Positive Contribution Theme Group

Time: 9.30
Date: 21st May 2009
Venue: Micklehurst Children’s Centre

Present:

Claire Bibby - Chair
Julie Lord (Theme Coordinator)- Area Coordinator Dukinfield, Stalybridge, Mossley
Tina Lavender– Action for Children ( NCH ) Participation Project
Pauline Daniels – Children’s Centres/Extended Schools
Emma Varnam – TMBC
Sue Nathan – Tameside Youth Service
Lisa Hoyland - TMBC

Note taker: Lindsay Patchett - TMBC - Commissioning Team

Item 1: Welcome

Claire welcomed everyone to the meeting

Item 2: Apologies

Received from:  Lorraine Butler, Sandra Jakeman, Andy Ross, Catherine Mee, Maurice Smith

Item 3: Minutes from the last meeting and matters arising

Minutes accepted as a true record.

Matters arising

Item 4 – Youth Online feedback given and action plan in place.

A piece of work with St Thomas More has been undertaken to seek their view on the survey results.
Martin Higgins attempting to get feedback from 2 high schools

Item 6 – Review of CYPP.

Now out for Consultation – closing date last Friday.

Item 4: Participation Project Specification - Claire

• Participation project tender out to tender at present – closing date 1st July 2009
• Justin Wiggin – Participation Manager in post from 1st June 2009
• Participation specification in three parts;
  • General function – Working to support the development of participation across Tameside.
  • Key function 1 – To support organisations to develop the participation of children and young people within their organisation practice promoting the notion that participation is ‘everybody’s business’, an in everybody’s interest
  • Key function 2 – Participation and Local Democracy
• Julie has mapped the participation against the ‘Hear by rights’
• Youth Service to have youth group working on participation tender interviews
  

Item 5: Communities in control – Real Power, Real People – presentation – Julie

Julie gave details of the Real Power, Real People white paper

Communities in control: real people, real power - Communities and neighbourhoods - Communities and Local Government

The main points being:

• Greater emphasis on including children in democracy
• Shifting power to locals people including young people
• Restoring peoples faith in politics
• 7 key issues
  • being active in your community
  • access to information
  • having an influence
  • challenge
  • redress
  • standing for office; and
  • ownership and control.

• Government actions to more clearly reflect citizens views
• A new task force to support individual needs of front line staff
• 7.5 million pounds to support third sectors
• 2 million pounds to support disabled people to take up voluntary work
• 70 million pounds to Community Builders Scheme
• Green neighbourhood scheme
• remove the barriers to commissioning services from faith based
• groups
• Petitions are to be heard and acted on
• Citizens help to set priority for funding
• Giving older and younger people a stronger voice.
• 250 trained Young Advisors already helping public bodies to develop policies and plans in ways that meet the needs of young people.
• DCSF is also investing £6m to create a new national institute for youth leadership – Tameside Youth Service are looking into this at present
• Directly elected Mayors
• Establish a unit that will provide information and expertise on transfer to community management of assets or ownership

Conclusion:

• This group to identify areas where work is needed

Comments:

Julie visited Heywood Young Advisors group. This appears to be a really good project with good training and has proved very successful self-sustaining project.

Sue commented that she has concerns regarding Young Advisors regarding the effect on benefits to the young people. Would prefer Young People’s consortium who are accountable.

Claire concluded by saying that this is an area that the Strategic Partnership needs to look at.

Item 6: Local Democracy involving C&YP report card - Julie

Quality of life indicator

• St Peter’s youth forum election put on hold
• CDRP – young people’s task group to sit immediately under Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership
• YOF to send two observers to Youth Parliament - young people from across the partnership
• St Damian’s undertook ‘real’ ballot
• Need to know fuller picture of school councils
• Consider models for Young Advisors group
• Working with Oakdale to adapt School Council training to suit their students

Card judged as Heartening

Item 7: Review of the theme groups - update

• Not yet been discussed at CLT
• Outcome Theme groups to continue as they are for the time being
• Part of the ongoing restructuring process
  

Item 8: Reporting structure for PC theme group

Julie has produced charts for the reporting structure of the Positive Contributions group.

• The three themes are
  • Engage in decision making and support the community and environment
  • Engage in law abiding behaviour
  • Develop self-confidence and successfully deal with life changes and challenges
• 1 person responsible for pulling together headline data – making sure good data is available
• 3 areas of focus
• Leaders to look at ‘best’ person to provide evidence

Lisa suggested colour coding the charts

• Other groups may adopt this way of working
• Next step lead people to identify useful
  

Item 9: Participation Network update - Tina

• Basis of last meeting was the participation specification
• Building capacity up for projects
• Review of Participation strategy using ‘Hear by Rights’ mapping
• Strategy to be child/young people friendly – Tom Coffey to take to executive committee
• Need to think how to involve children and young people
• Rewards and recognition – guidance around when young people should be paid/rewarded
• Need timetable of activities for co-ordination
• Bob Shaw gave presentation on information strategy to the group
  

Item 10: AOB

• Lisa asked for feedback from anyone noticing impact as a result of the recession. Would be grateful for any available data.
• Sue Nathan – T3SC launched Community Youth Alliance to oversee youth offer of positive activities.
  • Every adult attending should take a young person along.
• Integrated Youth Offer.
  • Charter that all services to sign up to
• Open for the Weekend
  •  Instant grants available to services providing a weekend activity.
  • Posters to be sent to Outcome Theme groups along with ACMT’s
    

Item 11: Dates of future meetings

16th July 2009
Jet Centre -Hattersley