The National Youth Agency

Staying Safe

Below you will find contributions from organisations under the ECM outcome Staying Safe - being protected from harm and neglect.

Organisations are listed below alphabetically. Those who have also adopted Hear By Right standards will be identified by the HBR logo. Please follow the link to see all other shared learning which has been contributed.

All contributing organisations are listed alphabetically below:

Avon and Somerset - Youthwatch
Reducing the theft of mobile phones

Young people told their police liaison at school that they wanted to get involved in working with the police. In response Youthwatch was developed that would run along similar lines as neighbourhood watch within the school. Young people identified the theft of their mobile phones as being a big issue for them. Youthwatch were trained to mark mobile phones and other goods by the police. Youthwatch held lunch time sessions to mark pupils' phones and raise awareness. Incidents of mobile phone theft were reduced by 50% within the town and local feeder towns for the school. The young people received a Wavemakers Award in recognition of their achievements and initiative.

Barnsley - Kendry Youth Play Project
Developments to outdoor provision

Kendry Youth Play Project held a series of events in 2002 to find out what young people thought were priorities for the area. Young people wanted a place for activities such as football and skateboarding. The eighteen month project has contributed to the regeneration of the area and young people now benefit from a skate park, zip line, rock climbing facilities and a music room.

Birmingham, Kingstanding - YIP (Youth Inclusion Programme) PAYP
Young people wanted somewhere to go and to be treated as part of the community

Following complaints from local residents YIP facilitated a young people led consultation with local stakeholders. Young people felt that they had nowhere to go to meet and hang out with their friends, that they were being bullied by the police and the community and that they did not feel safe. It was agreed that a local area, Conka Island could be used by young people as a safe meeting place. Litter bins and benches have been provided and football takes place three times a week during the summer.

Bolton - Connexions Wellfield Project
Cultural boundaries

Young people identified racism as an issue within this multi-cultural area and wanted to improve relationships within their community. The project identified a suitable training course for the young people who met regularly and invited other members of the community to join their project. The young people organised and helped run a fun day to bring all members of the community together. The young people feel that they have improved relationships between different cultures in the area.

Darlington Borough Council
Somewhere to go, something to do/reducing anti-social behaviour

Some members of the community were concerned about young people just 'hanging about'. The council consulted with everyone and found that young people wanted a safe warm space to meet friends. In response the Westside initiative was started, held at the local comprehensive school, every Friday for young people. Over 200 young people regularly attend, anti-social behaviour in the area has been reduced and partnership working has increased.

Devon - Indigos Go Wild
A space for young people, community regeneration

Originally an after school club, Indigos recognised the need for an outdoor area for children and young people to play. Young people were saying that they were getting into trouble playing on the local streets. A local school offered Indigos a disused plot of land that was overgrown and used as a dumping ground. The children, young people and local residents cleared the land and have developed a space for adventure play, with many facilities. Agreed ground rules keep the children and young people safe and offer a space for children and young people to 'go wild', they lead the project and evaluate it themselves. The project has won two government awards because of the positive impact on the local community.

Edinburgh - Sighthill Library
Library renovation scheme/reducing anti-social behaviour

Following incidents of anti-social behaviour library staff decided to involve the young people who used to congregate outside with the renovation plans for the library. Young people said that they wanted comfy seats, a listening post and DVD's. In addition to the changes that have been made in terms of facilities, relationships between the young people and library staff have vastly improved, demonstrated by an increase in library usage of 12% over the year.

Gloucestershire - Burysed Community Youth Project
Young people needed somewhere to go

Following incidents of anti social behaviour young people and local residents decided to create somewhere for young people to go. Young people and other members of the community applied for funding and the Burysed Community Youth project has been established. The centre now has a formal Board of Trustees and is ran by volunteers from the local community.

Hampshire - Care Action Team (CAT), Passport To Success, Appropriate Accomodation
Appropriate accommodation for young people in or leaving care

The Care Action Team (CAT) is a group of young people in and leaving care who work alongside Hampshire County Council (HCC) to develop services for children and families. Together they have developed the 'passport to success', which addresses the responsibility of Hampshire County Council towards looked after young people as a corporate parent. One of the issues raised was the need for appropriate accommodation. As a result HCC has developed supported lodging schemes and foster placements are maintained till the age of 21 for those in further/ higher education. The young people received a Wavemakers award in recognition of their achievements.

London Borough of Haringey Council - Youth Act
Creating a safer place to live and improving access to facilities

Young people wanted to clean up their estate and improve the youth facilities available. They attended youth residents meetings organised by a youth development officer and formed the Stonebridge Youth Group. The group raised many issues including safety, the need for facilities and the general level of cleanliness in the area. Some of the changes that have happened include a renovated football cage and the clearing of disused play areas. Young people feel that Stonebridge is a safer and better place to live since the changes.

