NCVYS STRATEGIC INFORMATION SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 447

10 July 2009

Shine Week 2009 celebrates all young people!

To conclude a very successful week of national and local activities and initiatives to celebrate the talents of all young people as part of Shine 2009, young people including ENVOY members are taking part in a debate in the House of Lords. ENVOY members Linda and Sabian were responsible for opening and closing the debate with a roaring response!

https://twitter.com/NCVYS

http://www.shineweek.co.uk/

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0128

OPEN Weekend begins today - competition to win an iPod

The DCSF OPEN Weekend initiative begins today, to help local authorities and their partners improve access for young people to positive activities on Friday and Saturday night. As part of this campaign, young people are encouraged to fill out a survey about activities they would like to have available. By completing a short survey, they get a chance win an iPod!

http://www.openweekends.co.uk/

Positive activities information

Plings has published information about positive activities from the 20 local authority pilot sites as part of the DCSF-funded information and signposting project led by Substance, supported by NCVYS. To kick off OPEN Weekend, young people can browse through over 5,000 things to do over the next 7 days in 20 local authorities, including activities delivered by voluntary and community organisations. This information can be accessed through different websites, social networking and mobile tools, and local authority portals.

http://www.placestogothingstodo.co.uk/homepage.aspx

Friday and Saturday night briefing paper

The new ‘Friday and Saturday night' briefing paper sets out some of the central issues and barriers to Children's Trusts in expanding their provision of positive activities on Friday and Saturday nights. It looks at ways in which local authorities are addressing barriers and suggests areas to consider when commissioning and delivering weekend provision. It is primarily aimed at those responsible for securing and managing positive-activities provision including traditional youth work, but there will be implications for practitioners from a variety of professional backgrounds and settings.

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/Youth/aiminghigh/aiminghigh/

Modernisation Fund phase 1 now open

The Modernisation Fund's phase 1 has been launched which will give over 250 frontline third sector organisations £1,000 bursaries during June and July to help during the economic downturn. The bursaries will pay for at least two days of professional advice and support to explore how they can increase their impact and become more resilient through working more closely with others. A second phase of the programme due to launch in the autumn will allow bursary holders to access additional funding of up to £10,000 to take further significant steps towards collaboration or merger. The phase 1 deadline is 17 July 2009.

http://www.modernisationfund.org.uk/

Updated guidance on roles and responsibilities of LM and DCS

The DCSF has published Statutory Guidance on the Roles and Responsibilities of the Lead Member for Children's Services and the Director of Children's Services, which NCVYS fed into on behalf of the sector during the consultation stage. The updated guidance takes account of existing practices that work and looks to ensure that effective arrangements are supported within each local authority and Local Strategic Partnership. The role of the private, voluntary and independent sector will be dealt with in greater detail in the Children's Trust guidance which will be consulted on in autumn 2009.

http://publications.everychildmatters.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DCSF-00686-2009&

Updated guidance to safeguard disabled children

The DCSF has published updated practice guidance on the safeguarding of disabled children. The guidance, produced by The Children's Society for the Government, will advise local organisations on how to best safeguard and promote the welfare of disabled children. It's aimed at local safeguarding children board partners and other professionals working with children and young people and their families.

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/safeguardingandsocialcare/safeguardingchildren/safeguarding/

New national programme to help care leavers into employment

DCSF has launched From Care 2 Work, a national programme led by Catch22's National Care Advisory Service (NCAS), to work with national employers and local authorities to offer opportunities for work experience and mentoring to support care leavers into work. Since plans for the programme were announced in the New Opportunities White Paper in January, there has been interest from the nation's biggest employers including Tesco, O2, Aviva and Marks and Spencer.

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0126

Good authorities can make a real difference for young people leaving care

According to Ofsted's latest report, flexible individual support, high aspirations and a commitment from social care staff are successfully helping young people leaving care make the transition into adulthood and independence. The report - Support for care leavers - surveyed six local authorities, four secure estate settings and 103 care leavers, highlight that leaving care is not a single event but a period of transition for each young person.

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/News/Good-authorities-can-make-a-real-difference-for-young-people-leaving-care

Integrated services on children and families in Sure Start centres

Ofsted has published a report on ‘The impact of integrated services on children and their families in Sure Start children's centres'. The effective integration of services is having a positive impact in terms of support for children and parents in over half of the 20 centres visited. Challenges remain with onward links with primary schools, in reaching the most vulnerable families and in developing data on outcomes for parents and children. The least effective partnership working seen was between the children's centres and Jobcentre Plus.

