Innovation in providing opportunities for young people
The Young Foundation is working with the Local Government Group to support local innovation in young people's participation. Over the last ten years more money has been invested in supporting young people to participate in employment, education or training, than at any other time in recent history. Yet despite efforts on the ground the number of disengaged young people has persistently hovered at one in every ten. At a time of turmoil it is often easier to stick with the familiar but our research evaluating crises of the past suggests that the financial imperative to make savings can spur radical new thinking.
But where do the best new ideas come from? How do you generate radical alternatives? How can further experimentation be encouraged, tested quickly and, if effective, disseminated rapidly?
The Young Foundation's scan of methods for doing things differently categorises methods as a prompt or trigger to start new thinking, a proposal or ideas development technique, a mechanism for prototyping to test radical new ways of working, a system for sustaining or diffusing ideas or a mechanism for seeing whole system change.
We have collated examples of innovative initiatives that provide opportunities for young people drawn nationally and internationally of innovation methods in practice which are presented in an online resource with additional information in the document below. Examples include user journey mapping, ideas banks, co-production or social impact bond.
Innovation in providing opportunities for young people - Case studies.
Innovation in providing opportunities for young people - Annex 1
The online resource will be presented at the Local Government Association Annual Conference 2011.
We would like to hear from you if you would like to include your innovative idea. Contact us at newmethods@youngfoundation.org
Case Studies:
1. Prompts:
Emotional Journey Mapping: Essex County Council
Communities researching their own needs: The Engagement Network
Life Journey Mapping: Northamptonshire County Council
Mapping Resources: iMap America
2. Proposals
User Led Design: Backing Young People, Worcester City Council
Rethinking Space: Urbivore, Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Competitions and Challenges: Think Big, O2
3. Pilots and Prototypes
Pilots: Made by Young People
Pilots: The Golden Company
Experiments: Face Up, Harrow Council
Prototypes: Fastlaners
Prototypes: Social Impact Bonds
Partnership Pilot: SPARC, Gateshead Council
Emotional journey maps of young people's lives in Tendring, Essex
Method: Emotional journey maps - mapping user's journeys to make problems visible
Local authority: Essex County Council
What they did
As part of the Total Place initiative, Essex County conducted ‘emotional journey mapping' with non-participating young adults as part of customer insight research in 2009/10. The emotional journey map is a visual way of seeing what life has been like for young people who are not participating in education, employment or training. You can see the key moments in their life (exams, family celebrations or breakups, leaving school etc), the service interventions they have interacted with, but critically also the way they felt as all this happened.
In Essex a theatre and arts group supported the Council to work with the young people to create the maps. The theatre group conducted one to one interviews with the young people which encouraged the young people to be open and frank in sharing their story. The maps showed just how many services an individual is likely to encounter, which events young people were likely to cope with and which were more likely to make them feel very low.
What were they trying to find out?
The district of Tendring in Essex has a high level of young people that are not engaged in education, employment or training, compared to other areas across the County. The onset of the recession made this priority even more pressing, as Tendring district had experienced twice the proportion of non-participating young people when compared with Essex County Council. The council wanted to identify the causes of high level of young people who are disengaged from education and training or at risk of becoming disengaged so that they could redesign services.
The findings
As young people's lives became chaotic, the increasing number of services as well as the limited information shared between the services could often mirror the dysfunction. Between the age of 11 and 16, a young person came into contact with up to 40 different services which is both costly and ineffective.
Essex suspected that a sizeable proportion of young people had good
or average attainment at primary school but their performance dipped
during their time at secondary school. This finding was corroborated by
the young people in the interviews. The young people reported that they
did not feel as though they were treated as adults in school and did not
feel that the taught subjects were relevant. They also felt that they
would respond better in smaller groups.
The emotional journey maps
were used to prompt local partners to think differently. They allowed a
different way into a subject partners were very familiar with, as well
as bringing new user insights to the table. As a result local partners
identified a need to focus on young people aged 12 and above to prevent
young people from becoming disengaged.
How long did the project take?
A year.
Who were the project partners?
Essex County Council used their existing partnership structure, including a 14 to 19 partnership group which was formed of the local college and training providers.
How was the project funded?
The project was funded by the county council.
How many young people were involved?
200 young people participated in the emotional journey mapping, of which 100 were neither working, in training nor education whilst 100 had now accessed employment, education or training.
Key lessons learned
- The mapping exercise demonstrated that when young people were taken out of their day-to-day environment they were open, frank and willing to share information about their experiences - providing valuable insights into their lives.
- The maps provided partners with user perspectives in a visual and holistic way, focusing on the highs and lows of life rather than on the silos of service provision. As such these findings can be valuable for incorporating user perspectives in service re-design - however, local partners must be encouraged to take ownership of the findings.
