The Youth Service in Bury works to promote the personal and social development of young people between the ages of 11 and 25 years to enable them to fulfil their potential as empowered members of society.
A universal service is offered to all, however priority is given to the 13-19 age group.
The service offers young people opportunities that are;
Educative – enabling young people to gain skills and knowledge that are necessary to identify their rights and responsibilities as individuals or members of groups and communities.
Participative – through voluntary relationships that ensure young people feel secure and safe to become involved in both the learning process and decision making structures.
Empowering – supporting young people to understand and act on personal, social and political issues which affect their lives.
Equal in opportunity – through challenging oppression and discrimination that may occur from differences of colour, culture, language, sexual identity, gender, disability, age, religion or class.
A variety of methods are used in the delivery of youth work throughout the borough. Six centres, one in each borough township are identified as centres of excellence for young people. Each centre offers a programme in line with local needs. This includes, inter-agency work with target groups, health clinics, structured training sessions, courses, generic youth provision and social events. Other methods used include, outreach and detached work, school based work and partnership work with the voluntary sector. Area Youth Managers may be contacted directly at the township centres.
Activity programmes are designed to be dynamic and fun. These include, art drama and music, outdoor pursuits, sports, residential experiences, quizzes and leisure and social events.
Work undertaken by young people is accredited through various channels. At present these include Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, Youth Achievement Award Scheme and in-service certificates of attendance and achievement.
For further information in relation to the work in local areas and how young people may access this contact youthservice@bury.gov.uk or, if you prefer, call us on 0161 253 5663 or write to The Youth Service, Athenaeum House, Market Street, Bury, BL9 0BN.
The Role of Connexions
Personal Advisers at Connexions can support the development of the flexible curriculum through work with young people and links with colleges and training providers. Their role is:
1. To enhance the partnership formed by the college co-ordinator and the school support teacher in the interests of IFP cohorts and individual students within those groups. However, Connexions Personal Advisers do not take over the statutory role of schools, particularly with respect to such matters as monitoring attendance, checking health & safety etc. (see attached notes on the role of the school support teacher).
2. Although not the statutory responsibility of Connexions, Personal Advisers provide the mechanism for additional checks on such things as attendance (which may impede individual progress), health & safety, child protection, programme quality etc.
3. As 14-16 groups in colleges usually include students who lack self-esteem, and are at risk of disengaging from education and training either pre-16 or post-16, they form natural target groups for Connexions Personal Advisers. Personal Advisers can make a very positive contribution to the achievement of individuals.
4. To enhance the communication channels between the student, parents/guardians, the school and the college.
5. To provide impartial careers guidance at key stages of 14-16 IFP vocational courses and particularly:
- before students embark on programmes (Is it the right course for them? Will it fulfil the requirements of their careers action plan?);
- during the programmes (Is it still the right course or does a change need to be made? What progression opportunities are available for the individual post-16?);
- at the end of programmes to ensure appropriate progression to further education, training or employment.
[Without impartial guidance, there is a real danger that colleges will treat 14-16 programmes simply as recruitment mechanisms. While not necessarily in the interests of individual students, this may also cause the college retention problems post-16. Pre-16 students may enjoy a college programme so much that they fail to consider other, and perhaps more appropriate, opportunities available post-16.]
6. Personal Advisers can make a positive contribution to a partnership achieving its Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) IFP targets, particularly with respect to progression: "three-quarters of the young people involved should move into further education and training".
7. To enhance the self-esteem of individual students. Lack of self-esteem is one of the principal reasons for individual failure so that any positive attention paid to the individual has a beneficial effect. Thus Personal Advisers have a vital mentoring role within IFP partnerships.
8. Helping students to adjust to the two very different cultures of school and college.
