Issue - meetings

To consider the joint report of the Director of Children’s Services and the Director of City Development proposing a fundamental redesign of youth provision in Leeds that affirms the continuing key role of the youth service, strengthens the role of Area Committees and clusters, pulls together existing services through a co-ordinated approach and enables the enhancement of universal, targeted and specialist youth services. In addition, the report asks the Board to note and approve the proposed direction enabling the necessary restructuring to take place during 2013.

The Director of Children’s Services and the Director of City Development submitted a joint report proposing a fundamental redesign of youth provision in Leeds that affirmed the continuing key role of the youth service, strengthened the role of Area Committees and clusters, pulled together existing services through a co-ordinated approach and enabled the enhancement of universal, targeted and specialist youth services. In addition, the report sought approval for the proposed direction enabling the necessary restructuring to take place during 2013.

Members welcomed the proposals detailed within the report, specifically the continued role which could be played by the Breeze brand, the co-ordinated offer being proposed, the ringfencing of the budget proposed to be allocated to Area Committees and the involvement of young people in the associated decision making processes.

The Executive Member for Children’s Services emphasised the active role intended to be played by Scrutiny Board (Children and Families) in monitoring the implementation of the changes to youth service provision.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the comprehensive consultation and assessment work undertaken to develop a new vision for the ‘youth offer’ in Leeds be noted, and that the continuing commitment to youth services as a key strand of the child friendly Leeds ambitions be endorsed.

(b)  That the new ‘youth offer’, as outlined within the submitted report be approved, bringing together a more co-ordinated approach to universal services, improved targeted and specialist provision, through an enhanced role for Area Committees and clusters and a stronger use of the Breeze brand.

(c)  That the Director of Children’s Services and the Director of City Development be delegated responsibility, in consultation with the relevant Executive Board Members, to implement the remodelling of Council run youth services and those provided by key partners, in order to deliver the new approach, with full staff and Union engagement also being ensured throughout this process.

(d)  That the proposal for discussions between the Executive Member for Children’s Services and Area Committees about how to best enable the expenditure of £2,540,000 on targeted youth work across local areas in Leeds, be endorsed.

(e)  That a new allocation to the overall Area Committee budget of £250,000 in 2013/14 and £500,000 in 2014/15 be approved, which will be ringfenced for youth activities, with a clear expectation that young people will help to shape the decision making around the spending of this resource, against an agreed set of outcomes.