Working in Partnership Plymouth Libraries & Plymouth

Youth Offending Prevention Service

Jo Batten

Emma Sherriff

Who are the Youth Offending Prevention Service?

This service has a number of projects who work with young people and their families who are at risk of social exclusion or offending behaviour. The Secondary Inclusion Programme (SIP) is one of these projects.

What is the SIP?The SIP is an offsite education provision which works with small groups of young people secondary age who are identified as next day exclusions, about to be excluded or school refusers. Young people come to SIP 25 hours a week for 3 weeks. The structured programme includes literacy with a twist.

Library Outreach Officer

• Employed in July 2006 to target socially excluded young people who do not currently engage with libraries.

• Developing and delivering programmes of library outreach with groups across Plymouth. This includes visiting the SIP and project managing HeadSpace.

• HeadSpace is a library group run by young people for young people with the support of our library team and Youth Offending Prevention Service.

How it all began…

• Discussions in the summer of 2006• Preparing a programme• Launched Literacy with a twist joint library SIP

programme in November 2006• Now an integral part of the SIP programme• Summer 2009 HeadSpace film-making support

and from October 2009 weekly Youth Intervention worker

• Ongoing Youth Offending Prevention Service use of library space for 1:1 and group work

Aims of the SIP

• To provide group and individual support for young people• To provide first day provision for young people who are out of

education • To prevent further exclusions in secondary schools• To reduce levels of unauthorised absence within schools• To provide a more constructive use of time for the young people

who have been excluded• Children and young people are helped to develop socially and

emotionally• Children and young people are helped to manage changes and

respond to challenges in their lives• To prevent offending in young people who are at risk as identified by

the Youth Offending Service• To raise standards of achievement and promote social inclusion

Literacy with a twist programme

• A clear overview of library services for young people• Karaoke• Writing stories from graphic novels and Manga• Magnetic poetry• Drawing Manga • Rummikub word with a dictionary• Top trumps – Beat that books and football• Quizzes• The Library Challenge • Typing up and decorating stories at the library

Working together to deliver Summer workshops

• Providing a space at the local library for young people to meet workers on their doorstep

• Providing resources such as book collections, CDs and DVDs• Opportunity for young people to do something positive in the library• Outreach Officer helps to develop writing and literacy skills

Examples:• Fashion targets knife crime – designing t-shirts with anti knife crime

message• Budo Beatz – helped young people to write the lyrics and design

artwork for their track ‘Mugged off’, the track was later recorded at a local studio

• Health and Beauty sessions – provided young people with fitness DVDs, recipe books and beauty guides

HeadSpace film project

• HeadSpace 15 to 18 group worked with Plymouth City Council’s Youth Offending Prevention Team to create a short film entry for the Public Library Building Awards 2009.

• The project took place over six weeks at HeadSpace and involved shooting a typical session in the library. Jo Batten planned, developed and helped edit the film with the group.

http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/homepage/leisureandtourism/libraries/cyp/youngpeople/headspace.htm

Youth Intervention at HeadSpace

• HeadSpace is located in a socially excluded area, we welcome young people who for the most part behave well. Following a challenging incident involving young people with specific needs we felt the project required specialist support.

• Worker provides opportunity for 1:1 support within and outside HeadSpace.

Tips for creating a successful partnership

• Contact your local youth agency• Identify your aims• Present the benefits• Meet to match up your project with an

appropriate group• Plan a programme of activities • Agree a start date• Reflect and review• Evolving partner contributions

What do youth agencies want from librarians?

• Looking at literacy and learning in a different way• Supporting and engaging young people within different

learning environments• Knowledge of resources for the young person’s

appropriate reading level and new, exciting genres of books such as graphic novels; reading ice breakers such as Karaoke; games that promote literacy such as Rummikub word.

• Encouraging and supporting young people to access a mainstream service in their community

• Promoting the library as a safe, fun space for vulnerable young people

What do librarians need from youth agencies?

• Support to manage challenging behaviour during sessions

• Training opportunities both during sessions and off site

• The opportunity to have access to socially excluded young people in their community

• Providing opportunities to get involved in local events with young people

• Providing support and guidance for youth accreditation schemes

What makes a good partnership?

• Flexibility

• Open communication

• Shared understanding of project goals

• Commitment and consistency in your work

• Providing support across the service where needed such as HeadSpace projects

• Working together to develop new projects

Any questions?

Contact details:

Emma Sherriff – Plymouth LibrariesEmma.Sherriff@plymouth.gov.uk

Jo Batten – Plymouth Youth Offending Prevention Service

Joanne.Batten@plymouth.gov.uk