ACTION
ATTENDANCE
Name / Organisation
Fraser Falconer / Chair
Alistair Macintosh / Fire Scotland
Brandi Lee Lough Donnell / LGBT Youth Scotland
Ian McLaughlan / Youth Scotland
Jim Devoy / Police Scotland
Bridie Ashrowan / Co-Opted Member(The Broomhouse Centre)
In Attendance
Susan Hunter / YouthLink Scotland
Jim Sweeney / YouthLink Scotland
Chief Inspector Rosie Wright / Police Scotland
Brian Hutton / Perth and Kinross Council
Theresa Burns / YWCA Scotland
Margaret McLeod / YouthLink Scotland
Paddy Sloan / BBC Children in Need
Apologies
Roseanna Macdonald / Scottish Youth Parliament
Vicky Wilson / Fife Council
Katie Nevans / CLDS East Lothian Council
Mark Meechan / Falkirk Council
Martin Summers / Shetland Islands Council
Bob Payne / Vice Chair
1 / Welcome
Fraser welcomed those present to the meeting, and extended a warm welcome to those attending for the first time as the Forum seeks to increase its membership.
It was agreed to begin with the topic of the meeting – the Teenage Brain, and that the formal business meeting would begin in the afternoon session.
2 / What do we know about the Teenage Brain?
Why teenagers take risks?
(2min 01 secs)
The Policy Forum will watch Sarah-Jayne Blakemore ‘Matching Adolescent Education with Brain Development
(5min 29secs)
The Policy Forum will watch Sarah-Jayne Blakemore ‘Changing Voices: the teenage brain’
(10min 30 secs)
Key Points from the 3 Films:
- Young people when in the presence of their peers will do things that they wouldn’t do whilst alone (both positive and negative risks) (3 times as likely to risk (12-16))
- Physiologically in the teenage years the part of the brain which encourages risk taking is more developed than the neuro system which inhibits risk taking
- This is new science based on the development of MRI technologies
- Young people use different cognitive strategies in social situations than adults do
- Adolescence (puberty to independence) is a second stage of brain development – there is no upper age limit in brain development
- Taking risks (to affiliate, explore and become independent) is essential to become adults.
- Taking risks – young people need to be able to fail in order to learn
- Increased vulnerability to mental ill health and negative emotions in adolescence - 75% of mental health conditions have an onset of before age 24; the brain is susceptible to negative social influences.
- Risk taking is not always physical risks; can also be behaviour or emotional - young people need to take risks to explore their identity
- Connect to the Solihull Approach to working with/understanding teenagers (currently being rolled out in Fire and Rescue Scotland)
- Youth work offers young people spaces and activities that support risk taking
- Youth work approach is asset orientated, starting with what the young people have.
- Parents are increasingly risk averse – decline in use of public spaces and physical environments.
- Should youth work be engaging even younger, particularly with girls, if this research shows it begins in puberty
- The phase of adolescence has increased as young people find it increasingly difficult to be independent either in housing, employment, financially
- Opportunity to engage with Minister for Mental Health – Maureen Watt
3 / Valuing the Youth Worker – Paddy Sloan, Head of BBC Children in Need (Northern Ireland)
- Youth worker demonstrates the power, strength and significance of a single person
- BBC CiN have 1308 funded projects across the UK – 30% of main grants go to youth services; and 18% of small grants to youth services. Projects are focused on making change to disadvantage.
- Interventions can’t just keep replicating what has gone before.
- Understanding the teenage brain creates a newly opened door for understanding attachment after age-3.
- Youth work has the opportunity to build resilience in young people, but also to counter the impact on resilience from other negative environmental factors which might include schooling, peer groups or even parenting
- Models/Research of Interest on Social:
- Atlantic Philantrophy – invest then evaluate – model of pro-social behaviour amongst 9/10 year olds
- Harland and McCreadie – Masculinty (Violence as a social norm due to intergenerational behaviours)
- Use of storytelling to measure impact
- Cannot work with children and young people in isolation from their families
- Young people and youth work need to be engaged in the process of developing Scotland’s mental health strategy
- Group work approach in youth work offers peer encouragement and support, build positive pressure and risk.
- Explore the digital space for supporting young people – not just a risky environment
- Increased need for services to cooperate and intersect – cannot have professional silos
5 / Minute of Previous Meeting held on 31 March 2016
The minute of the last meeting was approved as an accurate record.
Business Arising
- Fraser wrote to Andrea and Alison and they are no longer active members of the Policy Forum. The Forum noted thanks for their past contributions.
- Play Report has been drafted, Susan to send to Mark and Ian for comment and feedback and identifying next steps.
- Terms of Reference were approved by the YouthLink Scotland Board.
- Youth work is inclusive so is well placed to engage this cohort. Agreed that awareness of youth work sector is low amongst kinship carers and looked after at home population.
- Agreed Action: YLS to conduct an audit of published Corporate Parenting Plans to identify youth work role, contribution or influence.
- Agreed Action: YLS to explore possibility with Who Cares? Scotland as to the possibility of digital content for youth workers about the rights and advocacy needs of CYP in care/care experienced
5 / Youth Work Changes Lives Manifesto Monitoring
- The Policy Forum discussed the new ministerial briefs and roles.
- The Policy Forum updated the YWCL Monitoring framework.
6 / AOB
There were no other business
7 / Dates of Next Meetings
- THURSDAY 25TH AUGUST 2016 - post – EU Ref Reflections and Youth Work in Europe
- TUESDAY 25th OCTOBER 2016 – annual review
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