Live - Staying Safe

NYA calls for a ban on Mosquito devices

tim — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:48:33 +0100

The National Youth Agency's spotlight briefing from the Youth Summit calls for Mosquito devices to be banned.

Young people at the Youth Summit strongly condemned the use of the devices which emit a high pitch noise only audible to young people - and which are intended to drive young people away from congregating where the devices are installed.

Participants at the Youth Summit spoke of the need for a campaign against the devices. Human Rights campaign group Liberty have expressed concern that the devices violate young people's Human Rights.

The humble hoodie

tim — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 17:30:48 +0100

Just a few videos left from the Youth Summit to post. And I was reminded that there was still this one from NYA Chief Executive Tom Wylie to post when I read about the Respect campaign being run by YouthNet and the British Youth Council to promote positive rather than negative images of young people.

The campaign currently has an Early Day Motion tabled in parliament - which means you can encourage your MP to put their name to ending the unfairlty negative coverage of young people in the media. See http://www.youthnet.org/mediaandcampaigns/campaigns/respect for more information.

Youth Summit Live: Summary

tim — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:26:10 +0100

The Youth Summit has been a great success for all those who attended, bringing together practitioners, policy makers and young people to discuss the key issues affecting the implementation of the Government’s ten-year strategy for children and young people. A wealth of ideas, debate and dialogue were generated, the most relevant of which have been captured as video interviews, podcasts, powerpoints and transcripts downloadable from this website. We will ensure it informs our work as we move forward and hope you find it valuable as well.

Throughout the Summit we were recording workshops and plenary sessions through Youth Summit Live. Below are links to some of the key posts in each theme.

Staying Safe

Summary workshop notes from day 1: assessment of the challenges and a full list of day 1 workshop notes give an overview of the staying safe topics covered. The workshop was led by young people from Corby using an attitude finder activity
Discussions of the harm caused Mosquito devices played a big part in the workshop, as the young people from Corby tell is in this video interview and as a workshop participant reflects in this one.
Workshop notes from day 2: priorities for action give a sense of the issues that participants wanted to take forward.
Darshna from Churchfield Primary School also used the blogging feature on Youth Summit Live to offer an imagined advice column to young people on issues of bullying.

Being Healthy

The summary workshop notes from day 1: assessment of the challenges in health give an overview of where we are falling short for young people, with all the different issues identified covered in this post.
Workshop notes from day 2: priorities for action gives a wide-ranging list of priorities from the health workshops, focussing in particular on funding and investment, better sex and relationship education, and improved training and sharing of good practise.
A what's changed example and two videos from the Maypole centre help explore some good practise sharing
Plus - we captured the launch of Youth Access's new resources on commissioning mental health services for young people

Enjoying and Achieving

The workshop notes from day 1: assessment of the challenges build up a clear picture of where change is needed.
Young people from NACRO Newcastle who led these workshops put enjoying and achievement into practise whilst at the summit - by making the most of their London visit and working hard to build a presentation overnight including their photos from around the city that fed into day 2.
The workshop notes from day 2: priorities for action identifies a range of campaigning, spending, policy and practise changes required.
A presentation from Actions Speak Louder highly commended project Rolling Base

Having Economic Wellbeing

The workshop notes from day 1: assessment of the challenges set out some serious topics for discussion on day 2.
But as the woorkshop notes from day 2: priorities for action show - the group generated practical forward planning ideas and shared examples of where action to ensure young people economic wellbeing can work.
We also capture Anthony Lawton's three tests for good housing through Bill's blogging and a discussion has developed on this blog post about gangs placed in the economic wellbeing category.

Making a positive contribution

The making a positive contribution workshop notes from day 1: give a wider ranging assessment of the challenges, added to by points from the young volunteers helping lead the session
The notes from day 2 with priorities are here. The group had a particularly interesting set of discussions about compulsory volunteering.
Mike from Yomo, watching Youth Summit Live whilst working in Ireland, shared some background resources that might be useful for organisations exploring young peoples volunteering and participation.

Plus - outside the core themes of the Youth Summit we had lots of activity on Youth Summit Live. This poem started of a wave of creativity, surfed by Barney from conference organisers NSA with this poetic input. Holly Hill proved to be star blogger, regularly dropping into the media centre to share her reflections. Plus - Tom Wylie's suggestion that there be a national Youth Board sparked a lot of discussion, including an online poll and a couple of video interviews.

Where next for Youth Summit Live?

