Agenda item

Andrea Battye and Emma Turton were welcomed to the meeting.

Members were reminded of the work of the YMCA and of that work undertaken as part of the commission to ‘build emotional resilience in young people aged 8-14’ in the Central Area.  10 sessions per week had been held, with two being undertaken in each ward.  These were often after school, twilight or evening session, but provision was also delivered during school holidays.

Activities undertaken were arrived at through consultation with young people, and the commission also included provision to encourage peer support, and volunteering.

The service was open access, but targeted to ensure those most requiring support benefitted from it.  In doing so the project aimed to provide intervention early, preventing issues from escalating.

Since the commission went live, all targets had either been met or had been exceeded.  Evaluation of the impact of intervention was also undertaken continuously, with plans to develop the methodology to further evidence this.

Members were provided a range of case studies, detailing the work undertaken in each ward, and the impact this had on a number of young people’s lives.

Members praised the work of the project, and enquired as to whether it had any additional capacity.  It was noted that the project was oversubscribed and working beyond its original capacity, with pressure due to the impact of cuts to other services. However reviews were regularly undertaken to ensure those who required the service did benefit from it.

Questions were raised in relation to the relationship with other groups and organisations, and it was noted that there were strong relationships with a variety of agencies in the area. Young people are referred between agencies, and a primary source of referrals was social services.

RESOLVED that thanks be given to staff at the YMCA for the presentation and for their continued hard work on the project.