For more information:
- Emotional journey map can be found here
- Project lead: Kevin.Nunn@essex.gov.uk
- Link to method on Social Innovator: Mapping Needs
The Engagement Network
Method: Communities researching their own need
Local authority: Piloted across 10 Local Authority areas.
What they did
In 2009 the NYA was asked to develop the ‘hidden talent' programme, an LGA project for more effective local solution in re-engaging young people that were not in education, employment or training. The aim of the project is to encourage young people to get more involved in shaping local provision. As part of this work, NYA set up the Engagement Network to help advise local authorities about their services and establish new was of engaging with young people.
The Engagement Network was piloted across four local authority areas in 2009/10. In 2010/11 the project was initiated in 12 local authority areas.
What were they trying to find out?
The focus of the project was to enable young people to take ownership of auditing local services, identifying local issues, and find out more information about disengaged young people.
There were three strands in the work: dialogue with service
providers, research and the challenge. At the end of the project, the
young people have the opportunity to meet with key decision makers, talk
through their experiences and the findings from their projects,
The
project also includes a self assessment in which each young person
would look at their journey. The Engagement Network used a tool called
‘self smart'.
The Engagement Network partnered local community based organizations.
What did they do
Young people set out to audit, collate information and ‘challenge' local agencies by meeting local service providers.
Young People were offered support, guidance, training to help to design and implement the programme. Each local authority took a different approach to designing and implementing their projects. For instance, Warwickshire held a four day conference and invited 80 practitioners and young people as part of the ‘dialogue'. The young people facilitated the workshop and the focus group on how they could improve services. The young people analysed and produced a written report on the findings of the event.
In contrast, young people in Bexley were mystery shoppers with each young person tasked with phoning or contacting local youth employment services as well as conducting interviews on the street with other young people.
In Bradford they did a town wide audit and they sent young people who
are part of the network, whether this was courts, in youth offending
service. Young people collated the data and they have been working
towards a challenge event and present to elected members.
The
projects support service deliverers to shape services around the needs
and expectations of young people. There may be reasons why services
cannot meet the needs of young people but nonetheless young people gain
from participation and having a voice in the process. This helps improve
confidence as well as address gaps and concerns around service
provision.
The Engagement Network will be developing a toolkit to support other agencies who wish to establish a similar project.
How long did the project take?
The project is in the second year
Who were the project partners?
Over 12 local areas across the country have participated in this project.
How was the project funded?
The Engagement Network was initially funded by Local Government Association. The Engagement Network provides small sums of money for locally based organisations implementing the project.
How many young people were involved?
Over 100 young people have delivered the project and 300 have participated.
Key lessons learned
- Enabling young people to audit and collate the information is a good way of really capturing the views and experiences of disengaged young people. The young people have since attended and participated in several conferences to discuss their experiences.
- It is difficult to engage and maintain young people's involvement.
Young people need to buy into the process and may not be used to being
proactively engaged. The projects invested time in setting out the
benefits of participation in the project.
For more information:
- http://www.nya.org.uk/integrated-youth-support-services/engagement-network
- Peta Halls
- Link to method on Social Innovator: http://socialinnovator.info
Visual life journey mapping with young people
Method: Life-mapping as a method to make problems more visible and tangible
Local authority: Northamptonshire
What they did:
30 disengaged young people took part in a life- mapping exercise. Using visual aids young people were supported to explore their past, present and future - while considering ambitions, attitudes to work etc.
The young people targeted were all out of employment, training or mainstream education and were focused towards particularly hard-to-reach groups in the 16 - 18 year old age category:
1. Young mothers
2. BME communities
3. Young offenders
4. People living care
5. People disengaged from the mainstream education system
From here the maps were used to frame focus groups and discussions with frontline workers to explore the implications of the research for service delivery, and whether any changes could or should be made to existing provisions.
What were they trying to find out?
The project aimed to provide a deeper insight into some of the issues facing the most marginalized young people in the community.
The output was intended to provide service providers with something visual and personal created by the young people themselves - to stimulate new thinking and potentially highlight where services could approach issues in a different way.
A specific aim was to move away from ‘sanitised bullet points' in reports, providing the ‘views' of young people - and to provide something real and its original and intended form.
The findings
The exercise was useful on two different levels:
- As a process. For the young people to participate in. Many of the young people had rarely, if ever, had the opportunity to sit down for 2 hours and speak to an independent person about the future, their ambitions etc.
- For its output - the maps, and how they can be taken forward. The mapping exercise highlighted the disjuncture between existing services and young people's needs.The mapping exercise was designed as a piece of action research. From here they were used to hold sessions with officers and front line workers to stimulate new thinking around service provision. Officers were invited to view the maps and discuss collectively what resonated with them, what didn't, what they agreed with etc. and how the findings could be taken forward to translate into service changes.
How long did the project take?
6 months
Who were the project partners?
Connexions and Children and Young People's services were the main partners.
