Health and Safety Policy

· Risk Assessment Guidelines

· Off Island Visits Policy

· Street Based Youth Work Policy

· Sessional Youth Worker Policy

· Volunteer Youth Worker Policy

Planning Process

In order to achieve the effective and efficient use of resources the Youth Service is developing a Planning Process which will enable all staff and key stakeholders to be involved in the development of the service. Planning will take place at two key levels which are:

Strategic Planning

As part of the ongoing strategic development of the Youth Service the Principal Youth Officer, with the support of the Senior Management Team is responsible for writing the Strategic Youth Service Plan. As well as the overall 5 year plan there will be an Annual Youth Service Plan, which will outline what the Youth Service will be doing in the coming year. This will be completed by early December each year, ready to be implemented during the following year. It will work towards the aims and objectives of the 5 year plan but will have more detail and be more specific. It will also provide an opportunity for an ongoing review of how the Youth Service is progressing towards meeting the key aims and objectives outlined in the 5 year strategic plan.

Local Planning

Senior Youth Workers are responsible for writing an annual Youth Project Plan to show what their project will be doing in the coming year. This will be complete by early January each year, ready to be implemented in the coming year. It will need to show how each Youth Project is working towards the key aims and objectives of the 5 year plan. It will also be an opportunity for individual Youth Projects to review what has been achieved in the previous year and say how they plan to use their allocation of resources in the coming year. It will also be an opportunity to showcase good practice and celebrate the achievements of young people.

Jersey Youth Service 5 Year Strategic Plan

Youth Service Annual Plan 2007

Youth Service Annual Plan 2008

Youth Service Annual Plan 2009

Youth Service Annual Plan 2010

Youth Service Annual Plan 2011

Youth Project Plans 2007

Youth Project Plans 2008

Youth Project Plans 2009

Youth Project Plans 2010

Youth Project Plans 2011

Resources and Buildings

The Youth Resources Officer is the member of the Senior Management Team with overall responsibility for Youth Service resources including buildings, vehicles and equipment. This is a new but vital role within the Youth Service. It incorporates responsibility for the auditing and the health and safety of resources.

Currently the Youth Service owns or manages the following buildings:

  Grands Vaux Youth Project

  Le Squez Youth Project

  Maufant Youth Project

  Gorey Youth Project

  La Motte Street Youth Arts Project

  Queens Jubilee Activity Centre at Crabbe

In the last 2 years the Youth Service has invested in a refurbishment programme in Le Squez, Grands Vaux, Maufant and Gorey Youth Projects to try to bring them up to a high standard. The Youth Projects themselves have also fund raised to make improvements. Each now has a Drop-In Café facility with internet access. They also have a large sports hall, kitchen facilities, dance studios and Grands Vaux even has a Fitness Studio and a Climbing Wall. Some still need some further work, but it is envisaged that this will be completed in 2007. They will then just need a rolling programme of repairs and maintenance.

The La Motte Street Centre which incorporates the Sounds Music Project has undergone some improvements in 2006, creating the Print Room Lounge and Café Diner. This has greatly improved the facility and broadened the youth work which will be delivered there. It is an old building so there is a need for further refurbishment, but the central location means that it is accessible to a large number of young people from all over the island. It also acts as a base for a variety of projects including the Prince’s Trust, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Open Award Group and the Youth Council. The main purpose of La Motte Street will be Youth Arts, but it is hoped that this will broaden to include dance, drama, film and visual arts as well as all types of music. It will hopefully become a vibrant and exciting project which is a focus for young people’s creative development.

The Queen’s Silver Jubilee Activity Centre is coming up to its 30th Anniversary. It has been well used by both schools with youth projects and thousands of young people benefiting from the facility over the years. The Youth Service will continue to develop the Centre, making improvements to the facilities and ensuring it meets the needs of the user groups.