The Youth Summit Live website will continue to be available and open for contributions for another couple of weeks. After that, we'll pause the ability to add information - but will keep it available so that practioners, policy makers and young people alike can share the collected wisdom and insights of all Youth Summit Live contributors.

The National Youth Agency, supported by Practical Participation is starting a deeper exploration of how methods like this can help us to communicate with and deepen our dialogue with young people and other NYA stakeholder alike. We'd welcome your continued comments, reflections and input.

The Youth Summit Live model

Youth Summit Live was concieved, designed, developed and run in just under a fortnight by Tim Davies of Practical Participation, working with the organising team for Youth Summit live from the National Youth Agency and Neil Stuarts Associates. It was championed and supported by Bill Badham. The Roving Reporters team made the media happen by roving through the Youth Summit gathering photos, reports and more. If you have any feedback about Youth Summit Live; you're interested in exploring how a Youth Summit Live style model could work at an event you are running; or you are interested in wider explorations of how new media can work for your organisation or project, please do contact tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk.

Other issues on staying safe

tim — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 14:39:03 +0100

Web Link

Video

Day 2 workshop - Staying Safe - priorities for action

tim — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 14:12:59 +0100

What are the key priorities for action?

Campaigning

Tackle press sensationalism – positive press
Positive (black) role models
Provide real information
Reduce fear of crime to reduce carrying weapons
Involve local community
Use new technology – txt/msn etc.

Policy (national and local)

Use of extended school
Ask young people
Dispersion can cause isolation
18-21 doesn’t fit

Practice

Provide alternatives
PCSO’s – better training – young people providing input
Peer training
Cross boundary working
Education
Balanced approach to ASB Prevention / enforcement

Spending

Higher amount spent on prevision
Make use of empty premises
Map existing projects to pool resources

Darshana's Spiritual Area

darshana — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 14:03:36 +0100

Dear Darshana,
There is someone I know. Just think of the person as a big bully. The person was one of my best friends and now she has just changed. I need you to help me. I feel like there is no one but you that I could relate to. Please help me understand what is going on I need your help.

My advice
Talk to her and tell her how you feel and if that does not work start to take things seriously and talk to either your parents or tell your teacher and finally if that does'nt work tell the head or deputy head. And see what happens.

Todays Spiritaul thought

Don't let the past hold you captive move on and start anew.

Roving Reporters - Newsletter

tim — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:50:52 +0100

The Roving Reporters were up till late last night creating an overnight newsletter to give a picture of the whole event.

Get your copy here (PDF).

More on mosquitos

tim — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:15:46 +0100

More on mosquito devices from a participant in yesterday's Staying Safe Workshop...

Staying Safe Workshop - mosquitos, PCSOs and MPs

tim — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 10:43:40 +0100

We spoke to the Staying Safe workshop team yesterday morning before their workshop and we caught up with them again in the afternoon afterwards.

You can see what they had to say above..

Vox Pops after open space session

tim — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:42:10 +0100

Steve Moore from Channel 4 led an open spaces session at today's Youth Summit - and afterwards DK captured some of the ideas that have come up...

The Youth Summit 2007

golden — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:23:40 +0100

Hi i am on work placement with a company called changemakers and its is going very well for me i am enjoying it there all full of respect and good people.
Well basacaliy i am just typing up a blog for young people and want to show the goverment that what happen in today world. Youngastas like out there on the street are just in to crime and stuff. The people out there are getting into trouble with the police for no reason example a young people is wearing a hooded top and people around him are thinking omg he is A CRIMINAL!!!! what is the young people gonna think cause he is just wereing a hoody it lyk being stupid then the young people is gonna think DAM these people are thinking i am bad stereo type.!!!

And in the future if u do have criminal conviction over sumthink that u have not done and the court found you guilty that not fair (Why) Because 1st he aint done nuffink and he is getting in to trouble for no reason?
And when you are goin for a job interview u got to be honest what ever they ask you nuffink personal that u dont want just say to them straight but in fact if u do have a criminal record then you tell them no matter if u have done nuffink or did do.

Comments from workshops participants (collected bullet points...)

tim — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:14:09 +0100

What is young people's experience?

Need to consult more with young people.
Fear of crime (particularly mobiles)
Policy makers need to take action on young people's views.
Young people are not listened to
Young people are stereotyped
Young people are victimised
Get poorer services than adults
Standing with friends on the street is seen as unacceptable / threatening
When poorer educated there are bigger issues
Young people don't feel safe - deprivation, crime, poor lighting, alcohol, fear of adults (high streets)
Detached youth work - cuts in services / gaps in provision
Dispersal orders - impact puts young people in unsafe positions (youthworkers are not consulted on this process...)
Perceptions of young people - perceived as a threat
CCTV - criminalising young people - no communication - arms-length viewing
Many of the current policy responses to community safety (e.g. Cameras, dispersal orders, "mosquito" devices) are perceived by young people as making their communities *less* safe for them...
Huge variety of experiences
Many young people feel unheard
Many young people feel judged

What needs to be changed or put in place?

