A briefing guide for youth workers

A briefing guide for youth workers Meeting your strategic goals through study support Contents Background 3 About study support? 4 Benefits of study support 4 Study support and the youth service 6 Working in partnership 8 Consultation and inclusion 9 Delivering activities 10 Achieving youth workers' targets through study support 12 What to do next? 13 Useful websites and resources 14 Background By 2010, the government expects all children and young people to have access to a variety of 'extended services' in or around schools. The ‘core offer’ of extended services includes: • a varied menu of study support activities • high quality childcare either on-site or through local providers • parenting support, including family learning sessions • swift and easy referral to a wide range of specialist support services • community use of facilities, including adult and family learning and ICT. The aim of this guide is to outline the potential ways that youth workers could help to support the work of schools in offering a varied menu of study support activities. Doing this brings numerous benefits to youth workers and youth services. They can reach more young people, access new funding sources and improve access to new and exciting opportunities for young people. By supporting study support activities in schools, youth workers can meet their own strategic goals. 'Schools are expected to work in partnership with other agencies... including youth services and youth work organisations in the statutory and voluntary sector to deliver the core offer: both on the school sites and in appropriate facilities across the local community.' Extended schools prospectus, DfES June 2005 About study support Study support is not a new concept and it is often given different names, such as out-of-school-hours learning (oshl), extended learning or enrichment activities. It is a broad term that incorporates a range of activities that can support a young person’s academic achievement, but could equally focus on developing their skills, confidence and well-being. It is defined by the DfES as 'learning activity outside normal lessons which young people take part in voluntarily'. It could include: • sporting and physical activity • outdoor, adventurous and environmental activities • programmes which extend the curriculum • creative and performing arts • craft and technology, including ICT • homework clubs and open access to libraries and learning resource centres • booster and revision sessions linked to curriculum subjects and cross-curricular themes • hobby activities and games clubs • community service, volunteering • peer mentoring • summer schools • breakfast clubs, homework clubs, maths clubs • supplementary schools Study support activities can happen in a wide range of venues and locations, for example in libraries, museums, sports clubs or youth centres. Benefits of study support Study support has been proven to raise academic attainment and improve behaviour and attendance in young people. It has also been shown to improve motivation and self-esteem, and to give pupils the confidence to fulfil their potential and aspirations. It is especially helpful for those who are disengaged from learning. A recent report on study support for looked-after children, An asset account for looked-after children (Institute of Public Policy Research 2006), concluded that study support/out-of-school-hours learning opportunities are particularly important for vulnerable young people such as those in care. A key focus of study support is its ability to improve young people’s experience of, and access to, learning. Study support enhances the school curriculum and mainstream educational provision but also offers a ‘bridge’ to the informal learning and social opportunities that young people take part in voluntarily outside the school day. Young people can be involved at every level of study support, for example they can decide what activities take place, choose which ones to participate in, and have a say in running the activities or projects. It provides an ideal platform from which to launch active citizenship programmes. Physical activity is one of the more common forms of study support offered through schools and other providers. The PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) strategy was launched in England in October 2002. It is delivered by the DfES and DCMS, and encourages local partners, including local authorities, to come together to ensure its effective delivery. The overall objective is a joint DfES/DCMS Public Service Agreement (PSA) target. By 2008, it wants 85 per cent of 5-16 year olds to spend at least two hours each week on high quality physical education and sport (within and beyond the curriculum). Every school in England is now part of a school sport partnership which is part of the PESSCL strategy. There is much scope for linking both the provision of sporting activities and accreditation for involvement (such as leadership awards) across the service providers. Details of where to find out more can be found in the resources section. Study support and the youth service The concept of extended services arose from the Every Child Matters (ECM) agenda and the government's aim for every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they need to: • be healthy • stay safe • enjoy and achieve • make a positive contribution • achieve economic well-being. Organisations involved in providing services to children are tasked up with teaming up in new