MyEDC

    Technical Notes 2023, Issue 69 - Youth Diversionary Work

    • Report by:

      Ann Davie, Depute Chief Executive

    • TN Number:

      069-23

    • Subject:

      Youth Diversionary Work

    • Responsible Officer:

      Drummond Stewart- Manager Skills for Learning, Life and Work

    • Publication:

      This Technical Note will be published on the Council’s website following circulation to Member. Its contents may be disclosed or shared outwith the Council.

    Section

    1. This Technical Note provides an update on current and planned youth work diversionary activities.
       
    2. Each secondary school now has a full time Youth Development Worker. Youth work in schools is focussed on targeted young people who require additional support and an element of this is supporting young people to access activities outwith school in the evenings and at weekends.
       
    3. Evening youth clubs take place once a week in Hillhead, Auchinairn and Lennoxtown. These clubs are focussed on secondary school age pupils and provide a range of social, leisure and educational activities. A summer holiday programme was delivered last year which included offering a programme of outdoor activities to eligible pupils from each secondary school. This is planned to be offered again this year.
       
    4. Youth workers will also be working with community wardens to support the new Thursday and Friday football sessions during the evenings in a number of local communities.
       
    5. New funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund has now been secured to develop a new Detached Youth Work project which will run until March 2025. A delivery partner is in the process of being appointed through a grants programme. It is hoped that the new project will become operational in June and will provide additional youth work approaches focussed on evenings and weekends.
       
    6. A key element of the Detached Youth work project will involve youth workers undertaking street work within communities to engage with young people at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour with a view to improving confidence and skills, signposting, helping young people access other services and developing new diversionary activities. The project will work closely with Police Scotland/campus officers, social work, youth workers, schools, community organisations and community wardens.
       
    7. A steering group is being set up to direct and monitor the project and to ensure partnership approaches with other agencies is embedded. The Steering group will involve Social Work, Police Scotland, Campus Officers and Community Safety.
       
    8. A full report detailing the work of the Youth Work team is due to presented to the next Education Committee