City of York Young People’s Risk and Resilience Strategic Partnership
Risk and Resilience
Strategy
2011-13
Background and context
Note: For the purpose of this strategy, the term ‘young people’ refers to those aged 18 years and under to include those young people in transition to adult’s services and up to 25 years of age for those young people with learning disabilities.
Risk taking behaviours are a normal part of growing up provided their potential harm can be prevented or reduced. In terms of policy development in the UK, risky behaviour tends to refer to behaviours such as drug, alcohol and tobacco use, underage sex and unprotected sexual activity, although there are many other behaviours that can be defined as risky.
The Situation in York
If there were one hundred young women in York, approximately two would become pregnant and one of these pregnancies would end in termination. The majority of the city’s teenage pregnancies are to young women living in the wards with the highest levels of deprivation and statistically the young people living in these wards, are more likely to be at risk of a range of poor outcomes.
There is an increase in the number of young people who use drugs and alcohol, the primary substances of choice being cannabis and alcohol. There is concern about young people using and underestimating the potential harm caused by ‘legal highs’, with young people believing because they are ‘legal’, they are safe.
The ‘risk factors’ for substance misuse overlap with those for educational under-achievement, young parenthood, sexual risk taking and adolescent mental health problems, therefore action taken to address these risk factors and to increase levels of protection help to prevent a range of negative outcomes.
Common themes indicating ‘what works’ to reduce risk of negative outcomes are:
- Early identification and intervention;
- Intervention at the appropriate stage of young peoples development;
- Ability to reach those at greatest risk;
- Sensitivity to the needs of different, racial cultural and economic groups;
- Workers equipped with the skills and the knowledge to support young people with the issues that effect them;
- Young people friendly services.
TheCity of York Strategy takes into consideration the prevention, support and treatment agendas of the teenage pregnancy, sexual health and substance misuse strategies under the single heading of ‘Risk and Resilience’, drawing on best practice, evidence based interventions and needs analysis through community and partnership consultation.
Aims
The aims of the Risk and Resilience Strategy are to:
1.Reduce the number of unwanted teenage conceptions and maintain a downward trend;
2.Enable young people to make positive choices with regard to the relationships they have, their social and emotional well being and sexual health;
3.Increase the number of teenage parents in education, employment and training;
4.Reduce the number of young people misusing drugs and alcohol and ensure young people who do, have the support to enable them to stop.
We will achieve these aims by:
1.Embedding the ‘Risk and Resilience’ agenda into key local strategies and plans;
2.The collection and use of detailed, accurate and up-to-date data and information to determine need, planning, commissioning and performance management.
3.Using local information and intelligence to identify young people most at risk to allow effective targeting of interventions and services;
4.Ensuring young people receive the information, advice and support they need – from parents, teachers, peers and other professionals – to experience positive relationships and deal with pressure to engage in risky behaviours;
5.Improving young people’s access to prevention, support and treatment services ensuring that these services are appropriate to their needs and young people friendly;
6.Targeting those young people who research suggests are most at risk of poor outcomes, for example young people who are NEET, Looked after and care leavers.
7.Improving outcomes for teenage parents and their children.
Delivery
Diagram of the proposed reporting structures
Strategic
- The Partnership will be responsible for steering the strategic delivery and the commissioning activity relating to the Risk and Resilience agenda;
- The Risk and Resilience Strategic Partnership is accountable to the YorOK Board;
- The Partnership will also report to the City of York Safeguarding Children Boardon areas of the Strategy pertinent to them;
- Plans and strategies will intrinsically link into the Council Plan, The Children and Young People’s Plan and other local, regional and national plans and strategies.
Terms of Reference
Operational
- The Partnership will be supported by two network groups, the Risk and Resilience Network and the Supporting Teenage Parents Network. These groups are responsible for ensuring the delivery of the strategy at ground level.
- Task and finish groups will be deployed to address identified themes within the action plans.
- The Risk and Resilience Network will report to the City of York Safeguarding Children Board on the Child Sexual Exploitation early intervention and prevention elements of the Local Child Sexual Exploitation Strategy.
- The Supporting Teenage Parents Network will also report to the Whole Family and Parenting Strategy Steering Group.
Terms of Reference for the Network groups
The Strategy is underpinned by a series of action/delivery plans relating to the strategic aims these will be reviewed and updated annually. These plans will be developed using an Outcomes Based Accountability model in consultation with the Risk and Resilience Network and the Supporting Teenage Parents Networkand will be signed off by the Strategic Partnership.
Action Plans and updates on the delivery of the strategy and key local and national documents will be available on the YorOK website against the delivery plans will be reviewed quarterly and progress will be reported to the Strategic Partnership, an annual report will be presented to the YorOK Board.
Signed on behalf of the City of York Young People’s Risk and Resilience Strategic Partnership
Paul Murphy:
Assistant Director Integrated Commissioning, Adults, Children and Education
City of York Council
cchueag July 2011