ways, sharing information and working together to provide better outcomes. Youth services and youth workers have a remit to secure the best opportunities for young people, but also to work together with a range of agencies to deliver the ECM outcomes. The 'varied menu' aspect of the extended schools core offer gives youth workers an entry point to working with a school, or cluster of schools, to develop a range of activities that meet the needs of young people. Schools already provide a significant number of these activities, but they are often not accessed by young people who need them the most. Youth workers not only offer a way of engaging these young people, but also bring new skills and a different educational approach to the planning of a school’s study support programme. Youth work offers: different ways of engaging with young people; improved planning and delivery of out-of-hours activities; and a different pedagogy and framework of informal education to the design of activities. As it says in Youth Matters: Next Steps: 'Youth work skills will be central to engaging with young people, to the personal, emotional and social development of young people, and to ensure that young people’s voices are heard in shaping both the demand and supply sides of provision.' (DfES 2006). Youth Matters: Next Steps was published on 8 March 2006 and sets out the vision for empowering young people, giving them 'somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to'. Key government proposals require children’s trusts, local authorities and the voluntary sector to work together to provide this. Schools and youth services are already working in partnership to run some activities outside school hours, such as lunchtime drop-in clubs, residential activities, sport or structured homework clubs in youth centres. At a strategic level, there is considerable potential for the youth service to work with other children's trust partners to deliver the youth offer alongside a range of formal and informal study support activities being offered in and through schools. Indeed many local authorities are looking at such an arrangement to ensure there is not a duplication of activities and services. Emerging practice in the field of 'targeted youth support' also show the potential of study support in reaching the most vulnerable young people, as shown in the following case study. Case study: Young carers after-school club There are strong correlations between being a young carer and underachieving at school, with many young carers failing to attain formal qualifications. Almost a third of young carers have serious educational problems or have dropped out of school, with nearly all reporting as missing school when the person they care for is having difficulties. LB Barnet youth service has established an after-school homework club for young carers across its schools. The aim is to support young carers who are already beginning to experience difficulties in school. The homework club, housed in a school classroom with 20 computer workstations, is open from 4pm till 6pm once a week, every week during school term. Young carers make their own way to the club from schools in the area and are offered transport home via a minibus at the end of the club. Young carers benefit from the one-to-one support the club offers. It helps them work on topics that they have struggled with and raises their attainment levels in these subjects. The service encourages and supports young carers to stay in school and not truant as a result of their caring roles. Finally, the club enables young carers to meet others in a similar situation and to benefit from peer support. Source: Every Child Matters resource and practice database The Youth Opportunities Fund and the Youth Capital Fund enable young people to make decisions about spending priorities for constructive activities in their local area. The role and the voice of young people in local structures is also important and there are important links to be made between schools and youth work in the provision of information, advice and guidance, as well as in implementing the Russell Commission proposals on youth volunteering. At an operational level, youth workers can add value to a school’s study support programme. They can offer: • a more diverse range of study support activities • different approaches to enhance learning • alternative venues, such as youth and community centres • a change of timing, such as offering activities in evenings, weekends and during holidays • different tutors and staff with specialised skills, such as DJ skills • new resources, available through collaboration with other agencies • specialised support and training for school staff • skills and experience in facilitating student participation and enabling young people to have their say. Working in partnership The most effective partnerships are those which deliver the objectives of both partners, and do not subordinate those of one partner to the other. There is plenty of evidence that school staff and youth workers can complement each other’s work, and a growing number of youth workers are based in or near schools. Youth workers can develop and sustain study support activities that will help achieve their own objectives. For example, activities can be organised to cater for particular groups of young people, linked to personal growth or social skill development. Schools can offer youth workers a platform to engage with a range of young people that they might not otherwise reach. Schools