Alongside
this were various organisations - both statutory and community, who had
who brokered contact with the young participants, and took part in the
follow up workshops to examine the project findings.
How was the project funded?
The funding came from the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency partnership.
How many young people were involved?
A total of 32 young people were involved in making the maps.
Key lessons learned
- Project: The importance of spending time building human relationships through interactions with young people, and not becoming over-reliant on technological solutions which lose this vital aspect.
- Method: Participatory approaches have the potential to be very
valuable in highlighting the disjunctures between young people's life
experiences and their experiences of support services. However, these
findings are only worth the paper they're written off unless people take
heed of, and act on the findings.
For more information:
- Project Report
- Project lead: barry.percy-smith@uwe.ac.uk
iMap America
Method: Mapping physical assets. Mapping exercises can be employed to take stock of the local area, identifying provisions for young people as well as gaps and opportunities.
Local authority: Not applicable
What they did
iMap America grew out of Youthline America, a New York based project. Youthline America was set up over twenty years ago, in response to increasing tension following the Rodney King verdict in Los Angeles.
iMap America wanted to help develop an online tool for young people which set out resources to help them. This would provide a platform for young people to share useful information with their peers and identify community resources.
iMap America is a website for young people by young people. The project was developed to provide up to date information in one place, and also provides a feedback loop for other young people to comment on how effective or useful a service is.
iMap America uses web technology, building on interest and expertise in social media. Young people decide what they would like to map and i-map provides the structure.
Young people are trained to map their local communities and are supported throughout the project. As part of the contract between iMap America and the young person, they are taught to interview, alongside data entry, analysis and project management skills. Young people are introduced to the concept, but the content i.e. what they choose to map, is left up to them.
What were they trying to do?
The main goal of iMap America is to support young people to map their local communities to allow other young people and people across the country more effective, up to date access to information.
iMap America helps to resolve this gap and builds on the importance of peer recommendations
The outcome
Young people often find it difficult to locate services that are available to them, which prompts further action.
As part of the training young people are asked to describe their ideal community. Following the mapping exercise, the young people seek to make improvements in their community and can make them aware of the assets that are available to them.
It changes the outlook on their community and on themselves. Mappers often interview and talk to people that they would not usually come into contact with, such as service providers.
The experience of mapping boosts their confidence and helps them to communicate in a formal setting.
How long did the project take?
Training typically can be delivered between two days and up to a month. Young people are paid ‘map credit' for their time.
Who were the project partners?
iMap America work with municipal government agents including the department of education, local law enforcement and crime prevention programme.
How was the project funded?
iMap base their charges on the population of the town or city they will be working in, charging one cent per person in the population annually, and 1½ cents per person in the population for the initial top-up fee. This provides training and support for the young person, technical support and maintenance.
How many young people were involved?
iMap America has been delivered to young people across the United States and internationally, including in Cairo, Egypt. Over the last ten years, iMap America has worked with thousands of young people.
Each local area typically works with 25 young people, which can expand to 75.
Key lessons learned
- It is important that projects are peer led. Young people need to lead on identifying the resources they need in their community.
- Web based technology provides an opportunity to share up to date information with other young people and importantly provides a feedback loop on the quality of the service by young people and for young people.
For more information:
- http://imapamerica.org
- Project lead: jlogan@imapamerica.org
- Link to method on Social Innovator: Mapping Physical Assets
Backing Young People, Worcester
Method: User-Led Design
Local authority: Worcester City Council
What prompted the programme?
The programme was initiated to address local "hot-spots" with higher than average numbers of young people not accessing education, employment or training opportunities.
Current service providers were seen to leave young people disempowered in what was being done to them. The aim is to shift this power balance to allow young people some control over the services they received - with the view that they are best placed to determine what their own needs are, and what is likely to appeal to their peers.
What is the project?
Backing Young People engages young people, who may be struggling to access opportunities, in redesigning an empty space that they can go on to use in the future to develop ideas and support for both themselves and other members of the community who may be in a similar situation. The work has focused on specific areas which are "hot spots" in terms of young people who are not accessing opportunities.
In Redditch, Worcester a group of 12 young people are currently in the process of re-designing a space for young people to serve as a work development and training space, within the local YMCA centre.
The YMCA will oversee the space, however the young people have formed a management committee to take the project forward, and determine how best the space should be used in the future. This will likely be as a training centre for developing employability skills. This may be vary from basic training of numeracy/literacy, to financial planning, to
Anticipated Results:
The project aims to be of benefit to young people on two different levels:
- For the young people involved with the project, who will develop a wide set of skills during the project: team work, leadership, problem solving etc. Targets are to reduce 20 people locally from becoming NEET.
- Through the refurbishment of a local YMCA learning space - by young people for young people. Here young people will be able to take a lead role in deciding what training is offered to them, with the hope that more relevant training will lead to a greater uptake of provisions.