The Youth Service has a number of vehicles, some of which are owned and/or managed centrally and others are owned and/or managed by Youth Projects. Currently the Youth Service has the following vehicles:

  Mobile Youth Project – St Peter

  Mobile Youth Project – Central (recently scrapped but to be replaced)

  Mobile Theatre

  7 Mini Buses based at the Youth Office, Maufant, Le Squez, Grands Vaux, St Ouen, St Peter and Trinity

  Van for carrying equipment

  Motorbikes and Trailers for the On 2 Wheels Project

The Youth Service has developed policies and procedures to ensure all vehicles meet health and safety standards in that they are regularly maintained and appropriately insured.

The Youth Service owns a range of equipment, some of which is held centrally but other items are owned and managed by Youth Projects. An audit of the equipment has recently been undertaken and a new booking system is being developed.

Financial Management

Jersey Youth Service has a budget made up of approximately £1.2 million States funding and £250K from other sources. In the last 3 years the Youth Service has had an increase of £80K from the States each year which has enabled it to develop the Partnerships with Parishes and increase staffing levels.

 

2004

2005

2006

Expenditure

 

 

 

Civil Servants

67,970

38,394

67,999

Professional Youth Workers

518,666

653,611

829,065

Sessional Youth Workers

 

79,933

170,981

Admin Support Staff

65,291

120,057

141,841

Cleaners / Manual Workers

44,464

49,599

53,969

Premises

37,162

209,130

43,000

Supplies

38,942

31,736

33,700

Transport

4,969

4,734

 

Admin

53,169

31,789

29,500

Grants

206,329

48,606

55,000

Total Expenditure

1,036,355

1,267,589

1,425,055

Less Income

- 9,209

- 132,235

- 240,884

Net Youth Service Budget

1,027,755

1,135,354

1,184,171

In 2006 the Youth Service received an Internal Audit which made a number of key recommendations which have been acted upon and included the development of:

· Consistent systems and procedures for the efficient operation of the Youth Service at both strategic and local levels

· Performance indicators and methods of measuring progress to ensure that resources are used effectively

· Strategic statement which clarifies the key aims and objectives of the Youth Service including the age range

· Comprehensive set of policies and procedures which are monitored and reviewed to ensure they meet the needs of the Youth Service

· Partnership agreements and Service level Agreements which are clearly documented to ensure commitment from all parties

· Recording systems, including the Youth Base Management Information System to monitor the delivery of face to face youth work

· Clarity on the cost of running each Youth Project and support to ensure they adhere to financial systems

· Improved registration and grant allocation scheme for Voluntary Youth Groups, including Uniformed Organisations, including ongoing monitoring

· Improve the administration and management of the Queen’s Jubilee Activity Base at Crabbe

4. Working in Partnership

Jersey Youth Service recognises the importance of working in partnership with other key agencies. It has developed some key partnerships in the last 3 years, including those with some of the Parishes, Voluntary Youth Projects, Uniformed Organisations, other Voluntary Organisations and Charities. It has also worked in close partnership with other States Departments including involvement in Multi-Agency partnerships. Jersey Youth Service is committed to continuing to develop and consolidate such partnership work.

Partnerships with the Parishes

The Youth Service has now established a number of partnerships in some of the 12 Parishes in Jersey. These include Partnership Agreements in St Peter, St Ouen, St Lawrence and Trinity. This investment has enabled the Youth Service to employ more professionally qualified youth workers and has increased the amount of youth work being delivered in these Parishes.

The Parishes of St Helier, St Brelade, St Clement, St Saviour and St Martin have in the past provided some funding to support their local Youth Projects, but no formal Partnership Agreement has been signed yet. It is hoped that Partnership Agreements will be discussed and developed in these Parishes in the near future.

The Youth Service will also be discussing Partnership Agreements with those Parishes that have no professional youth worker to develop and manage local youth work provision. These are the Parishes of Grouville, St John and St Mary.

