Issue - meetings

That the Flintshire Integrated Youth Provision (FIYP) consultation on developing the FIYP Plan 2021-2024, as outlined within the report, be approved.

The Senior Manager – Integrated Youth Provision introduced a report which outlined the work of the Flintshire Integrated Youth Provision (FIYP) services for young people and the proposed blended service in response to the emergency situation.  The proposals delivered potential annual savings of £98.6k representing a 49% saving on premises and 20% on staffing.

The FIYP services had adapted during the emergency situation, while ensuring a mix of regular open-access youth clubs and targets provision, as detailed within the report.  The FIYP service development would embed lessons from the pandemic response to realise the vision of the Youth Strategy for Wales 2019.  FIYP would sustain and develop digital and remote engagement with young people and staff, safely reopen a more sustainable youth club provision and increase partnering and the third sector and schools to extend reach and impact.  Key elements included:-

• Developing digital and remote engagement;
• FIYP reopening a more sustainable youth provision; and
• FIYP increase partnership with the third sector and schools.

The Chairman thanked the Senior Manager for her report and the work being undertaken in service transformation to meet the challenges of the emergency situation.

Councillor Dave Mackie spoke in support of the report and the work being undertake to use the emergency situation to the advantage of young people.  He commented on the immersion community and school youth workers and asked for further information on this role.  He also questioned the potential savings for premises management, shown in the resource implication section of the report, which he had calculated differently and also asked if feedback was available from the consultation process started in October.

The Senior Manager explained the role of the immersion community and school youth workers, who were degree qualified youth workers who sat within the Youth Service but provided support within schools as needed.  The potential savings detailed within the report related to the highest possible figures as it included costs for cleaning, health and safety, refurbishment, caretaker and vandalism.  The consultation which started in October was a consultation of young people to seek their views on how they would like to be consulted on the FIYP proposed blended service as presented to the Committee.  They had asked to be fully consulted, and one of the benefits emerging from the emergency situation had been the opportunity to meet on-line which had resulted in young people being much more engaging.  

The Chief Executive advised that the report had the support of himself and fellow officers and said that the service was visionary integrating and valuable at responding to the needs of young people.  He thanked Members for their supportive comments and said that this service could become a role model for others going forward.

Councillor Joe Johnson asked whether the creation of a youth radio station could be considered as a way of communicating and sharing information with each other.  The Senior Manager advised that young people were currently developing podcasts which had been welcomed by young people across the County, especially those in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16