Time scale:
These projects can be run quickly to both engage young people and create change in an area. Once an area and partner organisation have been identified a similar project could run within a 6 month time frame.
Who were the project partners?
The project sits within a wider ‘Backing Young People' partnership, involving 6 local authorities, led by Croydon.
The Worcestershire NEET project specifically involves:
- Worcestershire City Council - In a coordinating and commissioning role
- YMCA - Providing a space for the young people to work with and in
- The Design Council - Supporting the young people in designing the space
How was the project funded?
Initial funding came from the ‘Backing Young People' Croydon partnership.
However the costs involved are minimal as the space is already owned by the YMCA, and so there are no property costs involved. The largest cost has been through engaging the Design Council. However total spending, including fitting new equipment in the space, is likely to sit at £8000 in total.
How many young people were involved?
The management group for the project consists of 12 young people, who volunteered to get involved with the project. Part of the remit of the management group is that they go out and bring other young people in - which will help to broaden the existing reach of the YMCA centre.
The finished space will serve between 50 and 70 young people in the local vicinity.
Key lessons learned
Project: The project is entirely replicable, and can run at a low cost through partnerships with local service providers, such as the YMCA. However alongside this it is essential that the project specifics are tailored around the local context and need.
Method:
The idea is simple:
- Engage young people
- Ask them what they need
- Give them the tools to manage something and set something up.
For more information:
- Project lead: Nicola North, children's services Worcestershire Council: nnorth@worcestershire.gov.uk
Urbivore
Method: Re-thinking space: Urbivore seeks to recreate disused
plots of land in cities into hubs of urban agriculture - providing
opportunities for apprenticeships for young people, a site for
intergenerational mixing and community activity.
Local authority: Partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Council
What are they proposing to do?
Urbivore plans to reclaim and transform unused plots of land within the city for the purposes of urban agriculture. Reclaiming the land will allow environments to be revitalized, whilst addressing social needs and helping to rejuvenate the wider communities.
Urbivore plans to partner with Councils and other bodies to create hubs for urban agriculture - which will provide a training opportunity for young people as apprentices, a focus for intergenerational activity and a source of income through selling the produce locally.
The apprenticeships will have 3 core components:
- Practical hands-on experience four days a week, with expert supervision
- Day release at college - working at a level of qualification that would be the industry standard in horticulture or agriculture
- Careers coaching - Supporting the participants to develop effective job-seeking strategies. Working with people's long-terms goals and helping them develop routes to achieving those goals rather than settling with dead-end jobs
Apprentices will be sourced through an integrated Summer program for unemployed young people - offering a combination of urban agriculture and careers coaching.
Apprenticeships aside, Urbivore will also provide a site for intergenerational mixing, offering retired people the opportunity to be involved, along with keen gardeners. They are currently exploring the potential of delivering health-related behavior change courses through the sites.
The findings
Initial conversations with both potential partner agencies and communities have proved fruitful, with both very warm to suggestions.
The organisation have now established partnerships with Stoke-on-Trent City Council and an NHS Trust in East London with large amounts of disused space.
How long did the project take?
Still a work in progre
Who are the project partners?
Urbivore has partnerered with Stoke-on-City Council for their first actual plot developments. The Council are in the process of transferring assets for a handful of unused pieces of land within the city to Urbivore, which they will develop into their first plots.
Urbivore has also established links with an NHS Trust in East London and in the future Urbivore will be exploring partnerships with other Local Authorities and land holding agencies.
How was the project funded?
Urbivore have received support from UnLtd and the Calouste Gulbenkain Foudnation, and will be drawing in grants to initiate the first project.
However, partnership authorities provide no monetary funding, simply land. Once set up the project will generate its own funds through the sale of its produce in local market stalls, through vegetable boxes or potentially through a local café.
How many young people were involved?
The aim is to bring between 6 and 12 candidates into a Summer program - and from here one apprentice will be selected per site.
Key lessons learned
- Project specific: Trying to change well-established patterns, such as worklessness, takes time, and cannot occur simply through the provision of information to young people. They must be supported to take practical action.
- Method specific: Crisis offers a huge time of opportunity - and land-owners must realise this. Reframe the view of abandoned and derelict spaces to resources which can be used as a catalyst.
For more information:
- Project website: http://www.urbivore.org.uk/
- Project lead: rowena@urbivore.org.uk
- Link to method on Social Innovator: Re-thinking Space
Think Big
Method: Competitions and Challenges
Local authority: N/A
What they did
O2 in conjunction with the NYA and the Conservation Foundation have
developed a fund and support structure for young people looking to make a
difference in their communities.
Young people apply to the ‘Think Big' platform with ideas of projects they want to run.
- Successful applicants are initially granted £300 and access to online training.
- If a project runs successfully then participants have the opportunity to apply for an additional £2500 to support their project, along with an intensive residential which comes with access to further enterprise training and ongoing support through a mentor.
