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Welcome to the July edition of our staff newsletter. It’s a bumper edition this month with updates from the teams and important information on what is happening over the summer months.
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Summer has finally arrived leading to lovely summer days and hopefully trips to the sea and countryside; however, we know hot weather can lead to increased alcohol use and unsafe behaviours, please make sure your young people are staying safe and having fun. Project 28 offer great support for young people. Please check out the below link for extra information about alcohol, drug use and being safe. https://www.thewrapdhi.org.uk/It has been a difficult time with another death of a young person though violent crime, our thoughts are with family and friends and the impact on our communities. Thank you to all the staff who deliver youth work on the streets, to staff offer support sessions with young people and the individual support given. There is lots of information about knife crime, please use these excellent websites with resources and powerful moving stories regarding the impact of knife crime: https://www.noknivesbetterlives.com/young-people/ and https://benkinsella.org.uk/Outdoor swimming is great fun and good for your mental health, but it is good to think about being safe in the water and passing this on to young people. Use this link to find great swimming safety tips. https://www.swimming.org/swimengland/7-tips-stay-safe-water-summer/Twerton and Whiteway Community Research NetworkI am involved in this network, which is led by Bath City Farm, Southside Family Project, Youth Connect South West and First Steps (Bath). “We are developing community-led research capacity to evidence the realities of living in the Twerton and Whiteway community, with a focus on local needs, strengths and potential.” If you are interested in knowing more about this please come and speak to me, currently the programme involves visiting other places that have completed community research and attending workshops. I recently visited the Wellspring settlement in Barton Hill in Bristol, which was interesting regarding a community research finance programme.
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This month we say goodbye to Bath’s Assistant Youth Support Worker, Jess Hays as she completes her degree and heads out on a new adventure; we wish her the best of luck at this exciting time. You may spot a few young people on work experience over the next few weeks. We currently have Daniella working in the café and a young person is soon joining Flash for a week in the studio so please make them feel welcome. We have also just recruited three new Assistant Youth Support Workers for Bath who will hopefully be with us in a few weeks’ time. Vacancies to promote:- Senior Music Youth Support Worker – 18.5 hours
- Senior Youth Support Worker – 18.5 hours and Assistant Youth Support Worker – 9 hours (both based in Stalbridge)
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It has been a particularly busy time of year for the Alt Ed Team. Young people from L4W, P4L, and ESS have been sitting exams, including some who have had GCSEs, and lots have been completing their Maths and English Functional Skills exams. Staff have been working closely with college to ensure all the correct exam arrangements have been in place and have been invigilating and scribing on the day. We have already been told that lots have successfully passed their Functional Skills exams!
There has been a particular focus on supporting transitions in recent weeks, with a few young people preparing to move onto the next stage of their education. Staff have been completing travel training and ensuring they have met the key people to help reduce any anxiety. We have received over one hundred referrals to Alt Ed for September, which has involved lots of meetings with young people and professionals and reading a lot of EHCPs!
All the usual sessions and activities have carried on and we have had some trips too. Eight young people from L4W and ESS were taken to the Hippodrome in Bristol to watch the Lion King at the beginning of June. We are pleased to say the night went smoothly and, for most, this will have been their first visit to the theatre!
Chloe Nicholls-Sames - Alternative Education Programme Manager
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Big Up to Nat R, Jack P and Stacey E for supporting young people at the Odin’s group in Odd Down. The group meets weekly on Fridays 4pm - 5.30pm. Attendance has been high and young people have benefitted from having a safe space to meet and offload about their week, as well as accessing a wide range of activities including crafts, sport, cooking and board games.
Another Big Up to Farah M for producing a fine Early Help Assessment. The Integrated Working Team were so impressed that they plan to use it as a teaching/ training tool for workers B&NES wide!
A final Big Up and thanks for the whole team for stepping up and working hard to help clear the backlog of referrals. We’ve had to make the hard decision to close referrals due to unprecedented demand on the service. We recognise that this is frustrating for young people, their families, and other professionals. We hope to reopen referrals very soon. We have a highly skilled Targeted Team, who are creative, resourceful, and hard working.
