Making the difference

Action for Children

• Action for Children has been helping the most vulnerable and neglected since 1869.

• We help around 200,000 children, young people and families in local communities across the UK.

• We do this work in 480 projects in all four nations of the UK

• We work with children and young people– Whose families need support– Who cannot live with their birth families– Who are disabled– Who experience severe difficulties in their lives

Action for Children and Byte Night

• Byte Night focuses on our work which helps to prevent youth homelessness

– Family Intervention - for 2/3 of homeless young people, conflict with their family is why they are on the streets

– Youth Justice and intensive fostering - up to 40% of all those sleeping on the streets have been involved with the youth justice system

– Abuse - 1 in 3 homeless young people will attempt suicide and 1 in 7 will have been physically or sexually assaulted

– Young people in care - Up to 1/3 of all those sleeping on the streets will have experienced local authority care

– Education and training - Up to half of all homeless young people have no qualifications

– Accommodation - it is estimated up to 100,000 young people were homeless last year

How our projects are being effected by the current economic climate?

• Our recent Red Book Report findings showed:

• 68% of frontline children’s services have had cuts to their budgets, and over a third (37%) of these services have seen cuts of between 11% and 30% this year alone;

• In the last three months, 48% of frontline services have reported a ‘marked rise’ in the number of children, young people and families needing a service but unable to access one;

• At least 5,000 vulnerable children, young people and families have been identified as needing the services Action for Children provides but are currently not receiving a service;

How our projects are being effected by the current economic climate?

• Over half of frontline services have reported supporting children and young people (51%) and families (52%) with more severe problems, compared to six months ago;

• Managers believe that demand for their services has risen because of an increase in; family breakdown (41%), parental mental health/physical health issues (39%), reduction in other community services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (38%), reduction in household income because of unemployment (26%) and benefit reduction (22%).

How is Action for Children Funded

• 92% of our funding comes from contract and fee income from the delivery of services to vulnerable children. 

£181,898,000

• 8% is voluntary income

£16,271,000

Voluntary income means…

• …that we can do more than the basics• …that we can support our projects who are

threatened with closer• …that we can try new innovative projects• …that we can speak truth to power to ensure

that young people get the support they need• …that we can keep doing the work that we know

is important

Byte Night is helping us…

Gen R 8Glasgow

… to buy basic essentials for homeless young people’s first home

Byte Night is helping us…

Family Solutions Derbyshire

…to be there for local children when mum and dad are splitting up.

Byte Night is helping us…

Action TrainingKings Lynn

… to give children at risk of exclusion the chance of an education and a positive future by providing laptops.

Byte Night is helping us…

Youth Support Team South Wales

… to give both mentoring support and friendship to vulnerable children and young people

Byte Night is helping us…

NightstopDorset

… to provide emergency accommodation for young people who have no where else to turn.

Byte Night is helping us…

Bayswater Family CentreNorth London

… to support families at risk of homelessness through IT provision

Byte Night is helping us…

The Phoenix ProjectSouth London

… to work closely with young people to prevent family breakdown and stop run aways.

Action for Children and Byte Night

• Byte Night focuses on our work which helps to prevent youth homelessness

– Family Intervention - for 2/3 of homeless young people, conflict with their family is why they are on the streets

– Youth Justice and intensive fostering - up to 40% of all those sleeping on the streets have been involved with the youth justice system

– Abuse - 1 in 3 homeless young people will attempt suicide and 1 in 7 will have been physically or sexually assaulted

– Young people in care - Up to 1/3 of all those sleeping on the streets will have experienced local authority care

– Education and training - Up to half of all homeless young people have no qualifications

– Accommodation - it is estimated up to 100,000 young people were homeless last year

Who wants to come and see it!!!!!!

Making the difference