The National Youth Agency - Positive Activities

Positive Activities

This page brings together background information related to positive activities, including policy, data collection and the legal context.

Recording Positive Activities

The National Youth Agency has developed two guides for Connexions staff to support the recording of young people’s participation in positive activities (National Indicator 110). The DCSF has sought support from local authorities for using the CCIS (client caseload information system) as an additional measure of young people’s participation in positive activities. The Department has been piloting use of the NI110 questions in CCIS specification since September 2008 and wants to ensure that data is routinely collected in all areas from 2009-10.

Data collection will initially focus on young people in year 11 because of the established process for capturing intended destinations. TellUs surveys will remain the measure by which progress against NI110 will be assessed while CCIS is being investigated.

Recording positive activities - frontline staff Recording positive activities data - detailed version

Aiming High

Aiming High for Young People: a Ten Year Strategy for Positive Activities was published in July 2007 and sets out government plans to help all young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to take part in enjoyable and purposeful activities in their free-time.

There is a new national indicator, NI110, to measure and drive improved participation of young people in positive activities (National Indicator 110). This will be measured through the TellUs survey, using responses from young people in school year 10. The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has been working with The National Youth Agency (NYA) and other stakeholders to explore additional appropriate measures to support the evidencing of NI110. There have been two meetings of a national stakeholder group so far in 2008. The NYA is pleased to be able to provide an update on the collection of data on positive activities.

Positive activities data update - July 2008 Recording outcomes - June 2008

Education and Inspections Act

The Education and Inspections Act (part 1, clause 6, section 507B) set out a local authority’s duties in respect of providing access to "sufficient educational and recreational leisure-time activities which are for the improvement of [young people’s] well-being". The Act came into force in January 2007. The National Youth Agency, with other youth work bodies, has been working to ensure that the content of this legislation includes greater protection and promotion of youth work approaches.

The legislation also specifies that local education authorities must "publicise information about positive leisure-time activities, and facilities for such activities, in the authority’s area" and keep this information up to date.

Extended Positive Activities

From April 2008 the DCSF rolled out its programme of extended Positive Activities across local authorities in England. These will provide activities throughout the year for young people aged 8-19 to move them away from involvement in violent group crime. In the first year the programme will be developed with fifteen local authorities. The NYA has been asked by the DCSF to assist these pilot local authorities to deliver effective programmes. Beverley Hughes, the Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families has issued a letter of guidance on this programme to Directors of Children’s Services. Read this in full >>