Partnerships with Voluntary and Uniformed Youth Organisations

The Youth Service has traditionally worked in Partnership with Voluntary Youth Organisations including Uniformed Groups. Jersey Youth Service has developed a registration system for small Voluntary Youth Projects to apply to. This requires them to show they meet certain standards to ensure they provide safe and good quality youth work provision. Once registered a Voluntary Youth Project receives various benefits including ongoing support and the ability to access to training and resources. The Youth Service also has a Partnership Agreement with the Scouts and the Guides which shows the value it has for their work by supporting them with a small annual grant and by providing accommodation, where possible, for some of their groups.

Partnerships with Voluntary Organisations and Charitable Trusts

The Youth Service works with a variety of Voluntary Organisations. A good example of this is the Youth Inclusion Project. This has involved the support of two key Voluntary Organisations; Autism Jersey and Jersey Mencap. This partnership has accessed funding from the Lloyds TSB Foundation which has lead to employing a professional youth worker to support the project. By working together in partnership, and with the support of Charitable Trusts, resources and expertise have been pooled for the benefit of young people.

The Youth Service has also worked in partnership with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for many years and is responsible for the operation of the Award in Jersey. More recently it has become the key Delivery Partner for the Prince’s Trust in Jersey. These are good examples of how working in partnership can be of huge benefit to young people in Jersey.

Partnerships with Key Statutory Agencies

The Youth Service has a history of working in partnership with various key Statutory Agencies and Organisations. It has developed and established the work it undertakes with Key Partner agencies in the last 3 years. This has raised the profile of the Youth Service by showing that youth work can have a real impact on young people in Jersey. A good example of this is the Youth Work that is being delivered in schools. This includes running various youth achievement programmes such as On 2 Wheels or the Prince’s Trust xl programme. These alternative education programmes enhance what the school offers and often re-engage young people into formal education.

Partnerships with other agencies such as Health Promotion, Community Safety, or the Police also show the important role youth work can play in supporting disengaged young people that other agencies find it difficult to reach.

Multi-Agency Partnerships

Jersey Youth Service is involved in a number of strategic multi agency groups including the Building a Safer Society Community Safety Partnership, who fund the Street Based Youth Worker post and have also put some funding towards acquiring a new Mobile Youth Project. The Youth Service is also involved with The Bridge where it is offering support to develop youth work 2-3 nights a week for young people who live in the catchment area. The Youth Service also works in partnership with Family Nursing to run a Young Mums Group at The Bridge.

The Youth Service has also set up a multi-agency group to develop the Youth Information Directory and Website with representatives from YAT, Careers, Libraries, Work Wise, Health Promotion, Education Welfare, CAB, Brooke and of course the Youth Service. By working together and bringing varied expertise to the project the result has been an exciting new project which will benefit many young people in Jersey.

By being part of these multi-agency partnerships the Youth Service plays an important role in discussions about young people in Jersey. Youth Work has a vital role to play in the development of young people in Jersey. Sometimes the only positive relationship the young person might have is with a youth worker. By talking about youth work at multi agency meetings the Youth Service is able to raise the awareness of the impact youth work can make.

5. Staff Development

Jersey Youth Service recognizes that Youth Workers are the most valuable resource it has and is committed to ensuring they receive sufficient training opportunities and support to enable them to deliver high quality youth work.

Roles and Responsibilities

As Jersey Youth Service continues to develop and change to meet the needs of young people it needs to review and clarify the roles and responsibilities of staff at all levels. This is an ongoing process and will be undertaken in conjunction with annual appraisals and professional performance assessments so that staff are able to deliver the best youth work provision for young people in Jersey.

Staff Development Framework

Jersey Youth Service is developing a Staff Development Framework to provide:

· A clear Policy Statement confirming Jersey Youth Service’s commitment to providing training and development opportunities for all staff

· A comprehensive Training Programme to meet the development needs of all Youth Workers as well as those of the Youth Service

· Clear systems and procedures to ensure all Youth Workers feel valued and receive adequate support and supervision

The Staff Development Framework will have a range of systems to support staff and ensure they have the skills and knowledge to do their jobs including:

Training Opportunities

Jersey Youth Service has an Annual Training Programme which provides various training opportunities for all staff including Young Youth Workers, Volunteer and Sessional Youth Workers, Senior Youth Workers and Youth Officers.

