Agenda item

Members welcomed Andrea Battye from YMCA and Michelle Cooper and Rachel Sharp from Ad Astra who gave an update on the Youth Resilience Fund Project Delivery. 

The Area Manager gave an overview of the work, and it was explained that the Youth Resilience Grant was co-designed to prevent risk taking behaviours in 15-17 years old, including self-harm, and the misuse of alcohol and drugs. Several workshops were carried out in 2019 and these explored what provision was already in place which indicated there was a gap in services. The workshops helped to identify that early intervention and prevention approaches were required, engaging young people from the age of 9 years. Working with them to develop their emotional heath and wellbeing resilience and successful transition to secondary school. Statistics were explored and they identified three schools in St Helens and one school in each of the other North Area ward that would benefit. YMCA and Ad Astra are both funded to work in different schools and have developed bespoke techniques to deliver interventions. Ad Astra is delivering in St Helens Ward and YMCA covered the other three wards. The work was delayed due to covid and the unsettled periods in between lockdowns so both organisations have had difficulties which have been over come.

Michelle from Ad Astra gave an overview on the history of the service which started in 2013 with staff having a vast level of experience and all being DBS checked and trained mental health first aiders. They cover North, North East and Penistone and have been based in St Helen's since 2016. They have a wider programme which includes delivering weekly food parcels, a woman's wellbeing programme, community bingo, café and groups along with afterschool provision.

In Old Town they are delivering the MAD (Mind and Dance) Project, delivering St Paul's after school club, - and in Penistone, Darton and North East they are looking at dental hygiene and listening support in the senior schools.

In Outwood Academy Carlton work is being delivered to Y7 around transition. This includes practical support with issues including:, - getting lost around school and not being able to sort dinner money. However, more serious issues came out such as bullying, gender concerns, estranged families, domestic violence, parents in prison, parents with disabilities, finances, covid and general anxiety with self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Ad Astra supported over 50 children with these issues. Furthermore, they participated in parents’ evenings with an information stall.

In Athersley North, Athersley South and Laithes they worked on a six-week transition programme and at New Lodge Community Centre they delivered youth clubs and other activities. They did have some challenges which included covid but also building relationships with schools, communication and data collection. However, they now have a really positive relationship with Athersley North.

During Covid the service tried to support families by delivering packs of activities including art supplies and carried out outreach work in gardens. Since this, buddy and transitioning workshops have been delivered, with over 200 people completing the buddy training, along with litter picking and constructing bird feeders. During April 2021 to July 2021 all years 5 and 6 in Athersley South and Laithes Primary school were worked with.

In Athersley North the youth club grew to three sessions and was split into age ranges. There are now two sessions on a Tuesday with around 20 to 25 young people aged 8 to 13 years, with the older ones attending on a Wednesday night.

During the holidays, hunger was a big issue at the holiday provision so cook and eat sessions were completed along with litter picks and walking to school groups for young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Some work with younger children in years two and three was implemented, as support was required early on to help with managing stress and building resilience. This makes it more cost effective for other organisations too as they will not be required to do work later on.

The service was really proud of the work they have delivered as they have worked with some amazing young people and watched them grow. Furthermore, they have been able to support families by helping parents get back into education through a 6-week training programme for maths and primary homework. They are pleased to be able to do it for another year and have had excellent feedback from Clare Storr, Deputy Safeguarding Lead - at Athersley North, who said that young people had learnt how to be a good friend and how to stop bullying.

The relationship with Emma Sanderson, Headteacher - from Athersley South has gone from strength to strength, the sessions have been really valuable and have contributed to growing confidence within the school.

In the ensuing discussions reference was made to:

The impressive work delivered which provides young people with the confidence to talk about things confidentially and detailed how the service responds to safeguarding issues. Furthermore, it clarified how to manage keeping secrets and what information can be kept as a secret or if it is something more serious such as abuse at home, young people are aware they need to speak to an adult. The service tries to make sure they have information up front, they take a lot into schools and to other organisations and are there to support them on the journey.