What were they trying to find out?
Was this a viable way of providing opportunities to the more marginalised young people?
Testing the potential of young people to design and deliver local projects to run for the benefit of their community.
Trying to enable young people to have an increased opportunity to make a difference, increase their skills - soft skills, increase their networks and provide them with access to a range of resources.
Taking people with poor prospects to give them resources to develop their leadership skills and therefore enhance their employability skills.
The findings
In terms of succeeding in providing opportunities for young people more at risk of exclusion, the figures are as follows:
- Over 60% of applicants are from the 4 most deprived seasonal multiple deprivation
- 10% of applicants, and 12% of those awarded funding fall into the NEET category
- 30% are from BME communities
In recognising the value of peer support, the project is currently
developing a more structured alumni network to allow young people to tap
into each others skills, for example film making.
Many of the
community projects have gone on to have a ripple effect, providing
opportunities for many more youth living locally. For example ‘Wonder
Web', a Bolton based website which has essentially ‘translated' the
local job club into a youth friendly format.
How long did the project take?
Beginning in 2010, the project will run to the end of 2014.
Who were the project partners?
The main partners are:
- O2
- The NYA
- The Conservation Foundation
Links also exist between certain youth organisations who help to channel people through the programme. These include the Guides, Catch 22, the legacy home trust, along with local organisations, e.g. Blackburn Youth Action.
How was the project funded?
O2 provide all of the funding for the project.
However, some of this comes from O2 fundraising schemes, such as
handset recycling. All of O2's organisational funding is now directed
towards ‘Think Big'.
How many young people were involved?
By mid 2011 the project had:
- Received 1500 applications from young people
- Funded 600 through the first stage
- Supported 120 of these through the next stage of funding.
Key lessons learned
- Project specific: Offering two layers of funding is a very good way to filter those who are serious about taking their projects forward in the future
- Method specific: It's not always the best projects on paper at the start that will succeed. It's important to think of people's journeys and how they can be supported along these.
For more information:
- See project website: http://www.o2thinkbig.co.uk
- Contact project lead: matto@nya.org.uk
- Link to method on Social Innovator: Competitions and Challenges
Made by Young People
Title: Made by young People
Method: Pilot converted into flourishing social enterprise
Local authority: NA
What is the project:
Made by young people is a cluster of projects with the aim of teaching young people how to make money legally through experiential learning. The core of the project is a business model focused on getting young people to attend workshops where they learn business skills associated with creating merchandise from t-shirts to mugs. The young people create there own designs, conduct market research on their desirability and sell them in their local community. The work is designed not only to encourage entrepreneurial skills but also to teach young people the skills they should be learning at schools through methods of learning that are more engaging. For example, learning math's through designing merchandise and calculating the profits from.
What were they trying to find out?
The founder of Made by Young People set the pilot up in response to his experiences working for Birmingham city council youth services. The young people he was working with displayed an interest in business and he didn't feel there was a suitable organisation locally for them to pursue this interest. In short, the pilot was developed to investigate ways to engage young people with employment and entrepreneurial activity whilst giving them a chance to make money legally.
The findings
Made by Young People discovered that their model of experiential learning can be extremely effective particularly with young people who come from difficult backgrounds. One franchise has worked extensively with Birmingham youth offending services providing courses to young people from YOS who were likely to go to prison if they failed to be in work or education would go to prison. Moreover these individuals had consistently failed to attend courses provided by other educational institutions. The attendance levels were exceptionally good and this franchise now runs five courses for the youth offending service.
Moreover Made by Young People not only has a positive impact on young people engaging them with work and education opportunities it has also managed to be financially successful many of the franchises have a large turnover and they have ambitious plans for expansion.
These include getting a made by young people franchise in every major city in the UK and competing with major commercial suppliers for merchandising contracts.
How long did the project take?
The project started in 2006 and has been expanding rapidly ever since
Who were the project partners?
Unlimited initially provided a small amount of funding but different franchises have worked with different groups one in Birmingham worked with the Barrow Cadbury trust. The founders fashion and apparel business 50fity have also played an important role in setting the business up. In addition Youth groups and schools often refer people.
How was the project funded?
The original project had only a small grant from Unlimited at the start and since then it has been self funded. Other franchises have received funding from different places for example one project got a significant amount money from the Barrow Cadbury trust.
How many young people were involved?
In the original pilot six young people were involved. To date, over a thousand young people have been involved through education workshop in schools and youth centres. There have also been seven extended projects run by the original business each of which has involved approximately ten participants. Moreover franchises across the country also have worked with many more young people.
Key lessons learned
Project specific
- If you are going to offer projects with an element of enterprise
education you have to make it relevant to the young people. There is no
point running a hypothetical project asking what they would do with sums
of money they will never have. If you can show them how through a days
hard work they are able to earn a decent sum of money this is really
motivational and demonstrates the entrepreneurial opportunities
available to them.
