Transcript Document

Connexions: supporting &
connecting young people
Paul Convery
Director, Centre for Economic & Social Inclusion
St Ives, Cambridgeshire, January 29th 2002
www.cesi.org.uk
"Chantel" is 19. She has experienced a long history of
abuse and violence within her family.
“It just messes you up really... the abuse affected me,
‘cos I used to get bullied and terrorised so I wouldn’t
tell anyone. They’d pinch me, punch me and bite my
fingernails. I was scared I didn’t want to say nothing
to anyone. It started affecting me at school, the
teachers wanted to know what was wrong, I wouldn’t
say anything … I ran away from home at eight. I tried
to take [pills] - kill myself by taking an overdose.”
Chantel took casual jobs after leaving school. Studied
music production at college, received an EMA.
Domestic violence continued. Moved to Yorkshire.
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Contradictions for young
people
• Aspiration to maturity at earlier ages
– “adult” lifestyle pressure
– exposure to risky behaviour
• Achieving economic independence later
– extended educational participation
– later entry into labour market
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Confusions for young people
• Labour market complexity
– more demanding employer requirements
– less tenure and diminished security
• Weakened family and community support
– atypical family structures
– weakened community and informal networks
– family formation undermined by nonemployment
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Learning from the evidence
• 1 in 16 quit school without qualifications
• of which 80% not entered for exams
• One in 4 children in schools serving estates
gain no qualifications
• 17% of 16-25s have literacy problems and
22% have numeracy difficulties
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Learning from the evidence
• 60,000 truant at least once a week
• 150,000 out of school on fixed term
exclusion at any one time
• 400% (primary) and 350% (secondary)
increase 1990-95
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Learning from the evidence
• One in 5 school children have Special
Educational Needs
– 60% rise over a decade
– less than 1 in 6 of these have statements increased by 30% between 1996 and 1998
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Learning from the evidence
• One in five 16-24 year olds experience
homelessness at some time
• One in six 16-24 year olds victim of a
violent offence in any year - 75% rise
• 40% of offenders aged less than 21 and 25%
under 18
• One in 11 aged 16-18 not in education,
employment or training
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16-18s outside employment,
training and education (LFS)
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
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JSA claimants: aged 18-24;
unemployed 6 months+
400,000
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
1994
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1997
1998
2000
The problem: learning targets
Target for 2002
Baseline at
Dec 1998
Baseline at
Dec 2000
16-yearolds
50% getting 5
higher grade
GCSEs
46.3%
49.2%
16-yearolds
95% getting at
least 1 GCSE
93.4%
94.4%
19-yearolds
85% with a level
2 qualification
73.9%
75.3%
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“NEET” characteristics
All
194,700
(100%)
Male
107,500
(55%)
Female
87,200
(45%)
below VQ2
NEET
All 16-18
54%
30%
56%
32%
52%
27%
no qualifications
NEET
All 16-18
34%
22%
37%
23%
31%
21%
All NEET
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“NEET” characteristics
Classed as “ILO” unemployed
75% of young men
52%, of young women (but a further 25% looking
after family)
Nearly 35,000 (18%) have a disability or
health condition (21% of young men but
only 14% of young women)
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Conclusions for Connexions
strategy: the delivery vision
• a single point of access for 13-19 year olds
• prepare the transition to work and adult life
• integrate eight services - primarily careers,
health and youth services
• universal information, advice and guidance
• “when and where” young people need it - in
school, in FE, in or out of work.
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Connexions delivery: universal
vs targeted
• Resource demands: is £420m enough?
• Hardest to help - 9% population average:
– 200% of budget required?
– Too much emphasis?
• Poorest 88 local authority areas
• Balance of open access / specialist referrals
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Personal advisers
• Definition of role and characteristics:
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–
–
–
–
confidence and trust
standards of professional practice
broad range of skills
ability to deliver
access to services
• More than generic “referral agents”
• Caseloads: targets and complexities
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Superhuman PAs
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“high quality” information, advice & guidance;
influencing quality and nature of provision;
personal development opportunities;
advocacy;
brokerage;
links to other organisations;
young people in care and young offenders;
assessment planning and review
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Wider Connexions strategy
• more flexible and relevant curriculum,
learning and qualifications – “14-19 phase”
• financial support:
– encourage participation
– offer genuine choices between
“educational” and “vocational” routes
• improvement in quality amongst school,
college and work-based provision
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Maintaining the momentum
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PA recruitment difficulties
national marketing presence
waiting for the Connexions Card
are all the agencies engaged?
is the Youth Service ready and willing?
clearly defining the Connexions purpose
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Wider support for young
people
• Better co-ordination of policy 0-19
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Sure Start (birth to age 4)
Children’s Fund (ages 5-13)
Connexions (13-19)
NHS National Service Framework
Children at risk: cross-cutting review
“Transforming Youth Work”
Community cohesion
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Internet sources
www.cesi.org.uk/connexions
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