Agenda item

To provide an overview of the youth provision review currently being undertaken across Blackpool, including scope, purpose and timescales.

Ms Lisa Arnold, Head of Parks, Leisure and Catering Services and Ms Sara McCartan, Head of Adolescent Services provided an overview of the youth provision review currently being undertaken across Blackpool, which included details of the scope, purpose and anticipated timescales.

Ms Arnold summarised the key objectives of the review, informing the Committee that a thorough understanding of current provisions across the whole town was necessary in order to identify gaps and determine any areas currently unrepresented. Analysis of existing youth provision in Blackpool would be assessed via the following methods:

·       Geographical mapping of youth provision across Blackpool;

·       Quality of physical assets used by identified youth providers for  youth provision;

·       Level of engagement and provision;

·       Comparison of engagement figures with comparable authorities/areas;

·       Skills analysis of youth provision sector;

·       Impact of current youth provision on the lives of young people in Blackpool through a social return on investment calculation.

Ms Arnold informed the Committee that engagement with young people and key stakeholders would be undertaken, with analysis of the findings from 1,000 surveys with young people to be completed in order to understand what services young people wanted. The review would include both those engaged and not engaged in youth provision; in-depth interviews through a minimum of ten focus groups with young people and focus groups to include targeted cohorts such as Our Children and Care Experienced Young People, Children not accessing mainstream education and targeted areas with a prevalence of Anti-Social Behaviour. In addition, findings from surveys, in-depth interviews and focus groups from key stakeholders would be reviewed, as well as the results from a minimum of 100 surveys completed by parents/carers of Blackpool children and young people. The Committee requested details of how Councillors could circulate the questionnaire to their constituents and young people, which Ms Arnold agreed to provide following the meeting.

Ms Arnold reported that representations from a range of organisations would inform the review and which included the Boathouse Youth, Boys and Girls Club, the Magic Club, Street Life and Blackpool Football Club Community Trust. The Committee questioned whether Scouts and Guides groups would be consulted, with Ms Arnold advising that the National Youth Agency (NYA), who had been appointed to undertake the review, would be reaching out to regional Scouts, Guides and Cadet organisations.

The Committee sought further information with regard to the funding of the review, with Ms Arnold reporting that the cost of the review would be £68,385 in total, with Blackpool Council contributing £38,385. She added that the NYA anticipated they could secure Department for Education funding for the remaining £30,000, which the NYA would self-fund in the interim.

The Committee requested that further information be brought back once the review had been undertaken, with Ms Arnold suggesting that the anticipated completion of the review would be early 2022, with the required reports and development plans to be produced in February 2022. She suggested that the Committee be consulted further for Member input into the draft report in January 2022.

The Committee agreed:

1.     To receive further details of how to access the youth provision questionnaire following the meeting;

2.     To consider the youth provision draft report once completed.