Method specific:
- Successfully scaling up a pilot requires managers who are strong, willing to take some risks, able to make decisions and react to events quickly.
For more information:
- http://www.madebyyoungpeople.co.uk/
- Contact managing director: jamie@madebyyoungpeople.co.uk
The Golden Company
Method: Initial pilot leading to development of a social enterprise...
Local authority: N/A
What do they do?
After receiving an initial investment from UnLtd, Golden Company ran
as a pilot in East London in early 2009, and has since transformed into a
flourishing enterprise.
The Golden Company works to engage young
people aged 16 to 21 through urban bee keeping initiatives. Participants
are trained in practical bee keeping and also in the development,
manufacture and marketing of bee-based products which they then vend
(for a small wage) regularly at Borough Market. Young people receive
mentoring and also have the opportunity to work towards qualifications
around business, and bee-keeping recognised by ASDAN, and the London Bee
Keeper accreditation respectively.
The projects recruits its participants in a number of ways including word of mouth or via statutory agencies such as Connexions or the Youth Offending Team. have engagement throughout the whole value chain. From the start - the practical bee keeping, product development and manufacture, through to vending the products and interacting with customers at borough market. There is a real aim to expose young people to a whole range of potential viable careers options - as the project was partly initiated in response to a high number of arts based youth work programmes, which, although successful at engaging young people were not leaving them with many useful skills.
The findings:
After initially engaging with around 40 people, they have worked in depth with 20 and supported 10 through qualifications (which is seen as a good number).
The project is particularly successful in allowing young people to engage at each stage of the value chain. In the bee keeping, the product development, the manufacture and the marketing at the stall in Borough Market. This approach has allowed the young people to find their niche, whether it's working with their hands and building the hives, or it's design and they can work on the packaging for sale, or it's cosmetics and they can help to develop a new product.
The young people involved in the initial pilot were clear they didn't want to be seen as passive recipients of benefits in a community project, and were explore ways the project could generate money. These are:
- Development of corporate partnerships: companies may choose to sponsor a hive, or even locate one on their rooftops.
- Delivering training in bee keeping locally - for Councils, schools, corporations.
- Vending bee-based products at Borough Market on a fortnightly basis.
How long did the project take?
From receiving funding in April 2009 the project was up and running with young people two months later.
The length of the programme is flexible for young people, recognizing everyone's needs are different. People may be involved from between 6 months to 2 years.
Who are the project partners?
Borough Market - Borough Market provide a market stall for the Golden Company free of charge, and in return the young people from the Golden Company man the market's own merchandise stall.
Capital Bee - the mayor's bee initiative - has commissioned the Golden Company to deliver the training for the London based community groups.
Corporate partnerships have been established with Warren Evans, Nomura Bank, and Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP.
Potential for Local Authority involvement:
There is potential for Local Authority involvement through:
a. Procuring work out through Golden Company
b. Delivery of a similar style project
How was the project funded?
Funding for the initial pilot came from UnLtd
How many young people were involved?
The Golden Company has worked with 40 people, 20 of these in depth. In the Summer of 2011 they will look to recruit another 20 which they estimate will whittle down to solid commitment from 5 - 10 for the course of the project.
Key lessons learned
Project specific:
- A key aspect of the project is combining young people and nature,
but also involving young people at each step of the production chain
-making it a truly holistic approach
Method specific:
- The Golden Company started life as a small pilot, with a few young people, which allowed the concept to be successfully tested and refined as it grew, incorporating input from the participants.
For more information:
- Project website: www.thegoldenco-op.com
- Project lead: Zoe Palmer zoe@thegoldenco-op.com
Face Up
Method: Experiment
Local authority: Harrow local authority
What they did
Between 2010 and 2011 the Young Foundation with local partners delivered Face Up', an emotional resilience programme for young people. The programme targeted approximately twenty 14-19 year olds who had offended or at risk of offending. The aim was to engage the group and focus on a hotspot, the ‘Wealdstone corridor', to reduce anti-social behaviour and encourage the young people to engage in other services. The young people were invited to a three hour session, over three days. The emotional resilience curriculum was built around interactive and tailored film making, music production, and facilitated inquiry.
The emotional resilience programme is based on theoretical concepts
of positive psychology, which were framed around interactive sessions
with the young people, using multi-media.
The Young Foundation with
University of East London trained Harrow staff working with young
people. The trained staff included police officers, youth workers and
‘local champions', young volunteers in Harrow area. The staff were
supported to deliver the training to the young people.
The young people were invited to ‘Face Up', a course that was delivered for three hours over three days.
What were they trying to find out?
Face Up built on earlier work by the Young Foundation. The UK Resilience Programme was rolled out to over 2000 pupils aged 11 to 13 in three local authority areas: Hertfordshire, Manchester, and South Tyneside. This programme, based on the Penn Resilience Programme developed by Dr Martin Seligman and his team, aims to cultivate the emotional resilience of young people. Face Up sought to trial this approach with young people who were at risk of offending.
