The pathfinders’ experience
Real stories from young people about their experiences with targeted youth support.
Updates
TYSP developments in South Tyneside
Background
South Tyneside is one of 14 local authority areas across England currently participating in a national pilot programme aimed at developing targeted support to children and young people.
The roots of the Pathfinder are located within ‘Youth Matters’, published in July 2005 as part of the government’s wider Change for Children agenda. The central thrust within Youth Matters is the reform of targeted support to children and young people.
The Pathfinder programme was established to develop and test new ways of working and to share learning across the Pathfinders prior to the national roll out which commenced in April 2007.
Governance responsibilities for the TYSP are placed within the Children and Young People’s Alliance.
National TYSP development model
The TYSP has been in development in South Tyneside since January 2006. All 14 Pathfinders have been working with the Training and Development Agency (TDA) and following a five-stage development model as follows:
- Mobilise – identifying stakeholders, pathfinder scope and timeline
- Discover – consultations with stakeholders, children and young people to identify views on current provision and needs
- Deepen – to strengthen understanding of the current position relating to provision and needs
- Develop – to begin developing options for improved targeted support for children and young people
- Deliver – to begin to implement change
National promotion
Good practice from our Pathfinder on young people’s active involvement through the South Tyneside Young People’s Parliament is featured in the new national ‘Targeted Youth Support Guide’ published by the DfES in April 2007. Our Director of Children and Young People’s Services and our Youth Offending Service Manager are featured in a new Targeted Youth Support promotional film about the pathfinders' experience.
Support to the region
On 21 March 2007 our TYSP Project Manager gave a presentation on the development of the South Tyneside Pathfinder to regional colleagues at Government Office North East (GONE). On the strength of this presentation and follow up discussions, South Tyneside hosted the Regional TYSP Network meeting in the borough on 15 May 2007 at Bede’s World where a further presentation was made to regional colleagues. Government Office have acknowledged the importance of this support from South Tyneside in enabling the roll out of TYS across the region.
Our Director gave a presentation on TYSP development from a Chief Officer’s perspective at the GONE regional event held in Newcastle on 10 May 2007. We will continue to support other regional areas in the coming year as well as continuing to drive the development of our own local TYSP.