Children and Young People Services and Projects in the BNSF Programme

Chapter Six Novel Projects and Best Practice

6.1 The identification of novel ideas or approaches to service delivery is not always straightforward; an approach that is considered novel in one place may have already been introduced elsewhere. However, this report is based on the understanding of local provision of services, and identifies those services which are new to the area, or which present local examples of good practice. This does not mean that these ideas have not been tried elsewhere before, but that their introduction is considered to be novel by those with a knowledge of provision in that area.

6.2 There are two aspects of Dundee's Pathfinder that are considered novel: the coordination of projects from within Corporate Planning and the introduction of social workers to schools. The novel approach taken to coordinating the BNSF young people's projects has already been discussed in Chapter 4; it is clearly working well, and is valued both by management and staff. This is a form of best practice that could be transferred to other forms of regeneration or development where partnership working is considered key to the delivery of specific outcomes. It may, however, not be appropriate for large scale programmes with widely varying projects, where effective interaction with existing services could become difficult.

6.3 The effective management achieved through the management of BNSF services for young people in Dundee has been supplemented by the development of effective multi-disciplinary team working in the form of the School Referral Teams and the interdepartmental data base both of which have now been extended beyond the City's BNSF areas. They facilitate effective working between professionals, and oversee the appropriate distribution of resources and referrals.

6.4 The Social Workers in Schools project (Case Study 5) is considered to be path-breaking and unusual for Scotland, though similar schemes have been introduced in England. It has facilitated a greater interaction between social workers and school staff and, through the School Referral Team, has been able to assess and take on appropriate statutory cases more quickly than would otherwise have been the case. However, as the case study identifies, the introduction of this project has not been without its difficulties, particularly in relation to conflicting priorities between professionals and the over-stretching of resources. However, the effective corporate management of BNSF has facilitated dialogue which has enabled partnerships to continue to be effective, despite these differences. Dundee City Council is currently reviewing the efficacy of placing social workers in schools, and it will be interesting to see whether they consider the advantages of direct contact to outweigh the disadvantages.

6.5 Good practice through effective partnership working was also evident in the employability projects in Inverclyde (outlined in Case Study 1). These projects are aimed at a range of young people, at various stages of the transition from school to employment. They are based around effective partnerships between schools, James Watt College of Further and Higher Education, Careers Scotland, and a range of local employers who offer placements and apprenticeships. Feedback from these partners suggests that this joint working is one of the keys to its success. It has facilitated visits and taster sessions in college for school children, support of employers for apprenticeship schemes, and additional funding and coordination from Careers Scotland. While such projects are not novel, this case study indicates that coordination between providers of different projects can maximise the impact of each, and can facilitate movement of service users from one to the next, in a logical, structured, supportive manner.

6.6 Partnership working has been one of the keys to success of the Youth Strategy in Renfrewshire. There have been a range of different strands to this strategy, though one of the most fundamental aspects has been joint working between Youth and Sports Development Workers. This team work has led to the development of a range of services which have been widely used by local young people. Interviews with staff indicated that they saw considerable advantages to this joint working, particularly in relation to the development of creative ideas for new projects. They had become aware of the range of interests of service users, where in the past they had tended to identify only those interests that lay within their professional field. In turn, this increased the range of interests that they catered for, and the options offered. In particular, the youth workers found that sports activities were a way of attracting young people, which then enabled them to get to know the young people and discuss wider issues with them. Further information on the Youth Strategy can be found in the BNSF Topic Report on Community Safety and Antisocial Behaviour.

