Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Young People and Culture.

The Cabinet Member for Young People & Culture here provides the Committee with their annual report for discussion. This year’s report includes key updates from relevant teams in the portfolio who serve our young people and bring Camden’s cultural offer to all our communities.

Consideration was given to the report of the CabinetMember for Young People and Culture.

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member for their report and invited questions and comments from the Committee. The following was discussed:

·       In response to a Member asking how variable funding streams were for youth justice services, it was confirmed that grants for youth justice services varied year on year. Camden was able to keep caseloads low using effective interventions and benefited from years of investment in the Integrated Youth Service. If risks decreased, there would be a reduction in some funding streams, therefore there had to be consideration in keeping the system sustainable in future years.

·       In relation to a Member raising the difficulties in children accessing mental health services and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), it was confirmed there was a CAMHS practitioner in-house who provided advice and guidance for staff working with families. Mental health for young people was a broad area, where sometimes it was an acute medical response required, or other times it would be supporting children through times of instability. There were challenges in how the Council joined up with social care and ensuring the right professional was paired with a child at the right time. Camden compared well to other local authorities, where the Tavistock and Portman services were seen from others as a great model and Camden was investing additional money for innovative services. It was recognised there was high demand for mental health support in schools.

·       In relation to mental health, a Co-opted Member raised the serious and frequent situation of children self-harming, stating there had been a huge increase in the last couple of decades and it should be seen as a crisis. To help children and parents, the issue required proactive leadership in Camden. In response, the Cabinet Member stated that they would link up with the Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care in how they could cross-work on this issue. It was noted there were many new pressures facing young people today, including social media, and the Council and schools recognised the significance of mental health for young people. It was confirmed that the Council’s annual health report ‘Step into Our Shoes’ on adolescent health would be circulated to the Committee which had a section on mental health.

Action By - Director of Public Health

·       A Member asked for case studies on Youth Early Help family casework interventions. In response, it was stated that Camden aimed to keep families together. The family casework involved visits, engaging different professionals, working out needs of a family and creating tailored packages. Each family was taken on an individual basis and was supported as required and there was no target to complete casework within a specific number of weeks. The programme had been in place for a period however there was not specific data, but there were cases that could be given as examples. Officers confirmed they would provide case studies on Youth Early Help family casework interventions.

Action By - Director of Children’s Prevention, Family Help and Safeguarding

·       A Co-opted Member asked what Camden was doing to combat islamophobia, stating that they knew children in the borough who were experiencing that abuse in public spaces, such as Hampstead Station, and asked what was being done to support those children. In response, it was confirmed that as part of the community cohesion work and work with schools these areas were addressed, and there was also work with the inter-faith networks. Secondly, the Co-opted Member asked for case studies, statistics and information on the nature of the cases the Youth Justice Service Prevent Teams received. In response, it was confirmed the Team took a trauma informed approach to young people and it was a small number of young people who they were involved with. It was agreed the Committee would be provided with case studies, statistics and information on the nature of the cases the Youth Justice Service Prevent Teams received.

Action By - Director of Children’s Prevention, Family Help and Safeguarding

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted.