Agenda and minutes

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the meeting held on 18^th October, 2004 be received.

In accordance with Minute No. 43 of the Cabinet Member, Social Services, Delegated Powers meeting held on 20^th August, 2004 and Minute No. 9(7) of the meeting of the Education of Looked After Children held on 18^th October, 2004, the Get Real Team Manager submitted an update report on the Teenagers to Work project.

The  Get Real Team Manager reported that young people, in the care of the local authority, traditionally under achieved in education and would go on to be over represented in vulnerable groups as adults, namely homeless and unemployed.  This was highlighted in the Quality Protects research (1998) which identified significant barriers to achieving in education and hence going on to gain sustainable employment.  Attention was turned to improving outcomes for these young people in Education Employment and Training.

In 1999, Rotherham Social Services piloted a project where Looked After Young People spent a day work shadowing Elected Members and Managers within the Council. This proved to be a valuable experience for all involved.

In 2001 a Support Worker was appointed to develop and support young people into placements.

The project aims to improve the employability of this vulnerable group of young people by providing work experience placements which help young people learn the skills necessary to sustain gainful employment and offers support in a number of different ways:-

·        Work placements for Year 10 and Year 11 pupils, this can be as a one off package, placements during school holidays, or as a combination of education and employment to enable a young person to successfully complete statutory schooling.

·        Work experience placements for school leavers.

·        Support into training packages.

·        Support around gaining specific skills required for gaining employment. e.g. We recently helped a young person gain a fork lift truck operating licence

The report described project methods, project outcomes and the Rotherham Trainee Initiative.

The report concluded and recommended that the project had gone from strength to strength over the three years of its existence. It had demonstrated the need for intensive support, a flexible and supportive approach and the need for incentives to get young people into the workplace instead of relying upon benefits.

The project needed positive promotion within the Council to enable the provision of training placements in-house for Looked After young people and Care Leavers. Supporting the theme of corporate parents ensures the best possible outcomes of our young people.

One future plan would be to provide a working café which would enable young people to gain skills in all areas of catering, business management, and other related areas as well as having a positive environment to promote work placements. This would initially need a considerable financial contribution but with ongoing low level funding it could be self sustaining and provide a source of employment for local people.

With the substantial growth of the project, the need to make the support worker post permanent had become apparent as had the need for administrative support to the project.

The Panel referred  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

Katy Hawkins, Manager of the Get Real Team, gave an update on progress and reported on the following :-

(a)  The Team

The team was currently fully staffed.  A Team Away Day had taken place  looking at issues of quality provision, feedback from stakeholders and developing a Team Mission Statement. This was still in its early stages and a progress report would be given to the Panel in the New Year.

The teaching resource was at full capacity with the highest number of Year 11 pupils since the team began.  Discussions were taking place with Senior Management in Education and Social Services regarding the numbers that were not able to access mainstream teaching which had had a major impact on the resources within the team.

There had been some increase in the teaching capacity to help cope with the amount of time being put into the 2 pupils unable to be taught by Whiston Grange and these lines of communication remain open.

There had been a significant increase in the number of Year 8 pupils displaying extremely challenging behaviour in school, which had further added to the team’s workload.

(b)  Pupils Off School Roll

There were currently four young people off school roll and the action being taken to meet the pupils’ educational needs was explained.

(c)  Local Public Service Agreement

An analysis of predicted key stage 2 SAT’s results had been completed and the Team were currently looking at achieving 52.9%. This would take the Team above the figure required for the PSA agreement which was 44%. However there were many risk factors between now and the sitting of these tests which were beyond the Team’s control and could negatively impact upon the final outcome.

The following update was given:

End of Quarter 2 ‘Proxy measures’ data were at

1. Completed Personal Education Plans

Year 6 target 100%, actual100%

Year 11 target 100%, actual 91.8%

2. % of school attendance

Year 6 target 90%, actual 86.8%

Year 11 target 90%, actual 86.9%

3. Extra Curricular Support

Year 6 target 100%, actual 100%

Year 11 target 100%, actual 100%

(d)  Activities for Looked After Children

- A funding bid had been unsuccessful with Yorkshire Arts to undertake a further Drama production.  However, RCAT had agreed to reduce their costings to enable a further drama production to be held.

-  Driving lessons were being offered to young people and nineteen young people had been registered for lessons with eight already started.

-  There had been significant lobbying from young people, schools, Social Services staff and Foster Carers for another “Young Champions Award Ceremony”.  Funding for this event was not easy to find.  £20,000 would be needed.  This event had been held twice in Rotherham since the development of the team and had proven to be highly beneficial to children and young people’s self esteem;  many other local authorities hold the event on a regular basis.

Katy reported that there was a need to engage a celebrity for this to be a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

The next meeting of the Panel will take place on Monday, 28^th February, 2005 at 9.30 a.m.