Agenda Item No
The Vale of Glamorgan Council
Scrutiny Committee [Lifelong Learning] 26th July 2010
Report of the Director of Learning and Development
Children and Young People Not in Education, Employment and
Training [NEET]
Purpose of the Report
1.
To inform Scrutiny of progress made on the recommendations of the
Scrutiny review of Children and Young People Not in Education,
Employment or Training (NEET).
Recommendations
1.
That progress on the recommendations be noted.
2.
That progress achieved is reported to Scrutiny Committee [Lifelong
Learning].
Reasons for the Recommendations
1.
To consider the progress which has been achieved.
2.
To enable Scrutiny Committee [Lifelong Learning] to review progress
on the Task and Finish Group recommendations.
Background
2.
As part of its work programme, the Scrutiny Committee [Lifelong
Learning] undertook a review of Children and Young People not in
Education, Employment or Training [NEET] within the Vale of
Glamorgan. The recommendations were considered by Cabinet on
20th May 2009 and referred back to the Director of Learning and
Development.
3.
As a result of the evidence considered by the Task and Finish
Group, the recommendations put forward were appropriate and
consistent with both the Council's Corporate Plan and the
priorities being set by the Welsh Assembly Government. This
means that the issues to be tackled are embedded with the relevant
Service Plans and are delivered through core funding or by
accessing specific grants. For these reasons, the
recommendations of the Task and Finish Group were approved, subject
to minor amendments regarding implementation dates detailed in the
report.
4.
Whilst the underlying causes of young people becoming NEET are
varied, the young people surveyed evidenced disproportionate
experience of special educational needs, poor attainment at school,
health problems, family difficulties, parents who are themselves
unemployed or the young people having been in care.
Relevant Issues and Options
5.
The report concluded that a range of agencies would need to
collaborate to address the issues identified and included a series
of recommendations. Within the Vale of Glamorgan, this work
is now being led by a NEET Sub-Group, comprising representatives of
the 14-19 Learning Network and the Children and Young People's
Partnership.
6.
The recommendations of the Scrutiny Committee [Lifelong Learning]
and the updated position are as follows:-
·
Recommendation 1: The Children and Young People's Partnership agree
on an integrated NEET Strategy to address the needs of pre and post
16 to ensure that the personal support for pre and post 16 is
maintained.
This recommendation was supported. The
Council has worked with partners to address the needs of young
people [pre16] who are the responsibility of the Authority and
through the 14-19 Partnership and the needs of young people [post
16]. The Welsh Assembly Government has considered a strategy
"Delivering Skills that work for Wales", reducing the proportion of
young people not in education, employment or training. The
two groups referred to above have now been combined to ensure an
integrated approach. Work continues on the Joint Strategy,
which will be available for consultation once developments within
the pre 16 work are complete. The Joint Strategy will reflect the
Assembly guidance and address the needs of young people in the Vale
of Glamorgan pre and post 16.
·
Recommendation 2: The Children and Young People's
Partnership identify a lead organisation to co-ordinate
responsibility for young people aged 16-18 who are NEET in the
Vale.
This recommendation was supported. Careers
Wales [Cardiff and the Vale] is the lead organisation for post 16
NEET.
·
Recommendation 3: The Children and Young People’s Partnership
agree definitions for NEET e.g. around age and status and explore
the feasibility of joint recording systems amongst key partners for
data collection. Progress to be reported to the Scrutiny Committee
[Lifelong Learning] in September 2009.
This recommendation was supported, subject to
a change to the reporting timescale to May 2010. Whilst a
definition has been agreed locally, the work at Welsh Assembly
Government level has superseded this recommendation. In the
period until the Assembly Government conclude their considerations,
key partners in the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff, have adopted
local joint recording arrangements.
·
Recommendation 4: The Children and Young People’s Partnership agree
and implement an information data sharing strategy and protocol to
provide training for relevant staff in the Council and partner
organisations, in order to ensure they understand the protocol and
data protection issues.
This recommendation was supported. The
Children and Young People's Partnership have adopted this
recommendation as part of the Partnership Action Plan. The
Welsh Assembly Government is progressing the Welsh Accord for
Sharing Personal Information [WASPI] and the Head of Public
Protection is leading on local arrangements.