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Documents-by-type/Thematic-reports/The-impact-of-integrated-services-on-children-and-their-families-in-Sure-Start-children-s-centres

YMAG website

The Young Muslims Advisory Group (YMAG) has launched a new website with articles, features and topics for debate to help their work. The group is sponsored by CLG and DCSF to work with government to help find solutions to a range of challenges including tackling discrimination; increasing employment levels; preventing extremism and boosting civic participation. Other sections of the site focus on Islam, communities, government policy and a myth busting section which tackles some of the common stereotypes and misconceptions about Muslims.

http://www.ymag.opm.co.uk/

National statistics to measure school food take-up

New research published by the School Food Trust finds that improving the nutritional quality of school food, as well as the dining environment, improves pupil engagement and concentration after lunch by 18% in secondary school pupils. Figures also show that out of 150 local authorities, take-up of school lunches is 39% of pupils at primary and special schools and 35% at secondary schools, academies and city technology colleges.

http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/documents/NI52statisticalrelease2008-2009

Safeguarding in Youth Participation training

Participation Works is offering ‘Safeguarding in Youth Participation' training developed and delivered by NCVYS, to take place throughout the coming months until March 2010 in towns across England. The next session is in Manchester on 15 July 2009. The training is aimed at practitioners, staff and volunteers that work with children and young people in all settings. The training is free for third sector organisations and £85 for statutory bodies.

http://www.participationworks.org.uk/events-training/products/safeguarding-in-youth-participation

EU report on child trafficking

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has published a report entitled 'Child Trafficking in the European Union - Challenges, perspectives and good practices'. The report notes that many children fall victim to trafficking every year for sexual exploitation or other purposes, but there are few convictions in child trafficking cases. The FRA finds that the EU must do more to address the issue and calls for better legislation to combat child trafficking.

http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/news&events/infocus09_0707_en.htm

Make Space for Health - recommendations for young people's health

With support from Nestlé UK, 4Children has published recommendations and findings from its year-long pilot programme in a report entitled Maximising Young People's Health Chances: WHAT SHOULD BE DONE? Recommendations include establishing Local Strategic Young People's Health Partnerships to be established in every area, to assess need and deliver joined up health support.

http://www.makespace.org.uk/home

Investments into speech, language and communication needs support

The DCSF and the Department of Health have announced the pilot areas, supported with an investment of £2m, to identify good practice in providing support for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). The University of Warwick will lead a consortium delivering a three year, £1.5m research programme on the cost-effectiveness of interventions for children with SLCN and to improve the evidence base.

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0129

Enhancing successful Family Man programme for male prisoners

Iain Wright, Minister for Children, Schools and Families, has launched a revised version of the Family Man programme, which teaches male prisoners how to work within a family, how to reflect and act on their responsibilities as a family member, and how to articulate their own ambitions, with more targeted support after completing the course.  With funding from DCSF, Family Man enables students to achieve a National Open College Network progression award, and provides a gateway into all Reducing Re-offending Pathways.

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0125

Funded projects to support communities with migration

The Department of Communities and Local Government has announced nearly 200 projects to receive a share of the £70m Migration Impacts Fund to help reduce local pressure on public services. Frontline services - police, school, NHS and voluntary organisations - have identified projects in their area that will make the biggest difference to ''insulating them and local people against the impact of migration''. Key themes include children and young people, housing services, health and community safety.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1277459

THIS WEEK IN PARLIAMENT

House of Lords debate with young people

The Lord Speaker, Baroness Hayman, chaired the debate with young people in the House of Lords Chamber as part of Shine Week 2009. In what will be the only time this year that non-Members have the opportunity to debate in the Lords Chamber, 200 young people from diverse backgrounds debated topics around celebrating and defining talent and overcoming youth stereotypes. NCVYS's ENVOY members Linda and Sabian opened and closed the debate.

http://news.parliament.uk/2009/07/young-people-to-debate-in-lords-chamber/

Antisocial Behaviour

Following a question from Angela Watkinson (Con, Upminster) on the effectiveness the Department's measures, Home Office Under-Secretary, Alan Campbell led a debate on anti-social behaviour. Bob Russell (Lib Dem, Colchester) said that in relation to young people and antisocial behaviour, ''we want joined-up government that is tough on the causes of problems as well on those who create them''.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090706/debtext/90706-0003.htm#0907062000024

National Safeguarding Delivery Unit

In response to a question by Tim Loughton (Con, East Worthing & Shoreham), Children's Minister, Dawn Primarolo said that the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit became operational on 1 July 2009 and will be publishing a detailed work programme in September 2009.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090706/text/90706w0020.htm#column_594W