Fifth round of Joint Area Reviews (JARs)

A fifth round of Joint Area Reviews (JARs) has again revealed an encouraging number of positive references to the role of youth services. JARs examine how far children and young people in a local authority are achieving the Every Child Matters outcomes – ie are healthy, safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and experience economic wellbeing. They cover all education and social services directly managed or commissioned by a local authority as well as health and youth justice services provided by partner agencies.

Eight reports have been published in this round, which show that youth services are contributing to meeting all five outcomes, particularly helping young people to make a positive contribution.

Youth services’ contribution to partnership work is more difficult to detect. However, scrutiny of accompanying youth service inspection reports reveals instances where youth services are involved in multi-agency work highlighted in the JARs. The reports also indicate the difficulties of categorising work under single ECM outcomes, since similar activities are identified under different outcomes.

Being healthy

Youth services’ contribution to this outcome is evident in a number of the reports. Hounslow youth service is described as making ‘a significant contribution to improving health outcomes for its users’ through a curriculum that includes healthy living, sports and outdoor entertainment. The youth service is also involved in two health-related projects. It supports Identity, a youth group for lesbian, gay and bisexual young people, by providing information, advice, training and resources to support a range of health initiatives including safer sex and substance misuse. The SAFE project is run jointly by the youth service and the PCT, and is helping to increase access to health support and counselling on a range of issues including sexual health, drugs awareness and self-injury.

On the Isle of Wight, the youth service runs the Multi-Agency Group Service that provides support for vulnerable young people. In Manchester the youth service ran a project which resulted in young people producing health promotion information for others, and the service is also involved in multi-agency preventive work around drugs and alcohol. The youth service in Gateshead is involved in ‘an effective sexual health partnership’ that delivers the teenage pregnancy strategy.

Staying safe

As in previous rounds, there is little specific reference to youth services’ contribution to this outcome. However, in Gateshead youth clubs are mentioned as one of the settings where effective risk assessments and health and safety procedures ensure that children and young people are provided with safe environments. The report on Hounslow states that personal safety awareness is raised in youth services.

Enjoying and achieving

Youth services and youth workers continue to contribute to this outcome through the provision of informal learning. On the Isle of Wight ‘the youth service significantly enhances opportunities for young people to access a good range of accredited activities’. The report on Medway identifies good features of the youth service as being outdoor and adventurous activities and the personal and emotional support provided to young people. A range of outdoor and sports activities is reported as being provided by the youth service in Sandwell.

Making a positive contribution

Once again this is an area where youth services and youth workers are seen to make a major contribution.

Local democracy

A number of the reports highlight the role of youth services in engaging young people in decision-making. The report on Hounslow describes how young people contribute to the selection and appointment of youth workers and influence the range and type of provision on offer. On the Isle of Wight a ‘highly proactive and influential youth council’ has helped to improve the range of activities available to young people, including cheaper transport. The youth involvement team in Northamptonshire, which supports a range of youth forums, is highlighted as enabling different groups of young people to have greater influence on the nature and quality of services available to them and the report describes how one group organised a cross-county conference for and facilitated by young people.

In Sandwell, the Shadow Youth Cabinet is cited as providing ‘good opportunities for young people to learn about democratic process and make recommendations to council’ and young people have influenced aspects of provision such as improved street lighting and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. The report on Medway describes the youth parliament has having ‘a well-structured programme of activities’ and being proactive in bringing issues forward.

Personal development

The report on Hackney notes that ‘in schools and youth settings, effective action is being taken to develop children’s and young people’s social skills’. The youth service is also involved in developing effective peer education approaches in youth centres. On the Isle of Wight, inspections of schools and the youth service noted ‘high levels of self-confidence and esteem’ among young people. The youth service also provides a range of opportunities for young people to take part in voluntary activities and act as peer inspectors of youth provision. Medway youth service is described as making a ‘valuable contribution’ to the social and emotional development of young people.

Anti-social behaviour

The report on Hounslow states that ‘the detached and outreach team coordinates individual support packages for young people, ensuring that anti-social behaviour orders are used only as a last resort’. On the Isle of Wight youth workers are described as cooperating well with other agencies to identify and target those at risk and reduce anti-social behaviour in local trouble spots. The youth service in Manchester works in partnership with the youth inclusion projects, YOT and the police to provide a range of activities to divert young people at risk of offending. The report states that as a result of this partnership work ‘fewer young people were involved in anti-social behaviour in 2005 than the previous year’.

Supporting vulnerable young people

Northamptonshire youth service is supporting vulnerable young people by working in partnership with Connexions personal advisers to offer an accredited learning opportunity for young people excluded from school or who are not in education, employment and training through the U Choose programme. The report on Gateshead describes youth workers as providing ‘effective support’ alongside Connexions personal advisers to vulnerable children and young people. Hounslow is also cited as making a ‘good contribution’ to supporting vulnerable groups through a range of projects.

Achieving economic wellbeing

As in previous rounds, youth services’ contribution to this outcome is most evident in helping to assist young people back into education, training and employment. In Gateshead, young mothers have ‘good access to support and non-accredited learning through targeted support programmes provided by the youth service’. The report on Hounslow states that ‘trained personal advisers in every secondary school and in the youth service and college provide good support for young people’. In Northamptonshire, the youth service has been involved in pilot project work to help regenerate one of the town’s most deprived estates by establishing a café for young people.

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