·
Recommendation 5: The Director of Learning and Development
work with relevant partners including the Children and Young
People’s Partnership, 14-19 Network and Community Safety
Partnership, to ensure that opportunities for joint funding for
NEET projects are maximised, including accessing external
funding.
This recommendation was supported. The NEET
Sub-Group members continue to review funding streams to ensure that
NEET requirements are prioritised within the Children and Young
People's Partnership and 14 -19 Network. Significant progress has
been made.
In addition two local partners have recently
been awarded sizable Big Lottery Grants to work with Young Carers
and Care Leavers. Both these projects will focus work on post 16
young people who are NEET and will offer bespoke support and
provision to very vulnerable groups.
·
Recommendation 6: The Children and Young People’s Partnership agree
and implement a Parenting Strategy which recognises the vital role
of parents and key carers in influencing attitudes, behaviour and
educational outcomes. This strategy should build on work already
being undertaken in a number of schools across the Vale.
This recommendation was supported. A
parenting support audit was completed in March 2010 and has led to
the development of a draft Family Support Strategy. The
Consultation is due to be completed August 2010. This will aim to
tie to a Family Support Strategy being considered by the Welsh
Assembly Government for 2010.
·
Recommendation 7: The need for support and improved training
opportunities for young people to stop them becoming NEET should be
a priority within the Community Strategy.
This recommendation was supported. NEET,
vulnerable young people and inactivity are included factors in the
Community Strategy and Corporate Plan.
·
Recommendation 8: The Chair of the Children and Young People’s
Partnership work with all partners to examine what opportunities
they can provide for work experience, training and apprenticeships
in order to assist children and young people who are NEET.
This recommendation was supported. Some
progress has been achieved within the Council to develop work
experience for young people resulting in 81 Work Experience
placements in the Council. Work experience procedures have
been established for 18 year olds, plus via flexible new deal and
future job fund through Job Centre Plus.
·
Recommendation 9: The Head of Service for Additional Learning
Needs work with schools to ensure Welsh Assembly Government
guidance on exclusions is consistently followed and to ensure
training on exclusions and the sharing of best practice.
This recommendation was supported. Head
of Additional Learning Needs is reviewing the pupil support team
work and linking this within the NEET groups. The WAG has recently
released guidance on recording attendance and the Pupil Support
Service is working to implement these within schools. Secondary
Headteachers are involved in a review of behaviour support
arrangements in the secondary sector.
·
Recommendation 10: The Head of Service for Additional Learning
needs work with schools to reinforce the Council’s commitment to
ensure that no informal exclusions take place.
This recommendation was supported and has been
implemented.
·
Recommendation 11: The Head of Additional Learning Needs share good
practice like the youth work approach at Barry Comprehensive with
all schools, to encourage more preventative work within schools to
stop young people becoming NEET.
This recommendation was supported.
Mapping of NEET prevention based projects currently taking
place, the Head of Additional Learning Needs has worked linked
schools to share good practice.
·
Recommendation 12: The Chair of the Children and Young
People’s Partnership arrange an event to enable those organisations
working with children and young people to share good practice
regarding prevention and support work for NEET.
This recommendation was supported.
Sharing of good practice on a local level is taking place via
networking of schools and a recently established NEETs provider
group. There has been minimal support for a local good practice
conference on NEET, although more interest in looking at national
interventions. The Children and Young People's Partnership has
reserved places on a National conference on NEET's sharing good
practice being held in Cardiff in September 2010.
·
Recommendation 13: Officers from the Youth Offending Service
[YOS] and the Learning and Development Directorate be congratulated
on the improvements made as recognised in the re-inspection of the
YOS in December 2008. To build on this and agree a protocol
to ensure there is a shared understanding of roles and
responsibilities.
This was agreed and implemented.
·
Recommendation 14: As part of the Scrutiny Committee
(Lifelong Learning) 2009/10 work programme the Committee:-
· Receive an annual update on the NEET
strategy including the impact of Passport to Learning and any
issues regarding young offenders accessing education and
training.
