Improving services for young people
Written by Shaun Moore on March 19, 2010
Gloucestershire County Council is changing the way it provides information and advice to young people to ensure that its services are relevant to 21st century teenagers.
A new website called WhatnowGlos will include information about positive activities, help with education, training and employment and will provide links to local and national help and support services for young people.
Local youngsters have been involved in the design of the website which will be bright, informative and it will be launched at the end of April/beginning of May.
This will mean that the county council’s Youthline Service will be withdrawn by June.
The service was run by young people for 3 evenings a week to give support and information to other young people. National help lines such as Connexions Direct and Childline are already providing this service on a 24/7 basis and are better equipped to deal with young people in crisis and emergency situations.
Connexions Direct receives around 100 calls and e-mails a month from young people in Gloucestershire.
The county council’s own analysis shows that the Youthline Service is not well used and not providing good value for taxpayers’ money.
Each call to Youthline is costing the county council in excess of £10. The young people who have given their time to staff Youthline have been invited to set up their own group so that can use their skills to help other youngsters in different ways.
They will be given support, advice and space to develop their ideas and how they can access external funding.
Under the Building our Future Programme, the withdrawal of the Youthline Service will save £20,000 per year. The WhatNowGlos website is being funded as part of the county council’s Connexions contract so that Youth Service resources can be focused on working with young people in the districts.
Cllr Stephen McMillan, Cabinet Member for Young People, said: “National free help lines have both highly trained and experienced staff and the resources to help young people in crisis.
“Gloucestershire’s Youthline Service simply cannot provide that level of safe, professional service locally. We cannot leave vulnerable young people speaking to an answer machine.
“Locally, we are working to publicise national help lines to young people so that they know who to call and where to get advice and help. The new website will be key to this and it will be promoted in schools, colleges and youth groups throughout Gloucestershire.