The findings
Harrow staff and volunteers completed and delivered the Face Up programme. In addition, twenty young people successfully completed the programme. The Young Foundation are exploring opportunities to replicate the programme in other local areas.
How long did the project take?
Harrow staff were trained over three days, which included a refresher day. The young people participated in emotional resilience training for three hours over three days.
Who were the project partners?
The Young Foundation in partnership with Harrow Metropolitan Police, Wealdstone Ant-Social Partnership team, Harrow Children's Services, Youth Offending Team, Ignite, and University of East London.
How was the project funded?
The project was funded by the Harrow Metropolitan police.
How many young people were involved?
Twenty young people
Key lessons learned
- Older young people received training alongside Harrow staff. The young people were from the local area and shared similar experiences with the young people. The local champions modelled positive behaviour and provided invaluable support to Harrow staff.
- The training curriculum was developed to reflect the local and project specific context. The curriculum, format and promotional materials were piloted with staff, young people and the local champions and refined throughout the project.
For more information:
- Young Foundation
- Marcia Brophy, Programme Leader
- Link to method on Social Innovator: http://socialinnovator.info
Fastlaners
Method: Prototyping of an intensive ‘crash course' for unemployed graduates
Local authority: N/A
What is the project?
Fastlaners is a two week ‘crash course' for unemployed graduates. The programme focuses on:
- Developing young people's soft skills
- Building up networks
- Increasing knowledge of the labour market.
This is delivered in varied ways including sector-specific talks, networking events, mock assessments and mentor support.
What prompted the programme?
The project was set up in response to high levels of graduate unemployment in the East End. Many of these were from first generation migrant families, and the first in their family to attend university. Following graduation many remained living at home and were unable to find work.
Initial research - with parents, young people, employees and careers services - highlighted the need for employability skills, along with increased networks for the young people. Many were first generation migrant families, and were the first in their families to attend university - sitting them at a distinct disadvantage to their peers whose families will likely have more developed networks and contacts in the world of work.
The Findings
Following an initial pilot in 2008, the course has been reframed and is now in the prototyping stage. After each round of Fastlaners, participants - both young people, trainers and mentors - are invited to feedback on the sessions, which feeds into the development of future rounds.
Alterations to the programme introduced in response to feedback include changes to the:
- Recruitment - More tailored participation criteria - learning what their niche is, where they have the potential to make the most difference.
- Content - providing personal mentors and leaning the emphasis towards soft skills.
- Follow-up - Introducing a structured level of post-programme support
Currently 70% of participants are seen to go on to work within 6 months of finishing the programme.
How long did the project take?
Following the initial pilot of Fastlaners in 2008, there have been three rounds to date, each lasting two weeks. The project is still in the prototyping stage.
Who were the project partners?
- Department for Business Innovation and Skills: Provided initial funding for the project.
- Canary Wharf Group: Provided a venue for the project
- Barclays Capital: Provided training support
The project runs on minimal core staff, and draws on experts from relevant fields e.g. the third sector, to deliver individual training modules on a voluntary basis.
How many young people were involved?
Over 60 young people have participated in Fastlaners, with a focus on East London graduates. The vast majority, approximately 85%, have come from minority backgrounds, and many are first generation migrants and the first in their families to attend university.
How was the project funded?
The initial funding for the project came from the Young Foundation and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.
The cost per participant in the programme is £500.
Potential for Local Authority involvement:
The model of the project is easily replicable as a two week course covering different training opportunities, and talks from experts in various sectors.
It runs with few core staff or costs as much of the training is delivered on a pro bono basis from local businesses.
Key lessons learned
- Project specific: To not underestimate people's willingness to get involved on a pro-bono level and donate time for free - this may be incorporated into company's CSR schemes.
- Method specific: The value of prototyping for on-going refinement. It is important to research an idea well before setting up a programme and to seek feedback from those who have been through the programme.
For more information:
- Project Website: http://fastlaners.org
- Project lead: Ginny.Lee@youngfoundation.org
Social Impact Bonds
Method: Efficiency saving
Local authority: Essex County Council and area partners;
What they did
The Young Foundation was commissioned by Essex County Council to do a feasibility study of a Social Impact Bond to tackle youth worklessness.
A Social Impact Bond which is invested in a package of interventions to tackle a priority issue. Key success criteria are agreed between funder and payer (usually central government), relating directly to an improvement in the priority issue. If these are met, then the payer remits an amount equivalent to the cost of the initial investment, plus a rate of return. Interventions can be delivered by the public sector, the third sector or a new special purpose vehicle.
What were they trying to find out?
Broadly, central government incurs the financial cost of young people that are disengaged. This cost is largely through welfare costs. However, central government rarely provides local interventions to prevent young people from becoming disengaged from formal structures such as employment, education and training.
