Council set to consult on new borough youth strategy

The local authority aims to make Barnet “a place where young people belong”, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

three children in coats hold hands — Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Barnet Council has agreed to embark on a “well overdue” update on how it helps young people in the borough.

Last week (Tuesday 21st) cabinet members agreed to send out the local authority’s new draft youth strategy for public consultation.

The move follows updated statutory guidance for local authorities issued by the government in September 2023.

Speaking ahead of the decision, deputy council leader Ross Houston said the council needed to help provide young people with social and employment opportunities, especially following the Covid-19 pandemic, describing the decision as “well overdue and welcomed”.

A council report prepared ahead of the cabinet meeting pointed to research showing that 85% of a young person’s waking hours are spent outside of school and formal education, underlining the need to create positive activities in the local area.

The report also explained how the government’s latest statutory guidance requires local authorities to publish a youth strategy and “emphasises the need for councils to co-ordinate a local youth offer that reflects the needs of their communities.”

The guidance also encourages councils to “set a clear vision for youth provision, assess whether current services meet local needs, work collaboratively with voluntary, community, and statutory partners and ensure young people have a voice in shaping the offer”.

But Peter Zinkin, leader of the Conservative opposition at Barnet Council, queried the lack of reference made to work experience in the draft strategy report, describing it as a “mistake”.

Cllr Zinkin explained that, “as a major employer in the borough”, the council needed to contribute to the “really, really important” work of helping young people find careers and employment.

John Anthony, director of children’s services at the local authority, agreed and said: “I think we do need to make sure the consultation has a strong emphasis on employment, education and training – and opportunities for work experience.”

The senior officer also said the council needed “to go as far and as wide” as it could to ensure that it catches “as many different voices as possible” in the upcoming consultation, explaining that the kinds of people who usually respond to consultations are already using council services.

Barry Rawlings, leader of the Labour-run local authority, said he had been working to convene a meeting of public sector employers in the borough “to try and increase the amount of work experience” available for young people in Barnet.

In their report, council officers said: “The strategy aims for Barnet to be a place where young people belong – where they have trusted adults who support them, safe places to go, build skills and have fun.”

The proposed new Barnet Youth Strategy, which will run for ten years, will also “champion inclusion, belonging and continuity of opportunities” for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) and “drive action through evidence and youth voice”.

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