6.7 Glasgow's Restorative Justice project provides a novel approach to working with young people displaying anti-social behaviours. Its interventions vary depending on the number of offences committed, from one-off offences to repeated anti-social behaviour. The range of penalties and interventions enables a response that is suited to each individual. This model has now been taken forward in similar ways by other authorities, and the Scottish Executive has produced guidelines for police authorities to give 'restorative warnings' when young people commit minor first offences (Scottish Executive (June 2004), Police restorative warnings in Scotland Guidelines for the Police, Edinburgh). Further details of Glasgow's Restorative Justice project can be found in the BNSF Topic Report on Community Safety and Antisocial Behaviour. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/12104740/47422

6.8 The introduction of free fruit to primary schools was a novel project when it was introduced by Glasgow's Pathfinder at the start of BNSF in 2001. The Scottish Executive's Hungry for Success Initiative has since provided funding across Scotland to provide free fruit to all children in the first two years of primary school three times a week. This has facilitated the expansion of provision of free fruit in Glasgow to five times a week. The introduction of this novel project has therefore proved to be a useful pilot for similar projects elsewhere.

6.9 There have therefore been a range of projects that show novel and best practice delivery of their service. This can be seen for a wide range of settings and for a variety of client groups within the remit of 'services for children and young people'.

Case Study 7 Dundee:
The Fusion Project - A Specialist Youth Service The Fusion service was developed following the successful Xplore programme in existing SIP areas in Dundee, and in particular, positive responses to the one-to-one youth work. The project provides a specialist youth service which encourages young people to develop personal action plans aimed at positive lifestyles through encouraging leisure, learning and volunteering opportunities. In the first two years of the project, 274 young people had used the service. It provides one-to-one support work alongside group activities that cover a wide range of interests and support needs, including sessions on behavioural difficulties and anger management, assistance with moves towards work or further study, including college taster sessions, and development of interest and skills in sports and leisure activities. Support is also given to those who are interested in joining national schemes such as the Army Cadets and the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Young people are referred to the service by the School Referral Team ( SRT). The service also encourages self-referral and referrals from parents and voluntary organisations. The referral process is considered to be crucial in the success of the overall service, as success is most likely for young people that are appropriate for the service. There is an initial four week assessment period for all referrals to assess whether they are prepared to commit to the project over the longer term, and for the staff to ensure that the placement is appropriate. A high proportion (78%) of those referred choose to progress with the project, though attendance is entirely voluntary. As with much youth work, the development of positive relations is considered to be particularly important, and initially there is a strong focus put on the development of trusting relationships, before developing the aims and objectives specific to that young person. Feedback from service users indicates that they are very positive about the assistance they are given, particularly as they have considerable control over the development of the service and their involvement with it. The focus is on solutions, rather than on problems, and there is considerable flexibility in the form of work that is undertaken with individual young people to reach their goals. This can include advocacy work on behalf of the young person, to represent their needs to school or family. Incentives are also provided to young people to encourage them to make positive changes. There is one Youth Support Worker in each of the schools involved, and 3 sessional workers to assist with particular aspects of the programme. There is a case load of around 20 young people for each of the attached youth workers. The Youth Support Workers have an important out of hours focus and develop diversionary activities. They are also involved in linking Fusion service users with other youth services, thus extending the capacity of the project beyond the school, and enabling continued support when their involvement with the Fusion project has finished. By the end of the second year of BNSF, progress could only be assessed for one of the target outcomes that relate to the Fusion project. This related to increased attendance rates at targeted schools (from 86% to 88% in 2003, with a final target of 89%) and by targeted young people (from 64% to 74% in 2003, with a final target of 89%). Progress towards other targets is also anticipated to be positive.

Case Study 7 Dundee:

The Fusion Project - A Specialist Youth Service

The Fusion service was developed following the successful Xplore programme in existing SIP areas in Dundee, and in particular, positive responses to the one-to-one youth work.

The project provides a specialist youth service which encourages young people to develop personal action plans aimed at positive lifestyles through encouraging leisure, learning and volunteering opportunities. In the first two years of the project, 274 young people had used the service. It provides one-to-one support work alongside group activities that cover a wide range of interests and support needs, including sessions on behavioural difficulties and anger management, assistance with moves towards work or further study, including college taster sessions, and development of interest and skills in sports and leisure activities. Support is also given to those who are interested in joining national schemes such as the Army Cadets and the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

Young people are referred to the service by the School Referral Team ( SRT). The service also encourages self-referral and referrals from parents and voluntary organisations. The referral process is considered to be crucial in the success of the overall service, as success is most likely for young people that are appropriate for the service.

