Time for action seminar
Your opportunity to drive progress towards making youth engagement a shared purpose in Housing Associations and their partners
Background
Housing Associations have a long history of taking action for themselves to improve the quality of life and opportunities for their young residents. Between 2011 and 2013 a number of Housing Associations took part in a national initiative funded by the Department for Education to develop new approaches to supporting young people in their… Show more own neighbourhoods. Through the Young People Friendly Neighbourhoods project over 75 Housing Associations took part in workshops to explore what they could do to provide more effective support to young people. The discussions fed into the final pamphlet produced by YPFN - this will be sent to all particpants before the event.
One year on it is time to take stock and build new momentum in the Social Housing Sector to improve the lives of young people. Housing Associations are being squeezed by welfare reform – leading to pressure on youth support (and some cuts to youth engagement teams). Government locally continues to cut open access youth provision and is unclear about what, if any, youth services it can provide. Future support for young people is moving inexorably to more targeted interventions by professionals (with payment by results) and away from long term developmental approaches which aim to put young people in control of their own futures.
It is time to explore and set out an agenda of what can be done from the bottom up – led by and owned by young residents and their communities. Housing associations can play a key role as local orchestrators – connecting and collaborating with other partners.
Purpose
To review progress toward building in youth engagement as a shared ambition within Housing Associations and their partners.
To get some up to the minute input on policy and practice initiatives which have a direct bearing on HAs work with young people: the Cabinet Office’s Step up to Serve programme and an update on the report “Acting on Localism” from think tank Respublica
To explore the YPFN propositions (see pamphlet) and agree what action housing associations and their partners could take to move them forward
To look ahead and identify a realistic role for housing associations as local animateurs – holding the ring for a range of partners to secure relevant, local, long term support for young people. This includes critical issues such as securing Board buy-in, building skills and capacities for partnership working and neighbourhood planning.
Agree how we might build common purpose in the social housing sector and achieve wider influence around this vital agenda.
Outline programme
Time
Activity
1230
Arrivals, refreshments, sandwich lunch
1300
Welcome and introductions from Affinity Sutton
Housing Associations and Young People – stock take
Keynotes on policy and practice:
Update on Respublica report on Housing Associations “ Acting on Localism ” and its relevance to supporting young people
Input from the Cabinet Office Step up to Serve programme and how volunteering and social action can be connected to Housing Associations’ work to engage young people
1430
Tea
1445
Lessons and action from Young People Friendly Neighbourhoods
Round table discussions on the call to action
1545
Summary and next steps
1600
Close
The session is being organised through collaboration between:
Plus Dane ( www.plusgroupltd.org.uk/ )
Affinity Sutton ( www.affinitysutton.com/en/ )
Kevin Ford from FPM Training ( www.fpmonline.co.uk )
Bill Badham from Practical Participation ( www.practicalparticipation.co.uk/ ).
It follows work carried out under the Young People Friendly Neighbourhoods Programme. Both were involved in YPFN and have agreed to host the seminar at no cost.
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