Training opportunities for young people include the Young Workers Residential, which is run by Senior Youth Workers at least once a year.

Volunteers can access a range of training to help them to develop the skills and knowledge to enable them to deliver youth work safely is regularly provided and includes the Introduction to Youth Work, First Aid and Child Protection courses.

Sessional Youth Workers can now access an NVQ Level 2 in Youth Work. This has been developed in partnership with Highlands College. An NVQ Level 3 may also be developed.

Jersey Youth Service is also hoping to support some Sessional Youth Workers to gain a professional qualification. This will enable the Youth Service to ‘grow its own’ Senior Youth Workers. The aim is to establish training bursaries for distance learning professional youth work training whilst still living and working in Jersey.

The ongoing professional development of both Senior Youth Workers and Youth Officers is important to ensure they maintain the skills and knowledge to develop the Youth Service. This is partly addressed by the monthly Youth Service meetings and the Inset training days at the beginning of each term, which allow Senior Youth Workers and Youth Officers to address current youth work developments.

Jersey Youth Service engages specialist trainers from the UK to deliver ongoing professional Youth Work training courses in Jersey. Although this can be expensive it can be more cost effective than sending staff to the UK.

The Senior Management Team have applied for the Modern Managers Training that is being offered as part of the States of Jersey training programme.

Supporting Staff

The Youth Service supports its staff using some creative methods to ensure all Youth Workers have access to sufficient support and feel valued. Senior Youth Workers are responsible for a diverse workforce including Volunteers and Sessional Youth Workers. Regular Team Meetings at each Youth Project enable all staff to feel part of a team. There is also regular on the job support and the opportunity to attend youth service meetings, conferences and events. Sessional Youth Workers also receive a regular one to one supervision from the Senior Youth Worker.

Senior Youth Workers access regular support and supervision from the Area Youth Officer who line manages them. They also attend monthly Youth Service meetings as well other Youth Service training, conferences and events.

Recruitment and Selection

The Youth Service is developing a recruitment and selection system which meets the States policy, but is creative and flexible, so youth work vacancies are recruited more easily. Recruitment is an ongoing issue so to ease the problem the Youth Service is:

· Growing its own Volunteers and Sessional Youth Workers by encouraging young people aged 14 – 17 years to become Young Youth Workers

· Growing its own Sessional Youth Workers by encouraging Volunteers aged 18+ to apply for Sessional Youth Worker posts as and when they become available

· Establishing a recruitment and selection process which is accessible and encourages local people to become Volunteers and Sessional Youth Workers

· Establishing some substantial Sessional Youth Worker posts which enable some staff to work sufficient hours to access the professional training

· Flexibility to allow for the professional development of Senior Youth Workers and Officers including secondments, job shares, etc

6. Curriculum Development

The Youth Service Curriculum is based on the Every Child Matters 5 Key Areas of Development. This table shows the Youth Service contribution to them.

Every Child Matters 5 Key Areas of Development

Key Development Area

Needs of Young People

Contribution of Youth Service

Being Healthy

· Physical health

· Emotional health

· Sexual health

· Healthy lifestyles

· Healthy choices

· Sports and games

· Challenging activities

· Drama and roleplay

· Cooking

· Drug education

Staying Safe

· Challenging behaviour

· Anti-bullying

· Anti-discrimination

· Victims of crime

· Taking responsibility

· Consequential thought

· Raising self-esteem

· Residential work

· Self-defence

· Raising awareness

Enjoying and Achieving

· Informal education

· Personal development

· Decision making

· New opportunities

· Re-engaging in school

· D. of E. Award

· On 2 Wheels

· Peer Education

· Prince’s Trust xl

· Outdoor education

Making a Positive Contribution

· Citizenship

· Volunteering

· Environment

· Community

· Fundraising

· Youth Council

· Young Workers

· Buddying

· Youth Arts

· Video making

Achieving Economic Well-being

· Employment

· Training

· Developing new skills

· Team building

· Celebrating success

· Confidence building

· Work experience

· Prince’s Trust Team

· Support and advice

· Use of IT

Curriculum Framework

The Jersey Youth Service is developing a Curriculum Framework to provide:

· A Policy Statement which clearly confirms Jersey Youth Service’s commitment to use the Curriculum Framework to inform and improve its Youth Work delivery

· Clear guidance to enable all Youth Workers to understand the process involved in developing Curriculum Based Youth Work

· Curriculum Packs with suggestions and ideas to give practical support for the delivery of high quality Curriculum Based Youth Work

Key Curriculum Areas

Jersey Youth Service is developing a number of Curriculum Packs to complement the Practical Guidance. They contain a range of practical ideas to support Youth Workers to deliver high quality Youth Work. Each of the Curriculum Packs is based on one of the Key Curriculum Areas which include:

  Youth Participation

  Youth Achievement

  Issue Based Youth Work

  Youth Arts and Creativity

  Challenging Activities

  Health and Fitness

  Sexual Health and Relationships

  Drugs and Alcohol

Curriculum Based Youth Work

It is important for Youth Workers to understand exactly what the Youth Work Curriculum is if they are to use it to improve and develop the Youth Work they deliver. To ensure that all Youth Workers use the Curriculum Framework it will be discussed and disseminated through meetings and training events.

Youth Workers will need to recognise and assess the curriculum needs at their Youth Project and explore how young people learn if they are to plan and then deliver Curriculum Based Youth Work

They will then go on to assess the progress by recognising the young people’s achievements and growth. The role of evaluation will be the key to ensure continued improvement of Curriculum based Youth Work practice.

The Curriculum Framework is a practical tool used for planning Youth Work. It is important to base Youth Work on the Curriculum so that a broad and varied range of opportunities can be developed for young people that are fun and enjoyable, encourage participation and learning and contribute effectively to their personal and social development.

Implementing the Youth Work Curriculum

All Youth Workers need to have an understanding of the Curriculum Framework and be involved in the implementation of Curriculum based Youth Work. To ensure this happens the following action will be taken:

· Develop the Jersey Youth Service Curriculum Framework in consultation with Senior Youth Workers

· Develop Curriculum Packs for each of the Key Curriculum Areas by setting up a working group of Senior Youth Workers for each area

· Dissemination of the Jersey Youth Work Curriculum Framework to all Youth Workers to raise awareness of Curriculum Based Youth Work

· Ongoing training to ensure all Youth Workers understand the Youth Work Curriculum and are confident to deliver Curriculum Based Youth Work

· Development of Youth Work Curriculum Packs to provide useful, practical support for Youth Workers to deliver Curriculum based Youth Work

· Review of the Jersey Youth Work Curriculum Framework on a regular basis to ensure it continues to reflect the needs of young people

The successful implementation of the Youth Work Curriculum will be measured against the Jersey Youth Service’s Quality Assurance Framework.

The Youth Work Curriculum will enable Jersey Youth Service to achieve its Vision to develop an excellent Youth Service that meets the needs of young people. It will also enable the Youth Service and Youth Workers to clearly express and define what Youth Work is to key partners and stakeholders, and to demonstrate the impact Youth Work can have on the young people in Jersey.

7. Quality Assurance

Jersey Youth Service is committed to becoming an excellent Youth Service and is developing various methods of monitoring and evaluating what it does.

Quality Assurance Framework

Jersey Youth Service is developing a Quality Assurance Framework will provide:

· A clear Policy Statement confirming Jersey Youth Service’s commitment to using the Quality Assurance Framework to monitor its Youth Work delivery

· Clear Youth Work Standards and targets for the Youth Service to work towards to achieve high quality youth work provision

· Assessment Procedures which involve Youth Workers and Young People in the monitoring and evaluation of the Youth Service

The Quality Assurance Framework will also have a range of methods to monitor and evaluate the delivery of youth work. They will include some specific Quality Standards for Youth Work, some Annual Targets for the Youth service to work towards, some Performance Indicators to help measure success, the Youth Base Management Information System to collect statistics and registering as a Youth Service to work towards the N.Y.A. Youth Service Quality Mark.