Need to research into the health effects of mosquito systems or just ban them! Look at alternatives. Invite MP's with kids under 17 to make their child to an are with mosquito device... It's age discrimination against human rights!
Police targets counter-productive for young people. Police targets contradict youth offending targets
More funding for local projects
Training in youth work for P.C.S.O.s
Proposals in youth matters implemented. Standards need to be set high and we need to develop a culture that expects exceeding the minimum.
New police/PCSO recruits to have training session from young people about what it's like to be young & police and young peoples relationships
Sharing of what has worked in authorities
Intergenerational work
ASBOs/CCTV - consultation with young people and youth service providers
Consultation - listen and act
Look at roles of personal and detached youth workers - where do we need investment...

If young people identify "boredom" as the key factor of anti-social behaviour, in areas where a comprehensive and accessible youth service is in place, /and/ anti-social behaviour still exists: *what more can be done?*

We understand that PCSOs can be good in different areas - but the quality is not consistent in all places. We discussed ideas such as young people training policy and more education on adolescence for PCSOs but *how can we ensure such programmes and quality standards are applied around the country*.

Young people want to be respected
Demand for consultation (e.g. Mosquito / CCTV)
Judgement being made with limited knowledge
Need to engage with "credible" adult.
Listen to young people locally and nationally
Involve them as integral par of strategy/policy/devlivery and development as equal partners - not as token involvement / consultation...

Where are we falling short for children and young people?

Not listening / asking
Often when asked - young people don't see a result. Not following through.
Not respected enough
Not giving feedback.
Not giving them positive role models and displaying positive images
When something is reported in the media we don't go to young people for comments - we go to adults.
We're not listening and consulting enough
Not providing enough qualified staff
Lack of youth provisions
Lack of positive role models and images for young people

Extra Evidence Online (optional)

Why are we falling short?

Adults (mid age range) often not on the streets (using cars)
Young people and old people only ones left on the streets - not surprising - older ones are scared
Government targets push to criminalise and stigmatise young people
We think we know what's best - we were young once
Organisational excuses - not enough time and money
Not involving young people in design / delivery / policy
Politicians scared of young people
Adults don't, on the whole, like young people
Don't have the institutional norms that involve and consult young people
Sometimes only consulting the 'easy to reach' - not the hard to reach...

Extra Evidence Online (optional)

Staying Safe...

tim — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:05:16 +0100

What is young people's experience?

We have a rough idea - but as times change, things change. We need to realise that young people have different experiences from each other...

What needs to be changed or put in place?

"Upbringing" - young people want less discipline but need more.
Adults need to make more effort to meet young people. Mutual respect and mutual needs.
Need to appoint youn person in the house of commons or have more long term ministers.

We need to take young people seriously,
Make sure young people are prioritised
Need better national policy.

Where are we falling short for children and young people?

Not listening
Not communication
Poor upbringing / partental respect
Charging for services

Extra Evidence Online (optional)

Why are we falling short?

Not enough money - other priorities take over

Extra Evidence Online (optional)

Workshop Reporting: Staying Safe (the big flipchart...)

tim — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:55:27 +0100

What is young people's experience?

A lot of the major policies to address community safety actually make young people more vulnerable

What needs to be changed or put in place?

We need to exceed minimum ECM standards.
Training for policy and PCSOs
Not enough feedback for young people
Mosquitos - involve MP and families in campaigning.

We need to know what solutions young people have to address Anti-Social Behaviour Orders...

Where are we falling short for children and young people?

Communication - different effective methods

Extra Evidence Online (optional)

Why are we falling short?

We don't have the constitutional norms of involving people.
Use of streets / vehicles by adults. Only young people and older people walk.

Extra Evidence Online (optional)

Rolling Base

tim — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:53:16 +0100

Web Link

Video

Attitude Finder

tim — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:15:54 +0100

Young people from Corby will soon be running a session at the Youth Summit later on this afternoon.

They're going to be challenging their audience to think about issues such as Dispersal Orders, Anti-Social Behaviour, CCTV and more...

I spoke to them a few minutes ago to get a bit of a preview...