News
eYPU Issue 316, 18 August 2010
18 August 2010
From next week, The National Youth Agency will be making some changes to improve the format and content of eYPU (including a new name)! As such, this will be the last edition of eYPU in its current format. The first edition of the new bulletin will be issued next Wednesday, 25 August and will offer a weekly focus on key political and youth sector themes, presenting a wider, more in-depth analysis of research, news and comment. You do not need to do anything - current subscribers will continue to receive the new bulletin. Watch this space!
Education, employment and training
New analysis of the Labour Force Survey by ippr and the Private Equity Foundation has found a marked increase in the risk of both young people with A-levels and graduates becoming NEET. The research found that for those young people with A-levels, the risk of becoming NEET has increased by over 40 per cent since the onset of the recession. Just over 9 per cent of those with Level 3 qualifications (which includes A-levels) were classified as NEET in the second quarter of 2010, up from 6.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2008. Graduates have seen the fastest increase in the numbers becoming NEET, with their risk growing by 50 per cent, to 11.4 per cent, over the last two years. However, young people with no qualifications remain by far the most vulnerable – 36.1 per cent of young people who have left school with no qualifications are NEET.
Ofsted has published Children missing from education which evaluates the effectiveness of actions taken by local authorities in relation to children and young people who are missing from education. The report surveyed 15 local authorities and found that none of them felt confident that they knew about all the children living in their area in order to fulfill their duties to keep children safe. The report calls for the Department for Educqtion (DfE) to consider what national systems are required to enable vulnerable children to be tracked effectively through their compulsory education.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and online student community The Student Room, are to launch the 21 Day Jobs Challenge on Thursday 19 August to coincide with young people in England receiving their GCSE and A-Level results. The aim is to give school and college leavers a head start in their thinking about what steps to take to get ahead in the current job market. The challenge will feature daily job-seeking tips, advice and activities from expert figures in the sport and fashion industries, for a period of 21 days. Information posted will include how to write a good CV, how to prepare for interviews and tips on starting up a business.
Youth justice
Ofsted has published a report on young people in secure accommodation which highlights how the limited number and range of secure establishments undermines efforts to support young people when they are admitted and discharged from a secure placement. The report found that many young people are placed a long distance from home, depriving them of valuable family support and making it more difficult for agencies to plan and assist them as they prepare to return to life in the community. It calls for young people moving out of secure settings to have a guaranteed education or training place arranged for them, and for a named worker to be allocated to each young person to provide personal support throughout their placement and during the period of transition.
The Youth Justice Board has published an audit of accommodation provision for young people who offend. Perpetuity Research and the National Youth Agency were commissioned to undertake the audit which offers an evidence base drawn from local practitioners across England. The most common barrier to seeking suitable accommodation for young people, cited by 95 per cent of respondents was lack of availability/supply. The most common reason for housing needs among young people was a breakdown in relationships with family/relatives. The report makes a number of recommendations in relation to supply and demand of accommodation, the role of the YOT accommodation officer, process and performance, and relationships and accountabilities.
Youth services
The National Youth Agency and CfBT have released findings from an online survey into the delivery of integrated youth support services (IYSS) in England. The survey found that four out of five local authorities said IYSS had improved access to information, advice and guidance and positive activities for young people – resulting in overall improvements in the youth service outcomes. More than half (58 per cent) of the 105 authorities taking part reported an overall improvement in the standard of youth services, resulting in improved outcomes for young people themselves. The findings form part of ongoing research funded by CfBT into the delivery of IYSS in England. The complete findings will be launched in the autumn.
Children and young people’s services
Ofsted has published Outstanding local authority children’s services 2009, which highlights aspects of best practice in the 10 children’s services judged by Ofsted in 2009 to be performing excellently. The main characteristics of the best-performing authorities include a strong emphasis on prevention and early intervention; successful engagement of children, young people and families; robust management arrangements; and a belief that there is always more to do. Examples of effective youth work practice include provision for vulnerable young people in Kingston upon Thames, and youth work with young Travellers in Richmond upon Thames.
Health
Research by University College London has suggested that changes in the law which have made it illegal to sell cigarettes to under-18s, has caused the number of 16 and 17-year-old smokers to fall. New ways to protect young people from tobacco marketing – putting tobacco out of sight in shops and removing cigarette vending machines – became law through the Health Act 2009. The study interviewed over 1,100 young people from across England before and after the age rise in October 2007. Researchers found the number of smokers dropped by seven per cent, from around 24 per cent to 17 per cent. However, the study also found that smoking rates among young people over the age of 18 were not significantly affected by the changes. The study indicates that tobacco policies can make a real difference in helping reduce smoking prevalence among younger age groups, as evidence suggests that 80 per cent of smokers start before the age of 19.
Young Researcher Network
The National Youth Agency Young Researcher Network 2010/11 grant programme is still open for applications – potential applicants have just over three weeks left to get their proposal in. The grant programme is designed to enable organisations working with young people to undertake and complete a short research project, funded and supported by the Young Researcher Network. A total of eight grants are available – three grants of £3000 for local authorities and five grants of £1000 for any organisation working with young people. The deadline for applications is Friday 10 September 2010 at 5pm and successful projects will be notified by 24 September 2010. The Network is run by the National Youth Agency as part of its work with the Local Government Association (LG Association), supported through topsliced funding for local authorities.
Events
C4EO is holding a series of four Youth Theme Training Workshops in September. Delegates will explore 'what works' in relation to:
- Increasing the engagement of young people in positive activities.
- Delivering better outcomes for young people by increasing the impact of targeted youth support and development.
- Helping children and young people make healthy lifestyle choices by reducing their alcohol consumption and so improve their health, safety and well-being.
For enquiries and details contact C4EObookings@rip.org.uk.
The National Connexions Network is holding a national training event entitled ‘Working Effectively with and Supporting Young People with LDD’ on 6 October in Durham. The event will be beneficial for all those working with and supporting young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities - in particular SEN/LDD Personal Advisers and Intensive/Specialist Personal Advisers within Connexions or Local Authorities settings and youth and voluntary organisation workers with an LDD caseload. For more information email shope@connexions-leic.org