Agenda item

Report of Director Children’s Integrated Services

Jane Richardson, Community Service Manager Early Help introduced the Year Review for Early Help Central 2 Team to the Committee. She highlighted the following information:

(a)  The deliver of the provision is split into Play and Youth and Targeted Support and there is also Mental Health input too, particularly around self harm;

(b)  Play and Youth services offer a termly programme of sessions across the wards, with a special summer holiday provision;

(c)  Children’s’ Centres offer open access sessions as well as targeted work aiming to offer parental support, address behaviour issues, build confidence in parents, offer support in accessing education for parents and addressing children’s development;

(d)  If a child aged 8 or over is starting to show signs that they may become involved in offending behaviour referrals from play and youth can be made to early intervention and diversionary services to address emerging antisocial behaviours. Where there is a high level of need these referrals can be made earlier;

(e)  The Summer programme this year aims to standardise provision city wide. There is a focus on community days with provision for 0-19 year olds, but there is also a focus on getting young people from across the city to come together, and getting out and about together and participating in activities together;

(f)  Over the last year there has been a lot of work around recruitment. This was very successful and play workers have gained valuable experience which has allowed them to go on to further roles within targeted support leaving further vacancies to fill within the play services;

Following discussion and questions from the Committee the following information was highlighted:

(g)  ESOL provision was very successful earlier in the year, however in the last quarter it was cancelled;

(h)  The report distributed with the agenda includes reference to Edwards Lane and Sherwood, this is because the Early Help teams are not set with the same boundaries as wards and areas, there is some overlap into other areas;

(i)  Work with new and emerging communities has been slow to establish. It is difficult to gain trust and make connections to some of the new communities. In Hyson Green, for example, there is an increasing population of Polish and Roma families, and work with these communities is at very early stages. Further work is required in order to encourage more engagement;

(j)  To tackle the issue of continued vacancies  ongoing recruitment has been established. It is encouraging  to see that workers are gaining experience and then taking that and using it in targeted support, and that Nottingham City Council is supporting its workers to gain new skills and progress their carreer, however it does leave a gap in experience within the Play service which needs to be filled;  

(k)  There are “hotspots” for knife crime and targeted work is taking place to address this. The Youth Offending Team and Early intervention services are also involved in tackling this issue with work taking place in schools across the City;

RESOLVED to thank Jane Richardson and Helen Barnett for their attendance and to note the content of the Year Review for Early Help from Central 2 team.