The case study describes how plus dane worked with Liverpool City and North Youth Sub Group to help improve quality of life opportunities and prevent anti-social behaviour activities through a jointly delivered approach.
Children & Young People
Plus Dane Housing Group Ltd
Baltimore Building, 13-15 Rodney Street, Liverpool, L1 9EF
Author: Julie Tomlinson Contact No: email: julie.Tomlinson@neighbourhoodinvestor.com
Children and Young People
Riverside ‘Joined Up’ Approach
Case Study for National Youth Reference Group:
The Riverside Joined-up Approach
Background:
In 2007 we were awarded funding by Liverpool City and North Youth Sub Group to look at positive engagement and activities for children and young people across the area. A mapping exercise took place, and a group of young people in the local area were engaged to ‘test out’ and report back on accessibility to activities.
The young people’s mapping and findings were then used to formulate a report and recommendations to the Youth Sub Committee. As a result it was recommended that we pilot the ‘joined up’ approach.
When we started:
• St John’s Youth and Community Centre was open 2 evenings mid week, with only 1 session for the senior youth age group
• Riverside Detached Team went out onto the street 2 evenings mid week across the Ward which stretches from Liverpool City Centre to Aigburth
• Pagoda Youth Club was open most evenings but is perceived by young people to be only available to the Chinese community.
Aims/objectives
The ‘joined up ‘ approach aim was to:
• encourage providers to share resources to achieve efficiencies and to use their combined skills to deliver a programme of activity throughout the area that met the diverse and changing needs of its young people.
• Use Neighbourhood Fund and additional recourses, to provide a programme of activities for young people in the area.
• Use recourses to target hot spots in which young people are causing and are in danger of suffering from anti social behaviour and crime.
• To record the ways in which we have addressed gaps in services to young people as identified in the mapping of the area.
Monitoring
A steering group was set up consisting of a named officer Liverpool City Council Neighbourhood’s Team, LHT and plus dane. A strategy was developed and a programme of activities and projects put in place to meet our objectives. This approach is now coming to the end of it’s third year.
Outcomes – Year 1
Detached work Team commissioned from St John’s Youth Centre carried out detached and outreach on the streets with qualified, experienced youth workers. They were the first Team in Liverpool to work Friday and Saturday evenings on the streets engaging with young people who were under age drinking, causing anti social behaviour and were themselves at risk from anti social behaviour and crime. They built trust and offered diversionary activities and support. They worked with local partners such as the Police, local shopkeepers and residents to ensure support and feedback from the community – this was also the first time an outreach team took this approach.
Both the workers, young people and Police have commented on what has been a positive experience.
“Over the years I’ve had a strained relationship with the young people of the Dingle however as I hover towards the end of my police career I see certain things in a different light. I am more aware of what pressures young people feel and the issues they face on a daily basis. Working with young people and the team I now have a better understanding of these issues. The Project from a Merseyside Police point of view has no doubt been successful. The anti social behaviour statistics as a result of the team working in the Horsfall Street/ Caryl St areas were excellent, reductions of almost 50% were achieved.”
Merseyside Police Constable
Another successful outcome as a result of engaging with the detached team a young man now does paid volunteer work at the Youth Centre.
Projects were commissioned that supported and engaged with young people with a view to offering alternative activities to their “normal activities”. Young people were given the opportunity to take part in activities and workshops that can help them challenge attitudes, become more self aware and build confidence. Young people took part in activities that helped them explore their rights and responsibilities in society and encourage good citizenship.
Young people ‘ had fun’ taking part in bowling, rock climbing, go cart mechanics; they went to the theatre and a basket ball match.
“Thank you so much, that was brilliant”.
Young person after the basket ball match.
Young People have taken part in activities that help them to make a real contribution to their neighbourhood, using their energy and ideas to bring about positive change. They have volunteered and worked to support activities for younger children at Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas.
The ‘joined up’ approach supported young people to make an information DVD highlighting the Chinese cultural “Lion Dancers” and an information booklet celebrating 25 years of the Chinese Youth Orchestra.
A local was supported with funding to deliver a ‘Share IT’ programme. The School identified an area where they felt it could support the objectives and principles of good parenting by creating a pilot programme which creates a safe space in which parents and children can work together at the same speed to achieve collective and personal goals using ICT as the engagement vehicle. Due to the success of the project it continues on.
The O’Shea Charity were commissioned to provide after school activities in the Dingle Community Learning Centre that were extremely popular. DCLP had not had the building utilized by children in some time. As a result this link the Centre has obtained funding to refurbish the Centre.
Children and young people have been supported by qualified workers who are local people and local volunteers whom have a desire to celebrate and recognise the important role that children and young people have in their communities.
Summary
• Resources from Partners and Neighbourhood Fund Investment.
• 4,319 children and young people registered for activities over 15,519 hours.
• Community Police reported a 30%+ reduction in anti Social Behaviour as a direct result of the programme.
• Worked in Partnership with 12 voluntary, statutory, and service sector agencies
Outcomes – Year Two
Due to the success of the first year the group was again charged with repeating and building on the programme.
