Tailor services to local need
It's a well-worn cliche - there is no one-size-fits-all. But what does this really mean for integrated youth support services? "I'm having to develop one for Coventry and Warwickshire by 1 April 2008," says Steve Stewart, executive director of Connexions for these two very different parts of the West Midlands. "It's fair to say that there isn't anyone in the country who has really got there yet."
Some places are all about new structures and titles for heads of service. For instance, Cheshire has brought together its youth and Connexions services, while Gloucester has added its youth offending team to those two services. Coventry and Warwickshire is taking a more common approach, retaining existing structures and thinking about "co-locating, co-working and co-ownership of the agenda," says Stewart.
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