Session 1: Local Governance Frameworks

Strengthening local youth service planning, coordination, and delivery

o to address issues of structural significance in strengthening services for young people in Victoria

o to strengthen opportunities for partnership and collaboration between Community Service Organisations and Government at all levels

o to enhance accountability for improved outcomes for young people at both a government and sector level, through a local focus

o to ensure cross-departmental collaboration to ensure more responsive and better linked universal and specialised services

Survey results and subsequent consultations* highlighted the need for:o stronger integration of service delivery across education, health

and human serviceso more effective planning at all three levels of governmento engaging the relevant community organisations and networks,

schools and young people in planning processes.

Youth services noted in particular the need for local ‘community’ planning to:

o identify existing needo inform planning at a regional and central levelo tailor local collaboration and services to local needs.

*In Jan 2013 YACVic hosted a forum attended by over 50 senior youth sector leaders to discuss a version of the regional planning model identified in the report.

The youth sector noted that regional level planning needs to:

o ensure universal services more effectively meet the needs of the diversity of young people in the community (including schools) break down barriers to better integration between universal and specialist services, and between difference program silos

o gather, analyse and publish data about young people and outcomes across the region

o develop regional plans for service delivery across the region

o be supported by a strong governance approach with inbuilt mechanisms that ensure accountability back to communities.

YACVic and VCOSS proposed a new model of to strengthen local youth service planning, coordination and service delivery.Regional planning:

Local planning:

Some key issues for the sector in a new service planning, coordination

and governance mechanism

• ensuring the meaningful engagement of CSOs

• ensuring we build upon current efforts and effective existing local structures

• ensuring that the diversity of our sector is recognised and reflected in the structure.