Detached – St John’s team average 200 contacts per weekend. They respond to ‘hot spot’ areas as designated by the Police and local stakeholders. They have seen increased numbers of young people attending the centre, young people volunteering at the centre and have diverted young people from damaging vehicles and causing nuisance to Residents. Police report a 50% reduction in youth disorder
St John’s Centre due to demand from young people were commissioned to open for the senior youth age group to enable the youth workers to work with some of the young people they met on the streets and complete some targeted group work. They looked at issues such as underage binge drinking, sexual health and gun, gang and knife crime. 12 young people gained AQA level one accreditations. At the end of the project the group went on a Residential trip and one young man who finds is difficult to leave the house due to lack of confidence attended. The trip was enjoyed by all and staff at the centre commended the young people’s behaviour.
Summer Programme
A local Artist, was commissioned to deliver a summer school art programme for children and young people at Southern Neighbourhood Council with the support of the community volunteers. The various pieces of art produced were showcased at a community fun day event. At the fun day children took part in sack races, face painting, African drumming. The summer school led to provision of after school ‘Kins Club’ at SNC and an increase in volunteers at the Centre.
St Johns Youth Club provided art workshops, dj skills, go carting and Friday evening football. The football was hosted by St John’s and Riverside Detached Team. The games culminated in an end of summer tournament at Toxteth Sports Centre with young people from diverse ethnic groups coming together from across L8. The young people and the staff enjoyed each others company and the sport
Cage soccer took place across three sites with the coaches delivering drop in training and football skills sessions. Local parents and the community police team praised the initiative and asked if it could be made a permanent feature.
St James and Riverside Detached Team took families on day trips to Chester Zoo, Gulliver’s World and Camelot. Families were targeted who rarely get the opportunity for days out and never go on holiday. One family had 4 generations together for a day trip.
The O’Shea charity ran summer activities such as messy time for the under 8’s, beauty therapy, hair design, dance and football. Various venues across L8 and L1 were used and local community transport used to ensure the children and young people were able to attend.
A’ Dads n Lads’ Saturday morning club was piloted to encourage dads, uncles, brothers, sons and granddads from Riverside and the wider area to keep fit at the Belvidere Youth Club. After the sessions they enjoy a cooked breakfast and a chance to socialise. The project was so successful alternative funding has been secured to continue it and to run the project at the Unity Youth Club.
After the success of the Summer Arts project SNC volunteers and Mount Football club were commissioned to run After School Club 2 evenings a week. The club engages a wide age range and have secured funding for games equipment. Young people previously involved in gangs are now attending the club.
L1 After School and Dance saw a continuation of last years Dance and drama classes for young people in L1 – sharing 1 session per week with young people from L3.
Weekly after school sessions run by local volunteers. The group take part in art, cookery, hairdressing.
L1 After School, Beresford Social Cub, O’shea Charity and SNC all hosted Mischief and Halloween Activities aimed at taking the children and young people off the streets and diverted from anti social behaviour. They engaged children young people in parties and trips out. St Johns Detached Team went out onto the streets and a disco was hosted at the club. The Community Police teams reported the quietest Mischief and Halloween for a number of years.
Project Newspaper House 08 Capital of Culture – A public art installation. The project combined the subject of urban waste with an inclusive, participatory approach to art. All ages took part – the project cut across barriers and people enjoyed art in both a personal and a collective way. Young people, children and Residents from L1 collected newspapers and took part in workshops to make the ‘bricks’. The installation was erected in ‘The Blackie’ and 1928 people came to see it.
St Patricks Art Project saw children from St Patricks School taking part in a history project that focused on the church and the school and looked at events across the decades. The events were depicted in banners that were erected outside the church. A party was hosted to celebrate the end of the project.
Young people from St Patricks and St Vincents School, O’shea Charity, St John’s Youth Club, L1 After School and SNC took part in an Art project to produce a banner that represented each organisation – Hands of Friendship Banner. The young people painted their hands and chose a theme for the centre of each banner. SNC painted a portrait of the oldest member who attends the centre and the children from O’shea painted a portrait of the little boy who sadly lost his life in a road traffic accident, O’shea Garrett.
Summary
• Neighbourhood Fund Investment and resources from Partners
• 1125 children and young people were recoded as beneficiaries who engaged in activities over 15,100 hours
• Worked in Partnership with 21 voluntary, statutory, and service sector agencies
Outcomes – Year Three
Whilst we are still in the process of monitoring the outcomes for the third year the St John’s detached team have averaged 120 contacts per weekend. They continue to respond to ‘hot spot’ areas as designated by the Police and local stakeholders. They recently administered first aid to a young boy who had collapsed from alcohol abuse and had been hidden by his friends. The boy recovered and the group and their parents were invited in to watch an interactive drama piece on alcohol and drug misuse. Police report a 50% reduction in youth disorder and that Riverside now has the lowest crime figures in South Liverpool – a dramatic change. Due to demand from young people the St John’s Centre were commissioned to open an extra evening which is on a Monday.
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