Quality Standards for Youth Work

These standards were developed in the UK and have been adapted to the needs of Jersey Youth Service to provide a series of quality standards for the Youth Service to work towards.

· Target resources at young people aged 12 – 18 years

· Reach at least 25% of this target age range in any given year

· Provide a balanced range of youth work provision

· Respond to the developing needs of young people

· Involve young people in the development of the service at all levels

· Employ appropriately trained and qualified staff

· Provide a range of ongoing training opportunities for all staff

· Monitor progress through a quality assurance framework

· Invest in buildings, resources and equipment

· Provide high quality management and support

· Access additional funding for work with vulnerable young people aged 19-25

· Access additional funding for Junior Youth Work with young people aged 9-11

Annual Targets

These will be used to measure how many young people the Youth Service works with in any one year as part of a national annual audit and so that we can benchmark ourselves against other Youth Services. The targets are:

- At least 25% of the total population of 12 – 18 year olds has contact with Jersey Youth Service

- At least 15% of this group participate in the Youth Service curriculum

- Of these participants, at least 60% have a recorded outcome

- Of these participants, at least 30% have an accredited outcome

Performance Indicators

These will be used together with the Annual Target figures to measure the youth work provision in Jersey. The performance indicators are:

- total number of hours youth work projects are delivering youth work

- number of youth work opportunities lasting 3 hours or more available to young people in the Youth Service target age range

- number of youth work opportunities lasting more than 12 hours with a recorded outcome

- number of youth work opportunities lasting more than 30 hours with an accredited outcome

- number of youth work opportunities targeting young people ‘in need’

Management Information System

Jersey Youth Service has invested in the Youth Base M.I.S. to collect accurate information on youth work being delivered including the following information:

- how many Youth Work sessions are run during any particular week

- how many young people attended the various sessions

- the age, sex and ethic background of the young people

- how many staff worked and for how many hours during those sessions

This information will be collated and used in the planning process and the monitoring and evaluation of youth work at both local and service wide levels.

The Youth Service Quality Mark

Jersey Youth Service is currently working towards the National Youth Agency Quality Mark (YSQM). It has been developed as a means of improving organisational quality across 11 standards areas:

  Performance management

  Management information

  Quality assurance

  Equality and diversity

  Curriculum/programme of work

  Legal requirements

  Personal and social development

  Involving young people

  Workforce development

  Partnerships

  Resources

The initial Self Assessment will provide the basis of an improvement plan for the service with the expectation that it will complete this annually and it will:

  Identity strengths and weaknesses

  Set a benchmark to use to see how the organisation has improved

  Provide evidence of the organisation’s commitment to improvement

  Provide evidence of its ability to improve and improvements achieved

Within the YSQM Self Assessment process there are four levels of scoring which assist the organisation to gauge their current level:

  Emerging – systems are insecure and not fit for purpose. Managers have insufficient measures in place in this area to meet even minimum requirement, but they are able to self-identify where weaknesses exist.

  Aspiring – managers are aware of the gaps that exist in this area. Practice in this field may be appropriate and reflect acceptable standards. However, systems are insuffiently robust.

  Established – good overall performance in this area. Systems are fit for purpose and meet all requirements. Policies are current and are disseminated widely.

  Advanced – performance in this area is very good. The organisational has established systems and policies, which have a clear impact at all levels. Managers monitor performance systematically and workers are directed towards maintaining work at this level

Jersey Youth Service is committed to the provision of high quality youth work and will work towards the YSQM during the next 5 years by doing the following:

2007 - Staff training & initial Self Assessment

2008 - Achieve Aspiring standard

2009 - Achieve Established standard

2010 - Achieve Advanced standard

2011 - External Inspection of Jersey Youth Service

 

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