Activity Agreement Pilot (AAP) - During 2008-09 AAP, CLC supported 530 young people and 57% of them entered positive outcomes including EET. A special thanks to all AAP PAs for all your support in helping produce such great results. As you're aware the AAP has been extended until March 2010 and will focus further on the hardest to reach and help including those young people in receipt of JSA, as well as vulnerable young people, including those with housing issues. Please see referral form for further information.
Ensuring that young people have access to job vacancies – DCSF want to remind PAs of options to help young people access job vacancies. These include:
- Jobpoints – a secure and easily accessible touch-screen kiosk, in Job centres.
- Access to Job Vacancies Online - Details of all vacancies advertised with Jobcentre Plus are available online.
Budget 2009 for London – The Chancellor announced a package of measures, which included help for families, children and young people. This will include an additional £1.7 billion set aside to offer a guaranteed job, training or placement to 18-24 years olds who have been unemployed for 12 months. Children England have also produced a round up of how the budget will affect the youth sector.
EMA update - Under the EMA Guarantee, learners who have been paid during the 2008/09 academic year do not need to reapply, click here to read more.
Getting IAG right for Young People - The Higher Education Minister David Lammy, stressed that IAG has to be central to a school’s mission and that the Government will publish statutory guidance on the principles underpinning the duty to deliver impartial careers education through the Education and Skills Act 2008. Urging universities to continue working on entry profiles for Diploma students. Read his full speech here.
Budget won't solve E2E course places crisis – Chancellor Alistair Darling's Budget failed to address the funding crisis facing providers of courses for disadvantaged young people, the Association of Learning Providers (ALP) has warned.
Employers are being encouraged to support the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design (MPD) - The new ‘Show Your Support’ leaflet is part of an initiative to encourage employers of all sizes to become involved with the Diploma in MPD. The leaflet includes information about the different ways of getting involved in this Diploma, which include mentoring and visits to schools, colleges and workplaces, as well as providing work experience opportunities, learning materials and resources. To ask questions or order copies of the leaflet, send an email to improve@improveltd.co.uk.
Terrence Higgins Trust’s Young Leaders Project has money to give away to young people so they can create their own Sex and Relationship Education projects. View the poster or leaflet for more information.
New strategy for a 21st century social care workforce – Fifty thousand long-term unemployed young people will be helped into social care traineeships thanks to new plans published by the Government.
National statistics on post-16 education –The latest national statistics on post-16 education have been released on the DCSF website.
NEET data – The DCSF have published statistics on the total number of 16 to 18 year olds classed as not in education, employment or training (NEETs).
Labour to make teenage community service compulsory – Young people will have to complete 50 hours of community service before they are 19 if Labour win the next election.
New protocol for child trafficking cases – The Home Office and the Department for Children, Schools and Families have introduced a new
protocol for assessing and recording cases of child trafficking.
A bigger role for communities in inspiring young people – Young people will get extra encouragement to unlock their talents as part of a £10m Inspiring Communities initiative, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has announced. Read more here.
Whistleblower hotline – Ofsted is piloting a whistleblower hotline. The hotline will enable council employees and those working with young children to report concerns about practices and procedures for the safeguarding of children and young people.
STEM Pack - April saw the launch of the STEM Careers Resource Pack for CEIAG practitioners. You can register to receive this pack and other useful resources from info@careersinstem.co.uk.
Boris to fight child poverty with the Mayor's Fund – Boris Johnson has announced his plans to help the 600,000 children living in poverty in London by launching the Mayor’s Fund, a major new charity.
Young people struggle to get proper mental health care – Research carried out among 10 to 25 year olds by the charity YoungMinds for their new mental health help site My Head Hurts, found that three quarters of young people said no support was offered while waiting for treatment.
Over 200,000 children to benefit from £10m of cycle training – Over 200,000 more school children in England will have the opportunity to have Bikeability training this year thanks to £10m of government funding.
ContactPoint not halted – The DCSF has written to all Directors of Children's Services in local authorities to clarify that, contrary to recent media reports, work on ContactPoint has not been halted. The DCSF are able to confirm this if you want to call their switchboard on 0870 000 2288.
Child Poverty Network – Local authorities and agencies in London are being encouraged to work together to tackle child poverty with the launch of a Child Poverty Network.
£5.5 million to help close the widening generation gap – a £5.5 million
programme has been launched to bring older and younger generations together in their communities. The Government will use expressions of interest to select up to 12 potential sites spread across the country.
Change4Life survey says: Too many children not getting enough exercise – Results from a massive survey of Change4Life families show that almost three quarters (72 per cent) of their children are not getting 60 minutes of daily activity outside of school.
New programme revolutionises DH/Third Sector working – The Department of Health has joined forces with 11 specialist organisations in a bid to transform the way it works with third sector organisations. Read more here.
Safe from bullying in youth activities – This guidance from the DCSF is aimed at managers, staff and volunteers in youth activities, clubs and groups including local authority and third sector providers, and voluntary management committees. It outlines the possible bullying that might occur in youth activities and describes steps to prevent it and respond to it effectively.
Anti-bullying guidance published by 4Children – New guidance has been issued by 4Children as part of a multi-pronged attempt to tackle bullying.
Information Sharing – A document with guidance around information sharing by the DCSF and has been published on the Every Child Matters website.
Children, Schools and Families Committee looked-after children report – The Children, Schools and Families Committee's third report 2008-09 into looked-after children has been published. The report concluded that despite the dedication and perseverance of social workers and carers, the outcomes of 'looked after' young people remain poor.