Youth Matters envisages the activities provided by schools as an important part of the local offer to young people. By 2010, the Government expects every secondary school to be open from 8am to 6pm on weekdays and school holidays, offering a range of things for young people to do, in partnership with youth services.
In Knowsley, the most deprived borough outside London, education directors knew a radical approach was required to drive up attainment, while also catering for the diverse needs of young people and their communities.
The solution
The council glimpsed the opportunity two and a half years ago in Building Schools for the Future, an ambitious government investment programme, which aims to rebuild or renew every secondary school in England.
Nick Page, service director for transformation in the council's children's services department, recalls: "It was clear that this was an opportunity to work within existing legislation and develop a new offer for young people and their communities."
The first step was detailed field work with partner agencies to build a vision of what sort of provision was needed.
The field work led two years ago to a detailed proposal being sent to the Department for Education and Skills, setting out the authority's vision of replacing its secondary schools with eight learning centres, which would act as "hubs" for integrated services. The plans were divided into five sections: estate strategy, finance, technology, engagement and participation, and secondary education transformation.
Having been granted 150m, a dedicated programme team was set up to lead the multi-agency project.
A group of 150 stakeholders was also established, representing professions including teachers and youth workers, as well as young people. They have been formally part of the bid development process, leading to the selection of the three preferred consortia bidding to create the centres, and have provided input into the consortia's designs.
Page says the challenge now is to develop the training to enable staff to deliver more holistic services for young people within the centres, which are due to open in 2008 and 2009.
The outcome
Contracts for the new centres are to be finalised by the end of the year.
A partnership agreement for integrated working across services has been signed by all the agencies currently involved.
What's your challenge?
Contact Emily Rogers on 020 8267 4721 or emily-jane.rogers@haynet.com
TOP TIPS - Start the process now - Make it a learning experience for young people, as well as the adultworking with them - Create an ambitious vision: make it real for people by involving schools and stakeholders early in the design - Empower people to see their role within this - Build relationships between teachers, young people, social workers and youth workers Thanks to Nick Page, service director for transformation, Knowsley Council