need to demonstrate the impact of their study support programme on raising achievement and priorities within their School Improvement Plans. Many of the school’s objectives will also be mapped onto the five ECM outcomes. Youth workers can make an active contribution to these targets, for example by providing a homework club at a local youth club or offering one-to-one support to students to build their self-confidence and self-esteem. Consultation and inclusion Youth workers can make a significant contribution to a school’s work in terms of both consultation and inclusion, as shown in the following table: Consultation • helping to identify the needs of young people without the use of hard statistical data (which would be contributed from elsewhere) • instigating and facilitating participatory work, to ensure that the young people’s voice is heard • providing a varied menu of activities, especially those which will contribute to personalised learning and enrichment. Inclusion • identifying individuals and groups of young people whose needs are not being met • instigating and facilitating positive relationships with those young people whose needs are not being met • providing access to varied activities by removing the barriers which can cause exclusion, such as venue, or timings. Delivering activities Youth workers are ideally placed to contribute to the delivery of study support within the context of the five ECM outcomes: Being healthy: Youth workers can contribute a great deal to study support provision linked to health and well-being, especially in the areas of sexual health and substance misuse. A youth work approach, and access to specialist programmes, can make a major contribution to an informal out-of-school-hours programme that deals with these issues. School staff, who are well-known to the pupils, are hampered when it comes to open and frank discussions about sexual health. Youth workers may be in a position to give more practical help in providing contraception advice, for example, or by offering drop-in sessions to young people. In other health-related work, youth workers can link out-of-school-hours PE and sport programmes with sports professionals whose services may not be available direct to schools. And in the area of personal advice and counselling, youth workers often have greater expertise and experience than school colleagues. Staying safe: Staying safe is dependent on having a safe environment and providing young people with the know-how to recognise, and deal with, potential abuse. Study support activities can provide a safe environment in which young people can spend time outside school hours. Youth workers can also assist young people in developing the skills and understanding to manage risk. Youth workers are often in an advantageous position to work with other agencies in the community to promote community cohesion and to support young people at risk of becoming victims. Enjoying and achieving: Youth workers are well versed in the national framework of awards available to young people (such as ASDAN, the Duke of Edinburgh’s, and Youth Achievement Awards) and are well placed to help young people to gain accreditation for their achievements in non-formal educational settings. Making a positive contribution: The National Youth Agency Hear by right framework sets standards for the active involvement of young people in shaping where they live, the services they use and the running of local and national organisations. Study support can provide programmes that actively involve young people and develop skills in decision-making, planning, delivery and team-work. Youth workers are trained in this area of work and can share their expertise with other staff, as well as with the young people themselves. Economic well-being: Youth workers have experience in running projects that: • involve participants in team-building, problem-solving and taking the initiative • focus on developing financial skills through management of project finances They also facilitate access to advice on benefits and welfare rights. Case study: Structured training and activities Adventure Service Challenge is a national structured programme of training and activities for ages 8 to 14+. It can be adapted to the needs of different individuals and groups. It offers: • Adventure: through discovery, exploration, leisure pursuits, creative attitudes and skills for life • Service: through developing participants' concern for others, and through offering opportunities to serve those in need • Challenge: through offering progressive training activities for all members. Adventure Service Challenge is run in youth clubs and schools, often as part of the extended schools offering. The scheme is non-competitive. There are no centrally set tests and members are assessed on their experience in each activity. It is often used as a preparation for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award for those too young to undertake the Bronze Award. It is recommended by the Award HQ. For further details visit www.asc-scheme.org.uk/ Source: Every Child Matters resource and practice database Achieving youth workers' targets through study support The following grid shows how study support can help achieve the key elements of the youth workers' targets, as outlined in Transforming youth work – resourcing excellent youth services (DfES 2002): Key elements of Transforming youth work – resourcing excellent youth services How study support can help achieve these elements Providing activities