 Covid has had a huge impact on young people, and they will never get back the time that was lost, several young people are still wearing masks for fear of taking it home. They are academically worried and feel like they will never be where they need or want to be. The fear is there, and they will be living with it however, some young people think we need to get on with life.  The education system has not been set up for a pandemic, so moving into GCSE's it is hoped that allowances are going to be made.  Work has been done with some Y10 girls who are anxious, they have been referred to the service due to this, but early intervention is key as the issues raised can become far more serious.

The landscape has changed, and young people are struggling to respond to loss and family illnesses which have occurred. The cost of living increase within households and the war in Europe is impacting on young people's resilience and the need for the service is affecting their ability to respond. Prior to this they were constantly developing skills and now do not have the ability to do this. Work such as barriers to employment and communicating with employers have all been set back and we may not see recovery for a long time.

The issue of self- harm and how it is now across the board when previously this was not the case, was raised and the processes surrounding reporting this at a school level were highlighted, it was clarified that the service have a close relationship with the safeguarding officers. Waiting lists for correct services such as CAHMS are 2/3 years long, so the service is often picking this work up and more recently CAHMS have referred to Ad Astra for support. CAHMS does not have the capacity to take the numbers which are being referred, so are relying on the community and voluntary sector.

In regard to how numbers are gathered and recorded it was explained that YMCA receive data from youth and health organisations and being a national organisation they are directly involved in work targeting Barnsley, lobbying for funding and exploring why the levelling up funding was not received.

Ad Astra acknowledged concerns that schools are not identifying the correct pathways for young people and that CAHMS are being overwhelmed. They stated their service is not well known, so it is not respected enough to get heard by decision makers. Regarding academies it was claimed that it is tricky for the local authority to get anywhere due to how they are governed.

A Battye gave an overview of the work which had been carried out since 1857 which included:

• Safe Spaces
• Relationships with young people, families and local communities
• Emotional resilience & wellbeing
• Confidence
• Wellbeing Index & Resilience Framework
• Weekly activities in Darton, Kexborough & Mapplewell
• Design & develop sessions

The service has 3 key strands which involve Delta Academy, Darton, Kexborough and Mapplewell, with Summer Lane soon to be added.

Schools youth work delivery:

1. Wide range of activities to build relationships
2. Y6 gender specific needs identified by school and then brought together
3. After school drop in sessions
4. Peer support training in Darton - working with years 7&8 to understand what it is to help others

Detached youth work:

1. Street based since 2018 in Kexbrough, Darton & Mapplewell
2. Working on activities including arts & crafts, sports and environmental activities.
3. Wider family’s engagement around mental health and wellbeing
4. Cross generational activities such as building communication skills
5. Work with all communities to build relationships and reclaiming green spaces
6. Personal development for parents - hosted a community event with arts crafts and games

Holiday Provision:

1. Locally based and detached
2. Supporting families and maintaining relationships.
3. Increases opportunities for aspirations
4. Make friends outside of school to build social networks

Wider opportunities include looking beyond the limitations of funding and being the venue for Chilypep's Home & Emotional Wellbeing Hub working with a step up/step down model. Collaborative working highlights gaps in services, increases services and enhances outcomes. Involving young people in service development along with youth volunteering and peer support guarantees the service has the young person at the heart of what they do.

In the ensuing discussions reference was made to:

Community green spaces where it was identified that the Darton West Ward Alliance were putting together a project for a community greenspace in Kexborough, and in order to not duplicate work YMCA indicated that they would be excited to be involved. Although YMCA have limited capacity this could possibly be done as a subgroup.

The work being done and whether it is part of the curriculum or bolted on and it was confirmed that the work is open access and young people are funnelled into it. It was important to make sure that young people do not feel stigmatised, so work is done across the year group with the young people having their own agenda to support them in coming out of that environment and developing wider relationships. Ad Astra confirmed that the work they do is during the last hour of the school day and an hour after. It was noted that all the work presented today is not all funded by the North Area Council but that wider opportunities come from all localities.

Services stated that it is difficult to employ youth workers on 1 or 2 year basis and it is an aim to offer people longer term contracts, with a clarification that this is more than 2 years, as people need longer term security to have sustainability.

RECOMMENDED that Andrea Battye, Michelle Cooper and Rachel Sharp be thanked for attending the meeting, for their presentation and for answering Members questions.