Big interview: A boost for young London - Jennifer Izekor, head of children and learners' division, Government

Since the beginning of 2006, she has been deputy regional director (children and learners) at the Government Office for London, one of nine regional government offices set up to help deliver the Every Child Matters agenda at a more local level. Last month, the division unveiled Young London Matters (YPN, 18-24 October, p2), a plan focusing on removing barriers to delivering that agenda in four areas: teenage pregnancy, emotional wellbeing and mental health, the achievement and attainment of Black boys, and capacity building of the voluntary sector.

"We are in a unique vantage point to ensure all the bits of work from the voluntary, statutory and private sectors achieve the same outcomes," says Izekor. "We'd like to work together with all the agencies to develop better networks and look at barriers in the system." The generally poor outcomes facing Black young men in London is a particular issue, says Izekor, who is keen to explore the concept of a regional centre for excellence to highlight gaps and good practice for the group. "There is a lot of good work done in pockets but we need to find ways of mainstreaming it," she says. "We also need to look at what we mean by 'Black' boys as within that phrase you have boys from Africa, boys from the Caribbean, second- and third-generation boys, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers and so on. The needs of every group are different."