Frequently-asked questions about the changes to youth services in Hackney
Please follow the links below for answers to frequently asked questions about the changes to youth services in the borough:
- Why has the new Young Hackney service been created?
- What's changing?
- Where will Young Hackney workers be based?
- What kind of activities will take place at Young Hackney centres?
- Where can I find information about local youth centres and youth projects?
- Where can I find out information about childcare or after-school clubs?
- Has the Council shut any youth clubs as a result of the cuts?
Why has the new 'Young Hackney' service been created?
The former Youth Service, Youth Support and Youth Offending teams each performed well in their own right. However, one unintended consequence of the division between universal services (that is, activities for all young people) and targeted and statutory services (youth support and youth offending) was that young people couldn't always get the help they needed from a worker they knew well. For example, a young person would see a Youth Worker when they went to a club with their friends, a member of a different team if they wanted help with housing needs, and another worker from the Youth Offending Team if they had been in trouble with the police.
The new approach means if a young person has established a good relationship with a Young Hackney worker, they will be able to stay with the same worker as they progress through a programme of support. The range of support on offer could include
- help with housing
- signposting to health services
- restorative work if they have committed an offence.
This will eliminate the need for the young person to continually change workers whenever their needs change.
What's changing?
Compared to the former Youth Service, there are two significant changes in the way that Young Hackney will offer services:
1. Young Hackney will work with a younger age group
Some of our youth centres already run Junior Clubs (for example the Guinness Estate and the Purple Bus) and we hope to extend this provision across all our centres. Working with a younger age group (from age 8) means we will be able to help young people in the transition years between childhood and adolescence.
2. Changes in the way youth services are structured mean young people will find it easier to get support
Because Young Hackney is organised as a network of small, multi-skilled teams, young people will be able to access all the support they need by liaising with one worker. This new way of working eliminates the need for the young person to continually change workers whenever their needs change - they can get all the help they need from a worker they know well.
Most importantly, the new system will take a 'single front door' approach. Young people will be able to start their journey wherever Young Hackney workers are based: whether this is at a youth centre, at a school, or within a youth health clinic.
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Where will Young Hackney workers be based?
A number of Young Hackney Units - the name for a team of workers - will be based at Young Hackney Centres, which will be built over the course of 2011-12.
Each Unit will be managed by a Core Leader and will have a minimum of one qualified Young Hackney Worker, one Young Hackney Practitioner and a Young Hackney Support Officer.
Other Young Hackney Units will be based in venues accessed by young people, for example shared-use youth centres, schools or health centres for young people. Depending on the location of the Units and their role in the community they will be assigned an additional Young Hackney worker or practitioner.
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What kind of activities will take place at Young Hackney centres?
- Youth activities such as sports, arts, multimedia, homework
- The chance to get involved in the community, for example through the Youth Forums or Ambassadorial programmes
- Accredited programmes such as Arts Awards or Duke of Edinburgh's Award
- Employment and training advice
- Extra support, when and where it's needed
- Where can I find information about local youth centres and youth projects?
Where can I find information about local youth centres and youth projects?
The Council's website for 11 - 19 year olds, www.younghackney.org, contains a list of organisations that work with young people in Hackney and has a map showing youth centres, playgrounds, sports facilities and other youth projects.
You may also like to search Hackney's Community Directory, and the What's On for Children and Young People. These list organisations and activities for 0 - 19 year olds.
Where can I find information about Childcare or after-school clubs in Hackney?
Contact the Family Information Service at the Learning Trust - their details are on the Learning Trust website.
Has the Council shut any youth clubs as a result of the cuts?
The Council is not shutting any of the youth centres it runs and there are a range of exciting opportunities for young people as well as support where needed for children, young people and families.
While there will be a reduction in staff numbers, the number of permanent posts in the new Young Hackney service is about the same as the number of posts previously occupied by permanent employees.
Page updated: 15 Sep 2011
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