· Closely monitor the educational
attainment of Looked After Children.
· Scrutinise access to the Pupil
Referral Unit.
· Scrutinise
the quality and outcomes of the Pupil Referral Units.
· Receive six monthly progress reports
from the Director of Learning and Development regarding the
implementation of those recommendations in this report which are
agreed by Cabinet.
This recommendation was supported, although the
Passport to Learning Scheme has now been replaced with a placement
panel. Since the completion of the NEET review by Scrutiny
Committee [Lifelong Learning], new Heads of Service have been
appointed within the Directorate of Learning and Development.
These officers are responsible for progressing the actions outlined
above.
The Vale of Glamorgan's known NEETs figure for
2009 (taken from the Careers Wales destination survey) is 5.5%
compared to a national figure of 5.7%, showing a reduction from the
2008 figure of 6.2%. These figures must be treated with a note of
caution as there was a significant decrease in NEETs throughout
Wales for the 2009 survey, but an increase in the number of young
people whose destination remains unknown (this is also true within
the Vale of Glamorgan). The Survey data has also been broken down
in school specific data and has been shared with secondary school
heads. The Head of Additional Learning Needs and Head of School
Improvement are working with schools to identify areas for
collaboration and future work to address issues.
The attainment of looked after children has
been reported to the Corporate Parenting Panel.
The PRU access and outcomes are being reviewed
as part of the Additional Learning Needs Service Plan. A proposal
for a new model of delivery is being presented for September
2010.
7.
It is not possible to detail the impact on NEET numbers and issues
which the process changes detailed above will deliver. It
will also prove difficult to establish a direct link between any
single recommendation and a reduction in NEET numbers.
8.
However, it is clear that the measures which have been introduced
through the partnership structures have supported a range of
outcomes which should contribute to a reduction in the number of
young people who are NEET. These include:
·
All Vale Secondary Schools involved in or delivering the Welsh
Baccalaureate.
·
Extended vocational choice [14-16] through Barry College.
·
A co-ordinated approach to seeking the views of learners on
curriculum choices.
·
Involvement of 14-19 learners in retail qualifications.
·
1,600+ learners engaged in voluntary activity.
·
Establishment of 44 learning coaches supporting 1,000 students.
·
Involvement with external providers to identify additional learning
routes [e.g. Princes Trust].
·
Improved collaboration with Careers Wales [Cardiff and Vale] to
offer vocational advice.
9.
It is anticipated that whilst these initiatives and the
implementation of the Scrutiny Committee [Lifelong Learning]
recommendations should contribute to a reduction in the number of
young people who are NEET, the overall figures of NEET young people
is likely to be adversely affected by the recession and its impact
on youth employment and training opportunities.
Resource Implications (Financial and Employment)
10. Council and partners'
resources are targeted towards reducing young people becoming NEET
and effective joint working will help contribute to longer term
savings.
Legal Implications (to Include Human Rights Implications)
11. The Council has a
statutory obligation to ensure that all young people up to the age
of 16 receive an education.
Crime and Disorder Implications
12. In delivering an
effective NEET strategy both council and its partners divert
vulnerable young people from negative and anti social behaviour and
ensure they are within an environment that helps the development of
skills and reduces the risk of entering into criminal activity now
and in the future.
Equal Opportunities Implications (to include Welsh Language
issues)
13. Strategies to reduce
the number of young people at risk of becoming NEET, need to ensure
that pupils with learning difficulties, in care, or in the Youth
Justice System, are supported.
Corporate/Service Objectives
14. The development of an
inclusive system for all learners is a key Corporate priority.
Policy Framework and Budget
15. This is a matter for
Executive decision by Cabinet.
Consultation (including Ward Member Consultation)
16. None.
Relevant Scrutiny Committee
17. Lifelong
Learning.
Background Papers
Task and Finish Group Report
Welsh Assembly Guidance
Contact Officer
Bryan Jeffreys, Director of Learning and
Development
Officers Consulted
Head of Service - Achievement
Children and Young People's Partnership
Co-ordinator
Responsible Officer:
Bryan Jeffreys, Director of Learning and
Development