To receive the above update.

Danny Gomm, Youth Service Manager, said since the initial lockdown in March 2020, open access youth sessions were closed and in recent months and the Youth Workers had been redeployed to support the esteem project.

The esteem project, which was a targeted group for young people aged between 8 and 18 years old with low self-esteem, restarted in-person in September 2020 until the second lockdown and had then continued virtually.

One-to-one support for young people has continued virtually since March 2020, as well as visiting schools. Support was provided around substance misuse, exploitation, online safety, low mental health and support for children who have a substance misusing parents. Low-level mental health support was also provided.

Return home interviews continued to be carried out for young people who had been reported missing, either virtually or in person. There was a correlation between young people who were missing regularly and victims of exploitation. The youth service determined what the young person did whilst they were missing, who they met with and if were they pushed to go missing.

Free virtual drop-in workshops to educate parents and carers continued, which included topics such as substance misuse, child sex exploitation and online safety. Two live virtual Q&A sessions were to take place on 8 December 2020, where queries by the audience on online safety and substance misuse would be answered by social workers.

The youth service worked with the TVP and Community Wardens and had meetings regarding sexual and criminal exploitation, where information was shared, methods to disrupt activities were devised and support for victims was planned.

Elaine Keating, Youth Engagement Officer, was responsible for the Girls’ Policy Forum, which was created to empower young girls and was to be promoted in the next few weeks in schools. Cabinet was due to receive a report in December 2020 to set up a Youth Council so that young people could be involved in council meetings.

The Young Health Champions was also being set up, to train 12 young people in years 11 and 12 to become peer educators in anything linked to health. The deadline was the first week of December 2020.

Councillor Price asked what the major challenges were within the youth services and changes needed to deliver in future. Danny Gomm said the digital world was the biggest concern, as it exposed young people to exploitation. There was an ignorance on how to stay safe online and young people were at risk of being groomed to share sexual images, and then blackmailed to share images. Sharing sexualised images amongst young people was now becoming the norm, therefore it was difficult to break the cycle. One-to-one sessions were deployed in Trevelyan and Dedworth Middle Schools to educate young people. Substance misuse was also a challenge. Ideally, working with the TVP and community wardens and attending parks and other spaces that young people spent their time in the evenings would be beneficial.

Councillor Tisi asked for the details of the Girls’ Policy to be shared and asked why young people were not using youth services as much. The Forum was informed that connections could be made on social media rather than in a physical space, therefore there was reduced youth engagement. Feedback from young people suggested that they wanted to meet recreationally in a space that was not regulated by adults, such as schools, at home or at youth centres.

ACTION: Danny Gomm to share details for the Girl’s Policy Forum with Councillor Tisi.