Youth Officers - For contact      Youthcomm web site

Our Aim

To make Worcestershire County Youth Support of and for Worcestershire young people

Our Vision

• The Youth Support supports young people in their transition from childhood to responsible adulthood by encouraging their personal and social education and to help them take a positive role in the development of their communities and society.
• To provide a universal service, which is accessible to all young people through differentiation on the basis of need.
• The Service age range will be 11-20 years with priority given to young people aged 13-19 years.
• Within this age range the following groups are recognised as in need of particular attention:
• Young people at risk
• Young people from minority ethnic groups
• Young people living in rural communities
• To work in partnership with those who share our vision and are committed to raising achievement and learning, and promotion of social inclusion through prevention and intervention work.
• To promote social Inclusion and combat disaffection of young people.

Our Way of Working

• Worcestershire Youth Support is distinguished by the voluntary, participative, relationship it develops with young people. Through this relationship the Service plans strategic responses to identified personal and social needs.
• By listening to young people, the Youth Support is able to provide enjoyable yet challenging learning opportunities that explore issues, raise aspirations and encourage personal development and growth.
• The Youth Support works with young people, and other partners, to address the realities of inequality, disadvantage and social exclusion. To this end the Service uses its influence to ensure that the decision-making environment is receptive and responsive to the voice and active involvement of young people.
• The range and scope of Youth Support delivery includes:
  
• Open access youth centres
• Outreach youth work
• Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme
• Youth Achievement Award
• A range of opportunities to be actively involved in decision making and democracy
• Forum work
• Advice, information and support work
• Targeted project work.
• Mobile youth work
• Youth work in schools
• International visits
• Residential experiences
• Multi media Youthcomm project
• Mentoring
• Sports, music and arts activities

Our Commitment to Young People

The Youth Support will actively involve young people in the development of a Youth Charter.

Our Policy Priorities
Direct Delivery

• The provision of relevant, welcoming and accessible places for young people to meet.
• The provision of quality, information and support to young people which is readily accessible, relevant and is available through a variety of media and cover.  
• To provide a platform for young people, which enables their voice to be heard and which helps them to influence and become actively involved in decision making both locally and in wider contexts.
• The provision of a rich diversity of personal and social development opportunities and choices to young people that are responsive to needs, promote social inclusion and enhance personal and social development.  
• Places and relationships, within which young people can have fun, build confidence, feel secure and valued, and learn to take greater control of their lives.

Partnership Working

• The Youth Support will work in partnership with the Voluntary Sector, both to support the work of voluntary organisations and also to maximise the opportunities to draw in external funding for work with young people including the emerging Children's Fund.
• The Youth Support will contribute to the County Council cross cutting strategies, policy and provision for young people through taking the lead in promoting the active involvement and participation of young people and joint working with the Cultural Services (including libraries), Social Services, Educational Services and Environmental Directorates.
• The Youth Support will seek to influence how other services deliver their mainstream services to young people.
• The Youth Support will work alongside other partners, including the 6 District Councils, the 6 Community Safety Partnerships, the Connexions Service and the Health Services in the implementation of preventative strategies and actions that enable young people to make informed choices that keep them in good shape and thus promote social inclusion and combat disaffection.

Youth Officers - For contactLink

Youthcomm web site