Agenda item

Helen Radcliffe, Strategic Lead for Progression and Learning presented an update on the support available to care experienced young people to enable them to progress into education, employment or training (for copy of report and presentation, see file of minutes).

Summarising the report, the Strategic Lead updated the Panel on various programmes to support children in care and care leavers for their successful progression into post-16 learning.  She explained that the DurhamWorks Programme for schools had worked with 157 young people since 2020 through a range of support including mentoring, careers guidance and employability skills.  This year had seen a New Workplaces project to help young people with additional vulnerabillites to gain experience of work environments in order to make entering the workplace a less daunting prospect. 

DurhamWorks, DurhamWorks 3 and DurhamWorks Futures programmes help those who need extra support to enter employment and to sustain it.  Other programmes of support include the Sessional Employment Programme which enables care experienced young people to gain a paid work placement with Durham County Council.  In addition, the pupil premium plus pilot for post 16 year olds provides a £20 per week incentive to attend a further education college.  A bus pass scheme is also in place to assist those attending colleges in Durham.

The Strategic Lead for Progression and Learning pointed out the large cohort of care experienced young people and Durham’s performance in respect of those aged 19-21 compared favourably both regionally and nationally. 

In respect of those not known, the Strategic Lead confirmed that steps are taken to reach out to those young people adding that evidence had been observed that the Covid-19 pandemic had adversely impacted young people’s mental health and levels of motivation.

The Panel noted that all Durham Works programmes are funded by the European Social Fund funded and that the funding will end in December.  The service is therefore working hard to investigate other funding options. 

The Strategic Lead agreed to discuss some specific issues with Councillor Varty after the meeting, with the Service Manager for Children and Young People.

Councillor Walton asked for assurance that Durham Council was doing all it  could to maximise education, employment and training opportunities for care experienced young people.  The Strategic Lead commented on the benefit of having a dedicated member of staff to focus on the Sessional Employment Programme and Pupil Premium Plus pilot scheme and the regular meetings held with officers of the Council to increase the support for young people.  It was agreed that it would be helpful for the IIC to gather feedback from the young people themselves, to update the Panel at the next meeting. 

Councillor Miller observed that the employment hubs are located in the larger towns and he expressed his concern that these would be inaccessible for young people in other locations of the county.  The Strategic Lead explained that the employment hubs were developed by the Department of Work and Pensions during the Covid-19 pandemic and were focused on three main towns.  She stressed that the Progression and Learning teams work in all areas of the county and staff travel throughout the county to visit young people and provide support where needed.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.