In contrast, local agencies including local authorities, schools and NGOs are well placed to provide services that are critical to preventing young people from becoming disengaged. A SIB provides a financial incentive to reducing the number of young people that are not participating by sharing the savings achieved by central government.
The findings
The Young Foundation estimate is that a scheme centred on those schools and colleges in Essex which have the highest levels of leavers who become NEET could reach between 800 to 1,000 young people at high risk of becoming unemployed, a sample which is sufficient to generate statistically significant returns.
The Young Foundation estimates that:
- The total investment requirement for an Essex SIB to reduce the number of NEETs over three years is £1.9 million for 2,677 young people who are at risk of being NEET. This amounts to £707 per person. If funders choose to reinvest their funds, then the actual amount that needs to be raised initially is £1.0m;
- Each successful incurs a saving of £4,400 and the average saving per program participant is approximately £853 (taking into account the prospect that some young people remain disengaged and others would have found a job in the absence of this intervention);
- The programme can cover the costs of the interventions, and deliver a 7.5% rate of return to investors in line with those required by other social funding for this level of risk.
How long did the project take?
Between July and November 2010
Who were the project partners?
Essex county Council and local agencies
How was the project funded?
A Social Impact Bond usually invites initial investment from a range of potential sources including potentially philanthropy, private finance, as well as the public sector's own resources.
Key lessons learned
- The Young Foundation estimate that the successful movement of a young person from being disengaged from employment, training and education to employment incurs a saving to the government an amount of the order of £4,400.
- Seven tests of SIBs
For more information:
- The report can be found here
- Contact project lead: Neil.Reeder@youngfoundation.org
- Link to method on Social Innovator: Efficiency Savings
The SPARC project (Skills Progression and Re-engagement Consortium)
Method: Partnership Pilot
Local authority: Gateshead Council
What they did:
SPARC was set up in order to address transitions for young people aged 14 - 19 in Gateshead at risk of social exclusion.
The project recognised that between the ages of 14 to 19 there are a whole range of transitions that young people face - the pressures facing a 15 year old are different to the pressures facing a 16 year old, and the transition from leaving school to go to sixth form is a world away from the transition from a young offenders institute back into mainstream society.
Young people were referred onto SPARC, and from here a ‘progression point' was agreed, an end goal to aim for. This could be gaining employment, or entering into further education for example. From here the ‘progression route' was planned out.
SPARC established partnerships with a multitude of different local organisations which could be tapped into in - with different organisations acting as different ‘stepping stones' along the pathway. Types of support could range dramatically from basic numeracy skills to vocational training to script writing to capoeira.
What was the aim?
The project recognised mainstream provisions often fell short for the most marginalised young people, and as such many were falling through the gaps. A more targeted and personalized approach was necessary. As such entry onto the SPARC project was by referral and for those young people deemed to be at risk of disengagement by agencies that were coming into contact with them - be that schools, youth groups, etc.
The overarching aim of the project, as decided by the ESF, was employment. However, this includes meaningful and so sometimes a young person could be encouraged to participate in training rather than charging head first into education
The findings
SPARC demonstrated the power and importance of flexible pathways for young people at risk of disengagement.
Of the 840 young people they worked with, over 70% completed learning programmes, many of which involved being awarded LSC recognised qualifications.
There was an overall reduction of around 1.5 - 2% in the NEET population locally, which in real terms amounts to between 100 and 150 young people.
The course had wide reaching financial savings, some of which were direct i.e. a reduction in people seeking benefits, and some less direct. These include increased efficiency for local organisations - the project helped local courses to reach their capacity for participants, and improved ‘stickability' of young people taking part in local courses. There was also a reduction in case load for the Youth Offending Team and increased numbers of young people in mainstream education helped the college to generate extra funding.
How long did the project take?
Initial funding was received in Dec 2008; delivery began 6 months later and lasted for 21 months.
Who were the project partners?
There was very much an all inclusive approach to partners the SPARC project engaged with. These included colleges,. Training providers, Connexions, youth offending team, schools, youth services, community based services,
How was the project funded?
The project received funding through ESF, the European Social Fund. Although project manager, Terry McPartlan highlights many of the core components of the programme could be replicated without the need for huge amounts of external funding.
How many young people were involved?
SPARC made contact with 840 young people.
Key lessons learned
Project specific: Core aspects to take forward on a project similar to this are providing a central and strategic resource to:
- Broker support between referral and provider organisations
- Act as a commissioning role in providing tailored opportunities for young people.
Method specific: Services are a maze for young people, and they will often require some support in working their way through this maze. What works best is to identify:
- The individual's progression point, and;
- What the route through the services is to get there.
For more information:
- Project lead: Terrymcpartlan@gateshead.gov.uk
- Link to method on Social Innovator: Partnership Pilots
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