Agenda item

Caroline Smith asked the Executive Member for Children's Services the following question:

 

Question

In the last two years, children have left school without the usual rituals, parties, balls, and group farewells – what one might call rites of passage, and this is after a very unusual year or two of schooling.  Whilst many will go on to university or college which will help support their mental health and wellbeing, my concern are those children left trying to find work in an economy recovering from Covid - what extra help are you providing to support young adults with both job seeking and their mental health over the next year?

Minutes:

 

Question

In the last two years, children have left school without the usual rituals, parties, balls, and group farewells – what one might call rites of passage, and this is after a very unusual year or two of schooling.  Whilst many will go on to university or college which will help support their mental health and wellbeing, my concern are those children left trying to find work in an economy recovering from Covid - what extra help are you providing to support young adults with both job seeking and their mental health over the next year?

 

Answer

These have been challenging years for many children and young people, who have had to endure changes in their modes of education, social isolations, examination results arrangements that sit outside of the norm, and they have done so with huge resilience. 

 

However, for some these challenges have had a marked impact on their emotional wellbeing and mental health; and with the economic challenges that have arisen as a result of the pandemic, job search for young people leaving school is also more difficult.

 

The Council’s NEET, I will explain that one, Not in Education, Employment or Training, in case you did not know, the Prevention Team have worked closely with schools to identify young people who are considered at high risk of becoming NEET at the end of the academic year.  These young people will be contacted by a qualified adviser over the coming months and offered support to help them identify their career goals and to create a detailed action plan to support them to achieve this.

 

The team has been working closely with the Economic Prosperity and Place Team and Jobcentre Plus to develop plans for an employment and skills hub in the town centre, which will provide a one stop shop for anyone looking for work in the whole of the Borough.  Young people will be able to access expert advice and support to help them navigate their way into sustained employment or education provided by the NEET Prevention Team.  Optalis supported employment, JCP Young Person’s Claims Advisor and the national careers service are all accessible to them.

 

The hub will also provide access to local opportunity providers including colleges, training providers and recruiting employers.  Access to computers and the internet will be available to support independent job search.  We are finalising our search for premises, but it is hoped that the hub will be open before the end of the year.

 

Supplementary Question:

You mention them picking up children at risk, at school, but what happens when they have left school, and it happens during their job search?  Secondly, are you envisaging a bigger budget to help cover what I foresee as quite a few mental health problems?

 

Supplementary Answer:

The NEET Prevention Team have confirmed that all young people who are eligible for a guaranteed offer of education or training, have received one, and will support those who have not yet received an offer, or who have rejected it, to progress into employment or training.

 

In addition the Council is part of the national Kickstart programme which offers six month’s paid work experience to young people, that is aged 16 to 25, which I think answers your post school question, who are unemployed and we currently have less than thirteen young people on placements throughout the Directorates, and we have more vacancies that we are identifying in the pipeline.

 

In respect of mental wellbeing support available to children and young people in Wokingham, a range of actions have been taken by WBC and the partners which aim to support and respond to children and young people’s needs at the earliest possible opportunity, including extending funding for existing services such as ARC youth counselling, the continued commissioning of the online counselling offer which launched on 1st July 2020 for young people aged 11- 18.

 

We are undertaking a review of the way that we deliver emotional health and wellbeing support to children and young people across Wokingham and proposing a series of changes that we think will improve the service offer and ensure children receive the right support at the earliest opportunity.  We are working with the Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust to provide Tier 2 primary health and mental health services in Wokingham, and a small team of primary health mental health practitioners will be co-located with Children’s Services.