Isle of Wight - Isle of Wight Council/Youth Council
Creating things for young people to do – Developing a MUGA

Young people were elected to the Isle of Wight Youth Council on a manifesto of developing things for young people to do in the local area. After persuading local county and parish councillors of the need for youth provision, they worked with councillors, surveyors and builders on a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA). The MUGA has been completed and is open to young people. It is a well used and safe area for young people.

Leeds - Youth on Health
Emotional well being

The YoH (Youth on Health) group raised emotional wellbeing and anti-bullying as issues that they would like to research in their schools. Young people have made a number of proposals in order to increase emotional wellbeing and reduce bullying within schools. Changes made include, worry boxes in classrooms, 'bubble time' (space to talk things over), playground friend schemes and friendship stops to avoid isolation at break times.

Medway, Kent - Medway Mediation
Lack of a private space in order to provide a mediation service

Peer mediators raised concerns about the lack of a private space for them to carry out mediation. The young mediators identified a suitable space and designed and delivered a presentation to inform and persuade potential funders. Working with teaching staff and a builder they now have a purpose built mediation room where they can keep all of their resources, case records etc and provide a confidential, comfortable environment for mediation.

Milton Keynes - Street Dreams
Reducing racial and violent incidents

Street Dreams worked with young people in the Betchley area to investigate the issues relating to local racist attacks. Young people identified the key themes of parental influence, territorialism and the development of youth facilities. In response to this young people now have the opportunity to use the football facilities once a week at a local school as long as they form a racially mixed team. Violent racist attacks have significantly reduced a month after the project started.

London Borough of Newham - Discover
Safe places to play

Discover worked with the Children's Discovery Forum to create a garden for children in East London. The children aged four to eleven were involved in the design and planting of the garden. The Discovery Story Garden has been open since August 2002 and provides an interesting space in the heart of Stratford for local children to play in.

North Yorkshire, Richmond - White Lands Action Group
Preventing the destruction of a free play space

Children and young people wanted to stop a planning application for an access road that would have destroyed a long standing play area. They formed an action group made up of local residents, organised a petition, wrote formal letters of opposition and attended planning meetings. The decision has been deferred whilst an alternative access point is found.

Rugby Borough Council Housing Services - Young Tenants Forum
Hard to access interview room

The Young Tenants Forum raised the issue of accessibility with the council in relation to the housing services interview rooms. Young people provided a practical demonstration of the issues using a pushchair and made recommendations for change. The council has now rearranged the furniture and fittings for greater ease of access for both pushchair and wheelchair users.

Sheffield - Norfolk Park Greenspaces Project, Sheffield Wildlife Trust
Contributing to local regeneration

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund young people were invited to take part in a project that was to compliment the regeneration that was occurring within the Norfolk Park estate. Young people researched the concept of 'change' with local residents in order to use these ideas as the basis for a mural that was designed with input from local artists. The council installed new lighting within a local subway where young people situated their artwork. The subway is now a safer and more pleasant route for people to use within the local community.

Shropshire - Whitchurch Youth Group
Developments at the Youth Centre

Young people said that they wanted to develop the local youth centre. A local councillor and a youth worker supported the young people in meeting with the Market Town Initiative. Following these meetings and based on the suggestions from young people lighting has been installed at the ball court, walls and fences painted and a new youth shelter has been built.

Solihull - The Children's Society (Ask Us)
Disabled access to play areas

As part of the national 'Ask Us' project Solihull Council Parks Department trained young disabled people to act as researchers and be involved in the design of local play areas. The young researchers gave presentations to council officers and their representatives. Funding through the children's fund was granted to make local parks accessible. Three local parks were redeveloped on the recommendations of the young people to make them inclusive and accessible.

Southampton - Freemantle Lake Park
Things to do, places to go

Young people in Freemantle spoke to a youth worker about wanting a youth shelter. A youth forum was set up and young people worked hard campaigning and designing the young shelter with a local artist. After winning the support of local people the council granted planning permission. The youth shelter pavilion was built resulting in a warm place for young people to spend time together, an increase in the use of the park and a reduction in vandalism. Southampton City Council is committed to the cleaning and maintenance of the pavilion.

Western-super-Mare Town Council - Barcode Youth Cafe
Somewhere to go - Youth Cafe

Young people said that they wanted somewhere safe to meet in the evenings. The youth council proposed a youth café which was agreed by the town council. The café called Barcode was opened in October 2005. Barcode has been a great success and regularly hosts music nights and a range of entertainment for young people in the local area.

Wigan Youth Service - Mesnes Park Youth in Action
Facilities and safety in the local park

Young people who used Mesnes Park complained to detached youth workers that the park was unsafe and had few facilities for them. The detached team challenged young people to do something about this; in response young people formed a youth action group. The action group raised the issue with the council and worked to gain the opinions and support of other young people. As a result the regeneration of the park has become a prominent community issue. Temporary lighting and a skate ramp has been put in place for the short term, and the action group is involved in the planning for the longer term regeneration. The experience of the youth action group has reinvigorated the youth council. The process has highlighted the importance of young people's participation and the council and other organisations are increasingly seeking to involve the young people in their work.