There is an initial four week assessment period for all referrals to assess whether they are prepared to commit to the project over the longer term, and for the staff to ensure that the placement is appropriate. A high proportion (78%) of those referred choose to progress with the project, though attendance is entirely voluntary.

As with much youth work, the development of positive relations is considered to be particularly important, and initially there is a strong focus put on the development of trusting relationships, before developing the aims and objectives specific to that young person. Feedback from service users indicates that they are very positive about the assistance they are given, particularly as they have considerable control over the development of the service and their involvement with it. The focus is on solutions, rather than on problems, and there is considerable flexibility in the form of work that is undertaken with individual young people to reach their goals. This can include advocacy work on behalf of the young person, to represent their needs to school or family. Incentives are also provided to young people to encourage them to make positive changes.

There is one Youth Support Worker in each of the schools involved, and 3 sessional workers to assist with particular aspects of the programme. There is a case load of around 20 young people for each of the attached youth workers. The Youth Support Workers have an important out of hours focus and develop diversionary activities. They are also involved in linking Fusion service users with other youth services, thus extending the capacity of the project beyond the school, and enabling continued support when their involvement with the Fusion project has finished.

By the end of the second year of BNSF, progress could only be assessed for one of the target outcomes that relate to the Fusion project. This related to increased attendance rates at targeted schools (from 86% to 88% in 2003, with a final target of 89%) and by targeted young people (from 64% to 74% in 2003, with a final target of 89%). Progress towards other targets is also anticipated to be positive.

Case Study 8 Dundee:
Route 15 - An Education Based Employability Project for Young School Leavers This project was developed for young people in their final year of statutory education, and is targeted at those who have shown poor attendance in formal education and are thus unlikely to stay on at school once they are 16. The aim of the project is to facilitate a successful transition to employment for these young people. The project based in a community learning centre employs one senior youth worker and 2 youth workers and provides individual support and group sessions. Around 14 young people are involved in each of these intensive 6 month courses. The young people work towards developing a portfolio of experience and skills that will help them to progress to training, employment or college. Each young person identifies their own requirements, and works towards their own goals, which can include youth achievement awards, vocational skills, techniques for job applications and interviews, and formal exams where appropriate. There are high attendance rates among the young people involved, despite some very poor previous attendance records in the past. This is backed up by positive feedback from service users, particularly in relation to their involvement in directing their individual programmes of study. As with the Fusion project, this project is seen to contribute to the significant improvements in attendance rates in targeted schools and by targeted young people over the first year of the service to June 2003.

Case Study 8 Dundee:

Route 15 - An Education Based Employability Project for Young School Leavers

This project was developed for young people in their final year of statutory education, and is targeted at those who have shown poor attendance in formal education and are thus unlikely to stay on at school once they are 16. The aim of the project is to facilitate a successful transition to employment for these young people.

The project based in a community learning centre employs one senior youth worker and 2 youth workers and provides individual support and group sessions. Around 14 young people are involved in each of these intensive 6 month courses. The young people work towards developing a portfolio of experience and skills that will help them to progress to training, employment or college. Each young person identifies their own requirements, and works towards their own goals, which can include youth achievement awards, vocational skills, techniques for job applications and interviews, and formal exams where appropriate.

There are high attendance rates among the young people involved, despite some very poor previous attendance records in the past. This is backed up by positive feedback from service users, particularly in relation to their involvement in directing their individual programmes of study.

As with the Fusion project, this project is seen to contribute to the significant improvements in attendance rates in targeted schools and by targeted young people over the first year of the service to June 2003.

Page updated: Monday, February 20, 2006

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