Cllr Chris Garland, Leader of Maidstone Borough Council (MBC), and Chair of the Maidstone Locality Board.

Cllr Garland welcomed everyone present to this special meeting of the Maidstone Locality Board.

Apologies for absence were received from Alison Broom (Maidstone Borough Council), Chief Inspector Adrian Futers (Maidstone Area, Kent Police), Keith Abott (Kent County Council), Martin Adams (Safer Maidstone Partnership) and Councillor Eric Hotson.

·  Consideration of the evidence e.g.  demographics, deprivation, existing youth provision

·  Results of Public Consultation

·  Local Youth Work offer

·  Priorities for commissioning

·  Recommendations

3.1  Introduction & Background (Mike Hill, Cabinet Member for Customer and Communities, KCC):

·  The reconfiguration of Kent youth services has had a lengthy gestation period;

·  The basic model is of direct delivery, plus commissioned services;

·  Consultation has taken place across Kent and did result in revised plans;

·  These plans were taken to all 12 Kent Locality Boards, and it was agreed that further work would be carried out;

·  KCC is seeking endorsement of these revised plans, so that the shape of local youth services can be agreed, so that, in turn, KCC can proceed with developing a commissioning framework.

3.2  Outline of Youth Service proposals for Maidstone (Nigel Baker, Head of Youth Services, KSCC):

Referencing the maps circulated in the meeting:

Map 1 – Index of Multiple Deprivation LSOA sowing key areas of relative deprivation (for further information go to http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities/research/indicesdeprivation/deprivation10/

Map 2 – Maidstone 13-19 population

Map 3 – Youth service current provision

Map 4 – Present local community led youth provision

The key messages from the report ‘Transformation of Youth Services in Maidstone’, a joint paper by Nigel Baker & Zena Cooke:

·  Youth service transformation intends to set the framework for collaborative working across all partners;

·  The target age range remains at 13-19 yrs;

·  Youth work needs to be a fun & challenging vehicle to help young persons transition into adulthood;

·  Youth service transformation is NOT about buildings, but about quality outcomes;

·  Supporting and enabling local voluntary sector groups to ‘step up to the plate’, build capacity, open opportunities to develop local social enterprises/ community interest companies;

·  KCC Cabinet member stopped short of making a final decision on youth services to consult further with Locality Boards.

3.3  Consultation:

·  Statutory 90 day public and staff consultation closed end October;

·  Some 700 responses were received from groups and individuals across the County, 69 responses were received from Maidstone;

·  Although there was no clear support for any one hub, there was good support for InfoZone, and much concern over the proposed closure of Shepway & Lenham centres;

·  In addition, a case was made for close partnership with Switch Café;

·  Overall, no clear direction emerged from the responses.

3.4  Methodology for youth service transformation:

·  A full needs analysis using the Joint Strategic needs Assessment for Children and the Local Children’s Trust Boards Needs Assessments were used;

·  The proposed youth service model is aligned with what is out there now and with existing youth service priorities;

·  An Equalities Impact Assessment was required by law, and was aided by independent research from the University of Glasgow;

3.5  The local youth offer:

1. Direct delivery

·  Retain InfoZone:

-  Will prove a broad range of services – more than just a youth club

-  Will be the home location of the Senior Youth Practitioner

·  Switch café:

-  A clear collaborative approach with Switch

-  Switch could co-locate with InfoZone or move to other premises

·  School-based Youth Tutor (at present not allocated to a school):

-  Local decision as to where to base the youth tutor

-  Recommended to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

10.00 a.m. to 12.05 p.m.