Borough chosen as Youth Innovation Zone

Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) has been chosen by the Government as one of four new Youth Innovation Zones across the country.

Designed to develop creative approaches to youth services, the zones are a corner stone of the Government’s new vision for young people and youth services, Positive for Youth, published today.

The Government wants local authorities to give young people a bigger voice in local decision-making and holding councils to account and to build stronger partnerships with voluntary organisations and local
businesses, to develop opportunities for young people in their local communities.

H&F’s ground-breaking Youth Commissioners Programme is just one of the reasons it has been picked. Young people go out and monitor all youth provision, interviewing young people and workers and providing feedback on the quality of services.  They also commission services for young people, writing and evaluating service specifications.

“Hammersmith & Fulham is keen to involve local people in innovating and exploring better ways to provide services and that absolutely includes young people,” says Cabinet Member for Children’s services, Cllr Helen Binmore.

“H&F has led the way in redesigning its youth service based on the views of local young people. They are bright, enthusiastic and, of course, are the people who use the service. Their views have been hugely influential in rethinking how services are designed and run.

“We are delighted to have been chosen as an innovation zone and it is a major endorsement of the success of our decision to move to commissioning all our youth services from voluntary and private sector specialists, rather than running projects ourselves.”

Closer working with young people and with partner organisations has enabled H&F council to increase the range of activities and projects for local young people, including:

• Youth projects now available six days per week, including Saturdays
• 3,030 young people actively involved in decision-making and scrutinising the council, up 90 on last year
• 300 extra youth project sessions per year
• Ten extra weeks of evening youth projects, from 38 to 48 weeks a year
• Two extra youth projects available for young people aged 11 to 13
• More holiday activities than in 2010 (already 58 more with two holiday periods still remaining)
• Young people are now able to access holiday activities in neighbouring Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster.

Children’s Minister Tim Loughton said:

“For too long young people in this country have had a raw deal. The vast majority are law-abiding, want to do well at school and are making a positive contribution to their communities. More youngsters volunteer than any other group in society. We must recognise their achievements.

“Councils should also think about how to get young people involved in decisions that affect them. I want them to open their doors to young people and get them involved – auditing and inspecting local services and listening to their ideas on how to improve things.

“I want Positive for Youth to be a turning point in how we view and treat young people, and in how we think about youth services. In a tough economic climate, bringing in charities and businesses to help develop and provide youth services is the way forward.”