Agenda item

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

The Cabinet Member for Jobs, Young People & Culture provides the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee with her annual report for discussion. The report gives an overview of our intervention approaches to address disproportionality, explores how we incorporate the voices of our residents into our work, evaluates our early intervention and prevention approaches, celebrates our vast culture offer, assesses how we respond to social inequality while also welcoming the inclusive economy and jobs portion of the portfolio.

Consideration was given to the report of the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Young People and Culture.

Councillor Sabrina Francis (Cabinet Member for Jobs, Young People and Culture) introduced and summarised the report. The report covered the following areas in the portfolio: key initiatives and strategic priorities aimed at taking an early intervention and prevention approach to youth violence while addressing disproportionality, the voice of children and families, the culture offer, responding to social inequality, and an inclusive economy and jobs.

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

·       A Member requested more information about Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilots. The Cabinet Member explained that the initiative was in its early stages, with five cohorts identified, highlighting that young people in care could benefit the most. Officers referenced the UBI scheme in Wales for care leavers, stating that they were still learning from its outcomes. An external organisation had been commissioned to explore what a UBI pilot could look like for Camden, focusing on a subset of care leavers. The pilot would aim to assess the impact of UBI on improving outcomes, ensuring more effective use of resources, and influencing life courses. Over the coming months, options would be developed, leading to a decision on whether to proceed. It was also noted that the pilot could attract national or philanthropic interest and played a part of Camden’s mission to research innovative approaches.

·       A Member raised concerns about the increasing number of families in temporary accommodation and asked whether this affected the Jobs, Young People & Culture portfolio. The Cabinet Member stated that housing significantly impacted young people’s outcomes and noted that senior officers had been invited to the Camden Missions meetings to address the issue. The Cabinet Member explained that a sense of space could influence autonomy and behaviour of a young person, highlighting the interconnectedness of Housing with all portfolios.

·       A Member highlighted the importance of youth clubs and youth workers, referencing encouraging research that suggested youth clubs remained highly relevant and impactful. They asked how youth work was recognised in Camden. The Cabinet Member praised the breadth of services that youth clubs across Camden offered and acknowledged the long service of many youth workers, some with up to 25 years’ experience. There had been a focus on developing youth clubs as hubs where young people could access advice, recognising the importance of ‘third spaces’ where young people could gather. Officers noted that Camden had maintained investment in youth services, particularly when many local authorities had been unable to do so, which enabled the borough to retain highly experienced staff. In youth work there had been a shift towards a greater focus on youth safety, with joint working between youth clubs and youth safety initiatives and other parts of London had shown interest in Camden’s model. The Cabinet Member added that Camden had introduced youth work apprenticeships to elevate the importance of youth work and there were many young people who aspired to return to work as youth workers within their own borough.

·       In relation to section 5.20, Family Case work, a Member asked how many children did not succeed in being referred to Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH) either via schools or the Youth Early Help services route. Officers said that data showed that more children were being supported through referrals, with processes working both ways - youth services referring to MASH and MASH referring back to youth services, as well as to voluntary and community sector (VCS).

·       A Member stressed the importance of improving support for SEND young people to access apprenticeships, warning that a lack of opportunities could lead to long-term unemployment. The Cabinet Member confirmed that SEND young people were a key cohort within the Youth Mission and were being prioritised. SEND apprenticeships were a priority group for improving opportunities, with a focus not only on council-led initiatives but also on engaging partners to identify what additional support they could provide. Officers further suggested exploring initiatives companies in Camden could support young people with additional needs.

·       A Member raised concerns about school exclusions, noting that they were disproportionately affecting Global Majority children and were primarily linked to one school. The Cabinet Member acknowledged the issue, highlighting that there was an officer Disproportionality Lead. Officers emphasised that the issue was taken seriously, noting that while the numbers were low, they remained concerning and work was taking place with all Camden schools through Camden Learning. Through the Inclusion Forum there was greater challenge and discussions between schools, and school leaders were committed to addressing the issue. The Cabinet Member added that a better cultural and lived experienced understanding from professionals often achieved better outcomes for children, however, it was noted that exclusions typically occurred due to exceptional circumstances.

·       A Member requested further information on the work being done with schools to address exclusions, including the factors involved and the necessary interventions. The Cabinet Member explained that there was a Disproportionality Lead working directly with schools, and the Youth Justice Board was also engaged with the schools in question. Camden was fortunate to have Camden Learning and officers highlighted the ongoing staff training on adultification and disproportionality. A report on exclusions had been presented at the last meeting and officers offered to provide more detailed information if specific questions arose. In response to Members, officers agreed to provide further information, narrative and analysis about the school in the borough which had a disproportionately high number of exclusions and to provide detail about what specific interventions were in place with the school to reduce that number.

Action By: Chief Executive Officer, Camden Learning

RESOLVED -  

THAT the Committee comment on and note the report.