Minutes:
The Head of Rotherham’s Integrated Youth Support Service (Schools and Lifelong Learning, Children and Young People’s Service’s Directorate) provided an update to the Cabinet Member for Communities and Cohesion on the progress of the IYSS.
The Service was seeking to achieve further budgetary efficiencies: -
· The Integrated Youth Support Service (IYSS) was required to make on-going budgetary savings in addition to savings made in the previous financial-year;
· Consultation with staff and stakeholder groups, including members of the public, was taking place;
· The current proposals made to achieve the savings total related to 22.5 full-time equivalent posts. 43% of the Service’s total establishment was affected.
Discussion ensued on the budget saving process. The Cabinet Member had been approached with a question relating to the management structure of the Service and whether it was being reduced in-line with the wider staffing structure. The Head of Service referred to a previous re-structure of the IYSS where the Service had begun to operate at minimal levels in its management structure. The ratio of management level posts had taken into account thresholds for safeguarding and the high-threshold for IYSS interventions.
In addition, the following service development activities had been taking place: -
· Case management training – all face-to-face workers had undertaken three and a half days of intensive training around assessment, planning and recording and on the ‘This is Me’ assessment toolkit. The toolkit was used to capture the voice of the young person from the beginning of the process and resulted in a better outcome for them. The inclusion of voice was an Ofsted expectation. The training also supported workers to support all aspects of each case, which was the expectation of the IYSS structure.
· IYSS Quality Mark – Rotherham’s IYSS was working towards a Quality Mark administrated by the National Youth Work Agency, alongside partner organisations Rush, YMCA and GROW, who were all members of the IYSS Project Group. The Service and Partners had all contributed to the initial self-assessment. Assessment visits would take place in March.
· IYSS Matrix Quality Mark – Rotherham’s IYSS was working towards a Matrix Quality Mark on the provision of advice and guidance on employment and careers. This was currently being piloted in the Rother Valley West and South Area Assemblies.
· Work was continuing to create an improved information system that fully supported the integrated service.
· The IYSS Conference held on 10th February, 2014, had been very successful and all feedback had supported the event, despite the overall context of budget reductions. The Police and Crime Commissioner addressed the staff and stakeholders in attendance, including voluntary and community sector representatives, Swinton Lock, Rotherham MIND and Rotherham United Ltd.
· Apprenticeship opportunities in the IYSS were continuing and on-going support to the apprentices was being given to increase their long-term employability skills.
The Cabinet Member thanked the Head of Service for her update on the continuing work of the Service and asked that the Service continue to publicise the good work that was taking place.
Resolved: - That the information shared be noted.