Steff Reynolds – Targeted Team Leader
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I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the incredible staff members who have shown immense dedication and support during this challenging time. Your unwavering commitment to our mission and the youth we serve is truly inspiring.
Exciting news awaits! We have just announced a brand-new vacancy for a Senior Music Youth Support Worker. If you have a passion for music and a desire to make a positive impact on young lives, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. Check out the website for the full job details.
Speaking of opportunities, we are currently in the process of recruiting in South Somerset. If you know of any talented individuals who are enthusiastic about working with young people, encourage them to join our team. And that is not all! Get ready for the launch of an exciting Level 3 apprenticeship in Youth Work. This comprehensive programme will equip aspiring youth workers with the skills, knowledge, and hands-on experience they need to make a lasting impact.
In the spirit of growth and collaboration, we are thrilled to welcome a group of enthusiastic new volunteers to our youth work team. These individuals have completed the Level 1 training and are eager to contribute their talents and energy.
Jayne Lewis – Youth Work Programme Manager
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At this time of year, we start collecting the September Guarantee information for all Year 11 and Year 12 young people. All young people leaving Year 11 and 12 are entitled to a place in education or training for the following year. The September Guarantee is the offer of that place. The September Guarantee helps local authorities fulfil their duty to provide education and training to young people and find them a suitable place. It is our job at YCSW to collect all this information for B&NES young people between now and October. This information is then sent to the Department of Education. Jude Foster and I (Kelly Sharda) do the bulk of this. At present we are collecting information from schools and colleges on their pupils and mass updating IYSS. Once this is all uploaded, we will look at all those who do not have a September Guarantee and go back to schools or other organisations who may have information. If we still do not have any details of a September Guarantee for young people, Jude will then track those remaining by telephone, email and door knocking. This is for over 3,000 young people so as you can imagine it is a massive task! How can you help:If you are working with young people within this age group, check IYSS to see if we already have details of their September Guarantee (see below for instructions on where to find this). If we do not then please take the time to chat with them and discuss their plans. Please then email Kelly.Sharda@ycsw.org.uk and Jude.Foster@ycsw.org.uk with this information so we can update IYSS – even if they are still considering options. We will also send out lists of those we are still struggling to find – please take the time to look through these lists to see if there are any names you recognise. And lastly please make sure that young people’s phone numbers and addresses are always up to date on the basic details page. Our scores for September Guarantee reporting have improved over the last 4 years and it would be great if we could improve further this year: Year | % Of Offers Made | 2019 | 78.8% | 2020 | 82.6% | 2021 | 95.7% | 2022 | 95.1% |
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Click on September Guarantee on left hand column. If there is a September Guarantee with a 2023 date then we have one, if not, we do not!
Kelly Sharda - Data Officer
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Summer is here, and so are our thrilling summer programmes! We are delighted to announce the launch of two fantastic initiatives: Bath Summer Escape and Summer Activities (HAF). These engaging programmes are designed to provide unforgettable experiences and create lasting memories for young people in our community. If you know any young individuals who might be interested in taking advantage of these, we would love to hear from you contact@ycsw.org.uk Simply let us know, and we will provide them with all the information they need to get involved. Alternatively, they can visit our website at www.youthconnectsouthwest.org.uk/summer to explore more about the programmes and discover the opportunities that await them this summer. Bath Summer Escape is all about being outdoors. It is open to those in Year 7 and up, living in Foxhill, Snowhill, Twerton, and Whiteway, along with the surrounding areas. We have an amazing line-up of exciting sessions planned during the summer break. They can unleash their creativity with nature art sessions, where they can express themselves through artistic creations inspired by the stunning surroundings. Experience the magic of the night as they participate in captivating bat walks, discovering the fascinating world of these nocturnal creatures. Learn essential survival skills in our bushcraft sessions, where they will gain knowledge about wilderness survival, navigation, and much more. Our Summer Activities programme is filled to the brim with an array of captivating events, workshops, and interactive sessions. Activities include a wide range of exciting options: from sports and music video workshops to cartoon creation, puppetry and virtual reality adventures, stone, and wood carving, thrilling Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, mind-boggling Magic: The Gathering Battles, and even unleashing your artistic flair in a graffiti workshop. Places are prioritised for those receiving free school meals; however we do have some spaces available for others to join. Those who have been with us over previous summers know how busy it can get for staff, please support each other during this period to ensure it is the best one yet!
