Children and Young peoples Plan - Economic Well-being

Making York the best place where children and young people can grow up.

	Below are the key messages that came out of the consultation around issues affecting Economic Well-Being of Children and Young People. If you want to know more about what people told us you can download a longer summary for the 'economic well-being' section.

Key Messages

Child Poverty:

The likely economic slowdown and the resulting effects on income and employment levels has had an increasing impact on consultation responses. The issues associated with child poverty are seen as increasingly important and will have an impact on all aspects of children’s lives.

Youth Homelessness:

• Needs to be key priority in plan with a raised profile.
• A key priority is to develop services to enhance independent living skills;
• Every young person at risk of / who is homeless should have an holistic support package available.

Employment, Education, Training:

• Need for better tracking of the young people who are not in Education, Employment and training. Tracking will consistently identify, track and support not only those in most need but those with a slightly lower level of need; Need to develop bespoke packages.
• Need to work with employers to better meet the needs of this group;
• Cross partnership approaches so each partner makes a contribution.

The need to support the transition of young people into adult life was seen as a significant issue for the plan with specific suggestions about:

• Life- skills being a significant part of the curriculum - Work experience being promoted;
• Apprenticeships to encourage all young people;
• Using all avenues including Children’s Centre resources to engage young parents fully in further education
• Greater support for careers education and advice available within school curriculum, and even beyond the curriculum through community groups and activities;
• Specific support for vulnerable young people particularly for Looked After Children where the council has corporate parenting responsibilities

14-19 Partnership,

With the Local Authority, through its Lead Strategic Partner role in the 14-19 Partnership, taking responsibility for commissioning 16-18 education from 2010 the ultimate accountability runs through to the Yor-OK Board. Linkage made more explicit and given a much higher profile, with a delivery strategy which maximises the strengths in the city. This would support efforts to better focus providers on the interests and needs of all learners across the city.

Workforce strategy – key to delivery of plan, needs to ensure all members of partnership are fully recognised and supported.