Positive for Youth

A new approach to cross-government policy for young people aged 13 to 19

www.education.gov.uk/positiveforyouth

Positive for Youth is a new approach to cross- government policy for young people aged 13-19

The first coalition government statement on young people

A single vision across policies of at least 9 departments

Supporting success not just preventing failure

Puts young people in the driving seat to inform decisions, shape provision and inspect quality

Supports parents, families and communities

Promotes local leadership and greater partnership

It has been co-produced with young people and youth professionals through an innovative collaborative process

Positive for Youth summit

Extensive consultation

Scrutiny before publication

March 2011

300 people

8 Departments

Co-produced discussion notes

20 discussion papers

Overarching narrative

200 responses

Youth-led event

Cross sector workshop

Ministerial advisory groups

Young people

Voluntary sector

LA sector

Business

It sets out a vision for a society that is positive for young people

With their parents, carers and families

With their community

With additional early help when it is needed

Supportive relationships

Strongambitions

Good opportunities

To succeed in learning and work

To live safe and healthy lives

To be active in society

In education

For personal and social development

To have their voice heard

All young people will have

The Government has set out extensive reforms to improve education and raise participation…

Reforming schools to increase attainment at 16– Increasing freedom for schools, addressing poor behaviour and attendance, reviewing the curriculum,

providing additional support to disadvantaged students through the Pupil Premium, increasing accountability including for careers advice

Supporting young people to participate and achieve post-16

– Committed to Raising the Participation Age to 17 in 2013 and 18 in 2015 so that all young people are engaged in education or training

– Increasing Apprenticeships and reforming vocational education through new 16-19 programmes of study

– Participation strategy: Building Engagement, Building Futures available at www.education.gov.uk/16to19/participation

Youth Contract

– 160,000 subsidised jobs and 250,000 work experience places for unemployed 18-24 year olds

– New programme to support participation of the most disengaged 16-17 year olds

…as well as health reforms and many other policies to improve outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged and vulnerable young people

Health and Wellbeing Boards

LA responsibility for public health

New public health outcomes framework

Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

Health and Wellbeing Strategy to inform commissioning

Youth voice through local Healthwatch organisations

Health reforms

Mental health strategy

Support for parents and families

Improving safeguarding

Extra support for children in care and renewed focus on adoption

Support for young carers

Reducing homelessness

Reducing violence, gangs, crime and ASB

Reforming the criminal justice system for young people

Other policies

But the Positive for Youth vision is not just about the role of government – everyone has a role to play

Young people

Parents, carers and families

Other adults

The media

Businesses

Teachers

Youth workers

Other professionals

Local authorities

Other commissioners

Government

And while education is key; young people’s experience outside education is also crucial

Services must take them into account more

Government funds support to all parents; resources LAs to offer targeted support; and is funding new work with the most troubled families

Families have primary influence and responsibility

for YP

Young people benefit from positive role models and relationships with peers and adults they trust

Government is empowering communities through the Localism Act and reforming CRBs

Communities also help YP form and pursue their

ambitions

Services for young people, including youth work, have a key role, particularly for the most disadvantaged young people

supporting young people’s personal and social development – which includes developing important skills and qualities needed for life, learning, and work

making sure all young people are able to participate and achieve in education or training

raising young people’s aspirations and thereby reducing teenage pregnancy, substance misuse and crime

Key principles define a good local system

for publicly funded services with a stronger focus on results

A positive place for YP

Support for families

Community responsibility

Integration

Effective early help

Open markets

Innovative VCSOs able to demonstrate impact and secure diverse income

with recognition and celebration of their achievements

for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable young people

across commissioners, sectors, and professions

to engage young people and sustain provision

while respecting and nurturing YP’s independence

LAs have an important strategic role

Working with young people and other local partners to:

Assess local needs

Listen to the voice of young people

Support families and communities to support their young people

Consider where public funding is most needed

Consider which providers are best placed to deliver publicly funded services, supporting growth in the voluntary sector

Publicise the overall local offer of all available services

Review and improve provision

Government is facilitating local reform…

Empowering young people

Brokering business engagement

£850,000 to the British Youth Council in 2011-2013 to enable young people to inspect and report on local services and ‘youth proof’ government policy

