NCS pilots reveal one in four drop-out rate

In a snapshot survey of pilot schemes across England, managers reported a number of positive aspects of the eight-week scheme, but also identified some areas for improvement.

In total, managers of 13 projects representing more than 400 programme places responded to the anonymous survey. They reported that 322 of 407 places were filled (79.1 per cent), in line with national figures released by government last month, which showed 8,500 of 11,000 places (77 per cent) had been taken up.

However, the survey found one of the problems was ensuring that children completed the eight-week project, which is split into a two-week residential followed by part-time community volunteering.

During the residential stage, children worked in a team, taking part in outdoor activities such as mountaineering, canoeing and abseiling. The survey found that 294 of those starting NCS completed the residential aspect of the programme (91.3 per cent) but only 240 of the starters went on to complete the entire programme (74.5 per cent) including the community project. Those finishing the NCS in its entirety represented only 59 per cent of the total places available.

Some respondents said the two-week residential was "a struggle" due to the length of time 16-year-old children were away from home. One manager said: "Having the two residentials on consecutive weeks was off-putting for some young people, some of whom had never spent time away from home before.

"It was difficult to maintain contact and engagement from them once we were asking them to volunteer in their communities.

"Perhaps in future it might work better to have one residential at the beginning to help the group bond, but to have the second at the end as more of a reward for the volunteer work they have completed."

Another project manager said: "Participants and parents fed back that the two weeks back-to-back was a struggle [and there was] no incentive to stay till the end of the programme."

A further project manager described it as "too expensive to be done properly... We expected to lose around £5,000 on this project and for a small charity that is too much."

The survey results also showed the ethnic breakdown of the projects responding, with 85 per cent of children participating classed as white; 8.3 per cent black; 1.3 per cent Asian; 0.5 per cent Chinese; and five per cent "other".

Overall, project managers said their NCS scheme was well-received by those taking part. One said: "Despite initial doubts, it actually worked exceptionally well. With improved recruitment and planning it could be excellent."

Another described it as "a very worthwhile project for the young people", with "everyone enjoying a positive experience".

But one provider revealed that it has withdrawn support to continue the project, describing it as "a nightmare from day one".

"Sixteen-year-olds are the wrong age group for this and it would be better aimed at 13- or 14-year-olds," said the provider.

"I can honestly say this is a bad scheme from the government and it costs too much money that should be put to better sources of work in youth centres that are being forced to close."

Nick Wilkie, chief executive of London Youth, which is not currently involved with the NCS, said the point of the pilots was to learn lessons. "It's an ambitious scheme and we wouldn't expect them to go completely smoothly," he said.

CYP Now was told that the Cabinet Office contacted projects telling them not to respond to the survey. A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said: "The Cabinet Office has commissioned a full, in-depth and impartial evaluation. This work-in-progress will look at the experience of participants across all our service providers."

NCS TAKE-UP AND COMPLETION

79.1% Places filled

91.3% Residential section completed

74.5% Entire programme completed

59% Proportion of those who completed the whole programme/total places available

Source: CYP Now survey

• Read CYP Now editor Ravi Chandiramani's leader