Gosport Summer Passport 2014
Evaluation
Introduction
The Gosport Summer Passport Scheme took place for the seventh year in 2014 offering diversionary activities to young people of secondary school age throughout the school summer holiday period. This year Summer Passport operated from the 29th July to the 14th August on Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s. The following report will outline the aims of the scheme and whether these were achieved as well as making recommendations for how the scheme could improve next year.
Passport Aims
The Summer Passport scheme has three primary aims:
- Reduce Anti-Social Behaviour(ASB) incidents in Gosport during the period the scheme operates.
- Engage with young people who may be considered more difficult to reach.
- Encourage young people to participate in local activities and access local services following the Summer Passport Scheme.
Passport Overview 2014
341 young people registered for the 2014 Summer Passport scheme, an increase of 8% (24) from 2013.
50% (172) of those that registered attended three or more sessions.
54%(185) were female and 46% (156) were male.
The peak age of those who attended was 13 years accounting for 35% (120).
97% (332) of those who registered described their ethnicity as White-English.
11%(37) of those who registered described themselves as having a disability.
20% (67) of the young people who registered are currently working with Motiv8 compared to just 12% (39) of young people who registered in 2013.
Of the young people registered 38% (131) attend Bay House School, 30% (104) attend Brune Park Community College and 11% (39) Bridgemary Community Sports College.
6% (20) of the young people that registered are attending a Pupil Referral Unit, school for young people with special needs or are home schooled.
9% (31) of the young people that registered have been referred to the Supporting Troubled Familiesprogramme in Gosport.
Young Person and Partner Feedback
A young person’s evaluation was undertaken on the last day with fifty young people participating. The following feedback was provided:
92% (46) would rate the Summer Passport Scheme as very good or excellent.
92% (46) would like to attend the Summer Passport Scheme again in 2015. The remaining 8% (4) said they would possibly attend the scheme next year.
‘Thank you so much for these three weeks. Best I’ve had in ages. Brought me and my friends closer and made new ones! Thank you!’Kera Smart 13 years
‘Thanks for a fantastic three weeks, been filled with much fun and made many new friends. Hope the same continues next year ’Joshua McCune 14 years
Feedback was also sought from partners following the Summer Passport scheme with the following comments provided:
‘There was a range of positive activities and young people got stuck in. They loved the photo booth and driving at Fort Brockhurst. There was also good multi-agency working when dealing with challenging behavior.’Y Services for Young People
‘It was a great to once again be part of the ever growing passport scheme.’ DJ Small Paul
‘Well done it’s an awesome program for the kids!’ Rising Ballers
Location Evaluation
The locations chosen were based on a number of factors including ASB hotspots, Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) data and feedback collated from young people and partners who attend last year’s event. Based on this information nine locations were identified with Elson Recreation Ground and Leesland Park being two locations not used during the previous year’s scheme.
The chart above shows the locations with the attendance figures. The average daily attendance was 118 young people compared to 104 young people in 2013. For the second year running Gosport Leisure Centre was the location that recorded the largest attendance figure with 155 young people. This is believed to be due to the activities on offer such as ice-skating and swimming as well as being during the first week of the scheme where attendance figures are always at their highest. Elson Recreation Ground was the only venue not to attract more than 100 young people.
Activity Evaluation
Approximately twelve activities were offered to young people at each location. These included a mixture of sports, arts, pampering and skill/education based activities. New activities offered this year included animal encounters, graffiti art, hair-chalking, loom-band making and paddle-boarding. As well as the most popular activities from previous years such as BMXing, driving lessons, ice-skating, music workshops and sailing.
Activities were chosen based on popularity from previous years as well as identified areas of concern leading to educational based activities around New/Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS)and healthy relationships. Local providers such as Motiv8, Southern Domestic Abuse Service and Y Services for Young People were used wherever possible to encourage young people to access local provision following the end of the scheme. Gosport Youth Council was involved during the planning and delivery stages and used the event to promote their work as well as an opportunity to actively recruit new members.
Financial Evaluation
£10,000 of funding was secured in order to run this year’s Summer Passport Scheme. Funding was sought from a variety of sources includingHampshire County Council (HCC), Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service (HFRS), Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Radian. Additional income was also raised through the registration process where a one-off fee of £1 was charged for registration. The tuck-shop also generated a small amount of revenue.
The overall cost of running the 2014 Summer Passport Scheme was £10,040. This is an 8% (£734) increase from 2013. Any potential efficiencies continue to be identified and implemented as the scheme progresses in line with the budget available.Feedback from partners involved with this year’s scheme indicate that there currently is a good balance between the number and associated cost of activities provided in line with daily attendance figures.
Many partners provide free activities amounting to large savings. Sponsorship was received from Asda and Tesco’s, who both provided free food for the barbeques, cooking activities and fruit tasting, as well as assisting with staffing. Kier also provided their services for free which included daily erection of the marquee, drink stall, bricklaying and tiling. The support of all of these companies resulted in substantial savings for the Passport budget with Tesco’s already engaged for 2015.
