Creating Opportunities for Young People Engagement Paper: Your Feedback

Where do you see the greatest opportunities in our model? What else needs to be put in place for you to be able to support the implementation of this model? Is there anything you would change? If yes please give details.

Importance of careers, education, information, advice and guidance recognised but strong reservations expressed regarding proposed joint venture to offer provision in Surrey. Position of youth work, with a majority view supporting provision coming in house to SCC, although the current providers sought an extension or development of the current arrangements. Need for clarity on local prevention services and links to Early Help Strategy. Concerns regarding the number of commissions with views that some could be merged or better co-ordinated. Concerns that loss of commissions by the voluntary, community and faith sector could reduce funding for the sector.

A proposal for a joint venture with schools and colleges to provide Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) was put out for consultation, but schools expressed the view that they would not wish to pursue it at this time. Therefore, this is not included in the proposals, but a separate review of CEIAG is proposed to be taken forward with schools and colleges. Community youth work to move away from the retained employment model where staff are seconded to Managing Agents. This change is proposed as the retained employment model has led to concerns in relation to performance and responsiveness. Performance and quality will be more closely managed through one single service. Additionally, costs have been incurred by the duplication of management capacity both in the providers and in Surrey County Council to manage the seconded staff. Costs will be reduced through managing staff in one service, as opposed to secondments. One Community Youth Work Service is proposed, with staff managed in a single council service. Local Prevention is retained, but 50% of the commission is focused on one-to-one targeted support for young people, whilst the other 50% remains focused on neighbourhood group based youth work. The one to one targeted support enables targeted support for young people referred for early help as part of the Children, Schools and Families Early Help Strategy. This provides targeted support, which directly contributes to reducing pressures on child protection. Time Banking and Social Action commissions merged to reduce overall number. The new Community Youth Work Service will be managed as a service within Surrey County Council, but a ‘hub and spoke’ model will be explored which commissions youth work from the voluntary, community and faith sector in locations either of less high need or areas currently not provided for. Where this provision is in areas of less high need, the Surrey County Council youth workers previously in that location can be redeployed to areas of higher need, increasing impact in key areas.