connected to young people’s interests Because study support is free from the constraints of a set (national) curriculum, the leaders of activities have greater freedom to adapt their content and their approach to meet the needs of the students who participate. Most schools canvass for students’ views on a regular basis, and then organise their programmes to take account of this. Providing activities which can supplement the formal education process For some students, the most effective approach to helping them to make progress in school is to facilitate an activity in which they can be successful outside normal hours. A student who is successful in an after-school activity, such as dance, will feel a general sense of achievement and well-being, which will impact on more formal learning. Offering programmes that engage with contemporary social issues Out-of-hours provision can flexibly address contemporary issues affecting the lives of the students. Diverse issues as substance abuse, on-street behaviour and sexual health, can be considered through the medium of drama or music for example. The out-of-hours context enables a more personal treatment of these topics, likely to be more meaningful to young people. Reflecting the particular needs and tasks of young people passing through adolescence into young adulthood Study support programmes are conducive to offering responsible practical citizenship experiences, such as volunteering in an old persons' home. These experiences, can be a valuable part of development into adulthood. Involving young people in service design, delivery and assessment Study support programmes aim to involve young people in all aspects of development. Consultation on the content is usually the first step. Youth workers can take this involvement several steps further. They have the necessary experience to effectively involve young people in the planning and delivery of the programmes. Opening up opportunities for young people to develop into youth workers themselves Youth workers engaged in the delivery of study support have the opportunity to engage the young people in dialogue about youth work. Encouraging young people to take on peer mentoring, volunteering and other responsible people-centred roles could open up opportunities for young people to develop into youth workers themselves. What to do next? • Identify what your youth service or youth work organisation is already doing in relation to study support with local schools/clusters: are there further areas where activities could be offered, for example in after-school settings, at weekends, during holidays? • Contact your local authority study support or oshl co-ordinator or extended schools remodelling adviser (ESRA) to find out what is taking place in schools/clusters and what potential there is for you to be involved in planning, developing or delivering further activities or projects. • If you are already working with a school/cluster, approach the headteacher with a view to identifying an activity or project that the school can deliver in partnership with the youth service. • Use the opportunity to signpost the school to existing youth work activities and services. Use the same process to identify areas where there is duplication of provision and who would be the best provider. Useful websites and resources Websites ContinYou: ContinYou’s study support team and website supports the strategic development of study support activities in schools, local authorities and their communities. Log on to www.continyou.org.uk and visit: • the Study Support ETC online resources • the Schools ETC (Extending to Communities) subscription network, which supports all those working in the field of extended services • Seeing is believing, an advocacy programme targeted at senior staff in local authorities and local strategic bodies, comprising of a one-day session of visits to schools to see and discuss the impact of study support/out-of-school-hours learning. You can also call 020 8709 9900 to find out which member of the ContinYou extended services team supports your local authority. Department for Education and Skills study support team: www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/studysupport/ Hear by Right: www.nya.org.uk/hearbyright National Youth Agency: www.nya.org.uk School Sport Partnership Programme: www.youthsporttrust.org.uk/subpage/specialist-sport/index.html TeacherNet: For a good overview on extended schools visit www.teachernet.gov.uk/extendedschools UK Youth: www.ukyouth.org University of the First Age (UFA): The UFA is a national educational charity, that works in partnership to develop the confidence, achievement and potential of young people through extended learning opportunities: www.ufa.org.uk Quality in Study Support (QISS): www.qiss.org.uk Publications Extended schools: access to opportunities and services for all (DfES 2005) Local authority youth services: A framework for inspection (OfSTED 2004) Recording young people's progress and accreditation in youth work (DfES 2005) Study support: a national framework for extending learning opportunities (DfES 2006) Transforming youth work – Resourcing excellent youth services (DfES 2002) Youth work and extended services in schools (NYA 200) Youth work and study support: The code of practice (DFES 2001) Acknowledgements Published by ContinYou 17 Old Ford Road London E2 9PJ Tel: 020 8709 9900 Fax: 020 8709 9933 Email: info@continyou.org.uk Website: www.continyou.org.uk Copyright © ContinYou 2007 Registered charity no: 1097596