The scheme is staffed through the strong support of numerous Community Safety Partners including Gosport Borough Council, Hampshire Constabulary, Hampshire County Council ACSOs, Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service, Motiv8, Y Services, as well as volunteer groups including Loud & Proud and Gosport & Lee Litteraction. This support from partners is not only vital in terms of running the event but provides excellent engagement and networking opportunity for all organisations involved.
Crime Statistics
The data below was extracted from Business Objects Force Reporting tool on the 2nd October 2014 and was correct to that date. ASB incidents recorded for the Summer Passport period 29th July – 14th August 2014, inclusive of weekends, in comparison to the corresponding three week period in 2013.
Summer Passport 2014 / Corresponding Dates 2013 / Corresponding Dates 2012ASB Incidents / 190 / 196 / 253
% Change from baseline / -3.1% / -24.9%
For the corresponding date period in 2013 (30th July – 15th August) there were 196 incidents of ASB. This is a 3.1% reduction in ASB when comparing 2014 to 2013.
More significantly when comparing the Summer Passport period in 2014 to the corresponding date period in 2012 (31st July – 16th August) there is a 24.9% reduction in offences.
This data signified the importance of the scheme in relation to ASB reduction. In 2012 the Summer Passport scheme took place during the second half of the school summer holiday period (14th – 30th August) due to the Olympics. There were also fewer days where Passport operated solely in Gosport in 2012 due to the scheme operating across two boroughs (Fareham and Gosport) that year. Consequently, analysis of the 2014 and 2012 periods allows for an accurate and direct comparison of when the scheme was operating and when it was not.
Summary
The Summer Passport scheme once again experienced an increase in the number of young people registering. More specifically there has been a large increase in the number of young people attending who are currently working with Motiv8and may have historically been considered more difficult to reach.
Youth Support Services such as Motiv8 and Y Services for Young People are instrumental in assisting with not only the staffing of the scheme but by actively promoting the scheme to the young people they work with. Passport also facilitates the building of relationships between partners who assist with staffing the event and the young people that attend.
The scheme continues to deliver decrease in recorded ASB incidents. Significantly there is a 25.9% reduction in ASB incidents when directly comparing the period when the scheme was operating and when it was not.
Feedback gathered from young peoplesupports their enjoyment of attending the scheme and the opportunities it presents. This is evidenced by the large numbers of young people who attended multiple sessions throughout this year’s scheme and wish to participate again in 2014. Feedback from youth support staff was that many young people continued to access their provisions as a result of an introduction through the Summer Passport scheme.
The scheme received good promotion in the local media. It was covered in four articles in The News and two Coastline articles. Proactive use of Facebook and Twitter throughout the event meant Passport reached a wider audience than in previous years. During 2014 the Summer Passport Facebook page has received an additional 120 friends, a 22.3% increase. The event was also publicised by the use of banners and posters across the borough and school assemblies were undertaken at Bridgemary and Brune Park Secondary Schools.
The funding for the scheme was successfully secured through the support of partner agencies, including HCC and HFRS, and successful funding bids to the PCC and Radian. The scheme was delivered on budget albeit at an increased rate from 2013. This was due to the increased costs of some providers however it is felt there is currently a good balance between the number and associated cost of activities provided in relation to the daily attendance figures. The support from partners towards staffing and providing some activities free of charge is vital for the sustainable future of the scheme.
It is recognised that there is continued room for improvement in relation to the registration process. Pre-registration remains resource intensive and despite undertaking school assemblies this did not result in additional young people pre-registering although it certainly will have assisted with promoting the scheme. It is felt that re-focusing attention on parents, carers and those agencies supporting young people may be the most efficient way of increasing the number of young people who pre-register for the scheme.
Overall this scheme offers excellent opportunities for building relations between young people and agencies involved, whilst also meeting its primary aim of supporting a decrease in recorded ASB incidents. The scheme has strengthened links with partner agencies ensuring that those young people who may be considered more difficult to reach are aware of, and participate in, the Summer Passport Scheme. The strong support of local clubs and providers encourages young people to undertake new activities and access local services following the end of the scheme.
Reduced budgets across all organisations mean that the long-term future of the Summer Passport scheme remains under threat. The Community Safety Partnership actively seeks funding contributions towards this worthwhile scheme but the future of the scheme not only relies funding being secured but on there being sufficient partners available to staff the event. The loss of services, such as the ACSOs, heightens this risk.
Recommendations
The Summer Passport Scheme to operate once again in 2015 for the first three weeks of the summer holidays. Provisional dates are from the 28th July – 13th August on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday’s.
Funding opportunities to be considered through the PCC, partner agencies, local Housing Associations and Businesses.
Staffing opportunities to be secured through support of CSP partners and volunteers such as Loud & Proud and the School Pastors.
Continue to work closely with all partners who work with young people in Gosport to ensure theyoung people who are engaged with their services attend the Summer Passport.
Strengthen link with the Supporting Families programme through the Transform service and specific targeting of families with young people who would most benefit from attending Summer Passport.
Review of the Summer Passport pre-registration process to ensure there is a focus on engaging with parents, carers and agencies supporting young people
Consider the use of an on-line registration process for this year’s Summer Passport scheme.
Explore new locations such as Broderick Hall or Privett Park for Summer Passport 2015.