Funding sector-led improvement

£320,000 to April 2013 to a consortium led by Business in the Community to improve business brokerage

£780,000 in 2011-13 to the Local Government Association – including for a small number of ‘youth innovation zones’ to test radical new system-wide approaches

Funding to Catalyst as strategic partner for voluntary sector

Clarifying LAs’ duty Consultation in early 2012 on revised statutory guidance on

Section 507B of Education and Inspections Act 2006

…alongside ongoing investment in a range of innovative projects

Myplace

National Citizen Service

Government investment to complete 63 youth centres Hubs for a wide range of services in disadvantaged areas New national approach to exploiting their potential

A programme for 16 year olds from all backgrounds offering a demanding personal and social development experience and opportunity for social action in their communities

Expanding to offer 30,000 places to young people in 2012 and 90,000 in 2014

VCS Grant Funding £31.4m over the two years 2011-13 to 18 innovative voluntary

organisations to pioneer and evaluate innovative approaches to early help for young people

What this means for young people

A stronger voice

Early help to succeed

New opportunities

A more positive place in society

Greater recognition of their right to have their voice heard A mandate to influence local decisions Representatives at national level advising Government

Better schools, higher standards, support to participate in learning and work

A vision for reform to help local areas improve their out-of-school services, including youth work

Myplace youth centres as hubs for a wide range of activities National Citizen Service for 16 year olds as opportunity for

personal and social development and social action

Challenge to young people to play their part Challenge to society to recognise young people’s positive

contribution and achievements

What this means for local authorities

Services for young people support key

outcomes

Young people must have a voice

Responsibility to improve

YP may need more help than family or community can provide Personal and social development key to other outcomes, early

intervention needed to prevent harm & support success

YP have a role in defining need, shaping provision, and auditing quality

Support to LAs to identify most suitable local arrangements Local Healthwatch to give young people a voice in health

Sector-led support offer funded by Government Youth innovation zones to disseminate learning from

innovative areas

New guidance to clarify expectations

Shift in emphasis from just positive activities to wide range of services that can improve wellbeing

Clear expectations on commissioning process

What this means for voluntary organisations

Recognition of role in lives of YP

A stronger voice

More open public services

Opportunities for innovation and growth

Many have expertise to engage young people, including the most vulnerable, and impact their life chances

Often work independent of public funding

DfE strategic partner, Catalyst, a consortium led by the National Council for Voluntary Youth Organisations

Youth Action Group of nine Ministers and key VCS CEOs

Right to bid to take over the running of local council services Revised statutory guidance on service for young people to

make clear expectation that LAs seek to grow role of VCSOs

Clarity on outcomes and standards of evidence Brokering greater support from business, and improving

access to social finance Opportunities through Myplace and National Citizen Service

What this means for business

Business case for supporting youth

organisations

Opportunities for engagement

Personal and social development key to success in education, employability and other outcomes – services such as youth work support this development

Benefits of long term partnership to employees and business

Funding to consortium led by Business in the Community to broker more relationships with VCS youth projects

Opportunities through Myplace and National Citizen Service

A responsibility to help YP play positive role in

society

employers and employees can inspire and motivate young people to realise their potential

business can promote positive images of young people

Government is tackling youth unemployment

£1bn Youth Contract to engage 16-17s in education or training and 410,000 18-24s in subsidised jobs or work experience

Improving apprenticeships, work experience, and vocational education

What next?

A new national set of positive measures of young people’s outcomes

– LAs free to define their own progress and success measures

Ongoing collaboration and scrutiny

– New national youth scrutiny group and youth select committee

– Youth Action Group

– Ongoing debate and collaboration with stakeholders

Commitment to a ‘One year On’ audit of progress

– Latest data, policy developments, good practice, programme impact

Further information and downloads are on the web at www.education.gov.uk/positiveforyouth

The full statement and an executive summary

What Positive for Youth means for

– Young people

– Local authorities

– Voluntary and community organisations

– Businesses

About the Positive for Youth collaboration

– Summary of consultation responses and list or respondents

– How young people have been involved