The National Youth Agency - eYPU Issue 211

eYPU Issue 211 - 02 July 2008

3 Jul 2008
Issue 211 contains details of local authority areas’ priorities – the top two are reducing number of 16-18 not in education, employment or training, and reducing the under-18 conception rate.

LOCAL AUTHORITY AREAS

The priorities for local authority areas were agreed with central government at the end of June. The top two priorities were reducing the number of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment and training, and reducing the under-18 teenage conception rate (chosen by 77% and 70% of authorities respectively). Just over half chose increasing young people's participation in positive activities. Nearly two-thirds chose priorities related to creating a thriving third sector and/or volunteering. The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) has set up a website allowing people to find out the indicators selected for each local authority area.

Also of interest...

COMMISSIONING

The Cabinet Office's Social Exclusion Task Force has published ‘Think Research’, a web-based document which gives commissioners and providers of services for vulnerable people guidance on using research evidence during the commissioning process. It offers a guide to all aspects of using research evidence including finding relevant research, evaluating it, how to use the evidence in planning a service, and gathering evidence to monitor a service once it is up and running.

PUBLIC SERVICES

The prime minister has set out a vision for ‘world class public services’, which argues that although public services in the UK have improved dramatically over the past decade, a new stage of reform is needed. This will focus on giving people more choice and control over public services; fostering greater professionalism in the public sector workforce; and strong strategic leadership from central government

NEW DEAL FOR COMMUNITIES

Communities minister Baroness Andrews has confirmed nearly £500 million funding for neighbourhood partnerships in deprived communities across the country through the New Deal for Communities (NDC) programme. A study of the impact of NDC found that 355,000 places have been taken up by young people on youth inclusion and diversionary projects; the percentage of young people in NDC areas achieving at least five high grade GCSEs has risen; and NDC areas out-perform other deprived areas on public satisfaction with the areas as a place to live.

CITIZENSHIP

Communities secretary Hazel Blears has said that people need more power to influence local services, following the announcement of headline findings from the Citizenship Survey 2007-08. These show that fewer than four in ten respondents felt able to influence decisions in their local area or had been involved in civic participation activities such as attending a public meeting, signing a local petition or contacting a local councillor (38 and 39 per cent respectively).

CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU

The Home Office has announced that more than 20,000 unsuitable people were stopped from working with children and vulnerable adults last year as a direct result of checks by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). Nearly nine out of ten customers said that using CRB checks improved their confidence in the recruitment decisions they make, and nearly three-quarters believed that CRB checks deter unsuitable people from applying to work with children and vulnerable adults.

HOMELESSNESS

Lost property, a new report from NPC (New Philanthropy Capital) highlights the role of charities working with homeless people or those at risk of homelessness. It profiles a number of charities working with young people, including St Basil’s in Birmingham, Street League, Centre point and the DePaul Trust. It also stresses the importance of providing personal and social development opportunities for young homeless people.

FUNDING

Sport England is consulting on potential changes to its distribution of National Lottery funding. It is seeking views on how best to use the funding to create a world-leading community sport system; improvements to application and award processes; and whether respondents value particular features of the current community Investment Fund. The closing date for responses is 12 September.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

The Prison Reform Trust has called for the Youth Justice Board’s £279 million annual budget for child custody to be transferred to local authorities. It argues that this would give local authorities a greater incentive to prevent offending and to offer robust alternatives to custody if they had to foot the bill for every child in their area who goes to jail.

THIRD SECTOR

Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, has appointed the panel of the new Third Sector Advisory Body, which has been set up to provide ministers with clear and authoritative advice on policy regarding the third sector, including charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises. The new panel members bring experience from the third sector and beyond.

Future builders England has launched a new interest-free loan fund for third sector organisations struggling to meet the cost of tendering for public sector contracts. The £1 million fund will provide three-year loans of between £3,000 and £50,000, and can be used to pay for costs such as legal bills, financial expertise, staffing backfill and advice from procurement specialists.

VOLUNTEERING

Baroness Neuberger, the Government’s independent volunteering champion, is asking third sector and statutory organisations for their views on volunteering in the criminal justice system. She is seeking views on questions including current levels of volunteering, reducing the barriers to volunteering, encouraging people from a wide range of backgrounds to volunteer within the criminal justice system, and the role of volunteering in the rehabilitation of offenders. Submissions are invited by 1 September 2008.