Thanet Youth Strategy 2011/15

"The services that reach every child and young person have a crucial role to play in shifting focus from dealing with the consequences of difficulties in children's lives to preventing things from going wrong in the first place."

The Thanet Youth Strategy 2011/15 is aimed at tackling the high priority problem areas that affect young people aged 10-19 years in the District.  The strategy is based upon seven of the eight priorities of the Kent Children and Young People's Plan 2011-14, whilst incorporating the most prevalent issues for young people in the District.  These priorities are:

• Family Poverty
• Safeguarding Children and Young People
• Safeguarding - Tackling Bullying
• Adolescent Engagement
• Emotional Health
• A Healthy Start in Life
• Workforce Development, Participation and Equalities

Following extensive consultation with both the young people living in Thanet and the services that work with them, the top ten priorities in relation to young people in the District are:

• Teenage Pregnancy
• Sexual Health
• Mental Health
• Substance Misuse -drugs, alcohol and smoking
• Youth offending
• Looked after Children (LAC)
• Educational attainment and school stay on rates
• Community involvement and intergenerational engagement
• Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)
• Children in poverty

The Thanet Youth Strategy does not stand in isolation; it takes into consideration a number of national policies, regional strategies and local plans.  These include:

• The Children's Act 2004
• Kent Children and Young People's Plan 2011-14
• Vision for Kent

The Thanet Youth Strategy has been developed by the Engage Forum.  Engage is an umbrella organisation for youth service providers in Thanet.  Their main purpose is to provide support and social development opportunities to young people and children in the District.  The strategy's action plan has been developed by youth service providers in Thanet following a wide consultation with the young people that live in Thanet.  The consultation was carried out to understand their needs, wants and aspirations and then incorporated into the action plan which details how the youth providers in Thanet are addressing these issues.  The results of the 2010 Thanet Youth Consultation are available on request.

The strategy also responds to the duty placed upon local authorities by The Children's Act 2004 to ensure the safeguarding of children and the co-operation with partners to improve services.

The aim of the Thanet Youth Strategy 2011/15 is to be a framework for local youth provision that meets the needs of all our young people.  The development of this strategy enables youth providers to:

• Understand the wants and needs of the young people that we provide services to.
• Develop and undertake agreed action plans that relate to the priorities of the Kent Children and Young People's Plan 2011-14 that address young people's priorities, concerns and needs.
• Involve young people of Thanet and give them the chance to help shape the provision that service providers supply through consultation.
• Encourage young people to participate actively within their communities.
• Promote positive activities, services and facilities for young people.

The delivery of the Thanet Youth Strategy action plan is co-ordinated by the Engage Forum and Working Group and then monitored and refreshed annually by the Thanet Youth Advisory Group.  Overall activity is scrutinised by the Thanet Local Children's Trust Board.

It is planned that the current statistical evidence within the Thanet Youth Strategy that highlights the problem areas for young people of Thanet will be reviewed in two years and attached as a new appendix to give an understanding to any issues that have improved, plateaued or declined further.

Sarah Phippin

Community Development Officer - Reducing Inequalities and Child Protection

Email:  sarah.phippin@thanet.gov.uk

Tel:  01843 577092

Jasmin Rose

Engage Co-ordinator

Pie Factory Music

Email: jasmin@piefactorymusic.com

Tel:  01843 596777