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We are a small group of employees who meet at least four times a year to discuss various work-related issues. The purpose of the group is to be the voice of the staff of the organisation and to report to the Board of Trustees. To do this we ask that each YCSW team sends one representative to each meeting to make up a core group, it is for each team to decide how this is done. Meeting dates will be published and are open to all staff members to attend either in person or via Teams. You can find previous minutes on the S:Drive in S:\Education\Youth&Community\Meetings\Staff Involvement Group MeetingsOur next meeting is the 12th of September where our theme will be thinking about work/ life balance, so your team representative will be asking for your thoughts on working patterns and expectations within YCSW/your team. Remember the SIG is your group, we can only discuss items that you ask us to. It is also a great way to get your ideas or concerns to be heard by the Board of Trustees and to see how we can collaborate for the benefit of all staff and the young people we work with. Currently I am the Chair of the group so please contact me if you have any questions, ideas, or concerns that you would like raised at the SIG jane.george@ycsw.org.ukJane George – S.I.G Chair
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July WellbeingThank you for all those that completed the Employee Engagement Wellbeing Survey, the results are being collated and analysed, and feedback will be sent out soon. Plastic Free!Did you know that July is plastic free month? A challenge for all staff is to remain plastic free as much as possible during this month. We look forward to seeing any photos of inventive ways you have gone to avoid using plastic. We also invite everyone to get creative and to make something out of used plastic! This could be as an individual or part of a group. Please send photos to shelley.bush@ycsw.org.uk More information can be found here: https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/World Chocolate DayFriday 7th July is world chocolate day! Who doesn’t like chocolate? To spread the joy, we encourage all staff to get something chocolatey and give it to a friend, work colleague or family member! This could be a milkshake, chocolate bar, ice cream, cookies, or a cake! Why not make something to share? There are lots of ideas on https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/chocolate-recipes or https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/ingredients/chocolate-recipes/You may already have your own trusted chocolate flavoured yumminess recipe that you can share. Self-Care Day24th July is Self-Care Day. We encourage everyone to take some time out to do something they enjoy and reflect on their own physical and mental health. https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2023/06/24/default-calendar/self-care-month. Don’t forget we have our Employee Assistant Provider, Care First that can support you in various ways. Please see below for details and some upcoming webinars. Monday 10th July 12pm-12.30pm - Care first cCBT - Link Wednesday July 12th 12pm-12.30pm - How Care first can support you - LinkFriday 14th July 12pm – 12.30pm - Talk To US 2023 - LinkCare FirstCare First have an app called My Possible Self, which has a range of resources for wellbeing and support. If you need immediate support you can call Care First on 01452 623200 The link for MPS is: https://portal.my-possible-self.com/youthconnectsouthwest/my-possible-self/register The unique code to access MPS is ycsw01 To start using the app: 1. Download the app - available on iTunes or Google Play – search for My possible self: Mental Health. If you’d prefer to use the programme from your desktop, follow this link www.my-possible-self.com 2. Log into your company page with the registration code below 3. Create your personal account 4. Log in with your personal account information
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Did you know?Neil Armstrong made history on July 29, 1969, by taking the first steps on the moon, and made his famous declaration "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!" SourceJuly is the birth month for two of the most famous Toms! Tom Cruise celebrates his on the 3rd and Tom Hank’s is on the 9th. Although not a Tom, on the 31st it is Harry Potter’s Birthday! Source
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