The National Youth Agency - Thirteenth round

Thirteenth round - Joint Area Reviews (JARs)

Ofsted has published another round of Joint Area Reviews (JARs) which continue to include an encouraging number of positive references to the role of youth services.

October 2007

Also of interest...

The focus of the reports has changed. JARs now explore the extent to which children and young people are healthy, safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, and secure economic well-being, focusing specifically on children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, children who are looked after and children at risk or requiring safeguarding. They evaluate the collective contribution made by all relevant children’s services to outcomes for these groups. There are further sections on equality and diversity and safeguarding, and additional investigations are carried out into issues such as child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), other health inequalities, and the 14-19 strategy.

A total of four reports have been published in this round which show that youth services are contributing in particular to young people’s health and wellbeing and to helping vulnerable young people make a positive contribution.

While it is sometimes difficult to detect youth services’ contribution to partnership work, scrutiny of accompanying youth service inspection reports reveal instances where youth services are involved in multi-agency work highlighted in JARs.

Equality and diversity

The report on Hampshire notes that ‘there is some good locally responsive work by the youth service in respect of sexuality and youth culture’. In Westminster, the youth service has set up a helpline to address issues of homophobic behaviour, and has introduced a group to help support the needs of gay young people.

Safeguarding

The report on Hampshire notes that ‘in the youth service, safeguarding is underpinned by good training and procedures for both off-site activities and detached work are secure. Staff are confident in making child protection referrals’.

Being healthy

Three reports provide good examples of how youth services are contributing to young people’s health and wellbeing. In Northumberland, the youth service works closely with the Teenage Pregnancy service. The partnership has set up support groups for gay, lesbian and bisexual young people in two areas, and youth workers also facilitate the involvement of young people in a sexual health programme in some secondary schools. The report highlights the successful ‘C’ card scheme, which makes free condoms, information and advice available to young people in a variety of settings and has over 100 outlets throughout the county. ‘A particularly impressive number of young people have been trained by the Teenage Pregnancy team to administer the ‘C’ card scheme’, which culminates in an annual celebration event that is well attended by young people. The report also describes how young men produced a report on Chlamydia aimed at young people, and a group of young women produced a DVD on the same topic. Young mothers have been trained by the partnership to act as mentors to support other pregnant young women. Young people at risk of exclusion are also helping to design a mobile project aimed at improving health awareness among young people in the Blyth Valley area.

In Hampshire, sexual health work undertaken by the youth service is described as ‘thoughtful’ and ‘sensitive’ and as successfully encouraging young people and young couples to seek advice. The report notes that ‘this provision is having positive effects on the health of young people, with teenage conception rates in Havant diminishing by 24% in the past year’.

In Westminister, the youth service is involved in a successful partnership with the CAMHS, whose work is described as ‘excellent’.

Making a positive contribution

Supporting vulnerable young people

The youth service in Hertfordshire is involved in partnership work with pupil referral units and Connexions to promote personal independence, especially among young people from black and minority ethnic groups. The report notes that ‘these arrangements work well in boosting young people’s self-esteem and raising aspirations and are particularly effective in helping young people overcome drug dependency’.

In Westminster, the youth service is described as ‘proactive’ in making sure children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have their voice heard. The youth service in Hampshire also provides specialist provision for young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and is involved in providing support for young carers.