Young Hackney Connects

Young Hackney ConnectsAnnual Report 2013/2014

This report was prepared for the Director of Children’s Services Management Team of Hackney’s Children and Young People’s Service.

Case histories have been presented with the consent of the children and families involved and are an accurate representation of the work done although some names and details have been changed to prevent identification where requested.

Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are of Hackney children and young people and were taken in the hubs, playgrounds and schools of Hackney or while on activities organised by Young Hackney.

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The journey from Connecting Young Hackney to Young Hackney Connects

Young Hackney Three YearsOn

connecting up the disparate parts of services for young people to create a service that was truly integrated, reflecting the particular needs of children and young people and centred on youth opportunities at the Hubs.

We’ve delivered on our promises, the Young Hackney hubs have now all opened, the most recent The Edge only opening a year ago, and the partnerships with other professionals and networks are firmly established. The CAMHS work is particularly successful at engaging and making a difference to families who previously have not engaged with clinical services. Our collaborative work with our VCS partners is making an impact on achieving new grants such as the mayors mentoring fund, the Job Centre Plus Flexible Support Grant and the Big Lottery funded Talent Match a London initiative that will see £10million invested across the capital to support young Londoners into work

The last year has been a fantastic one for Young Hackney. Staff continue to demonstrate exceptional skills and work extremely hard through days, evenings and weekends. Whether they are out and about with young people playing sports, jumping in puddles or traveling to Spain, in a family home challenging old habits and supporting new goals or delivering exciting and energising activities in the hubs, they show commitment  to making a difference to the lives and futures of children and young people in Hackney. Collectively we have driven up the quality of our work, offered a diverse range of activities, reached increasing numbers of young people who have enjoyed new experiences and have been part of so many forums and discussions.

We remain committed to providing opportunities for all young people in Hackney, and support for those who need it. When we started the Young Hackney journey, only achieving this ambition was about internal change and

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Connecting Young Hackney has now shifted our ethos to Young Hackney Connects. We are the universal service for children and young people between 8 and 19 that provides support and the bridge between services.

We connect young people with themselves, each other and the wider world. We work with them to achieve their own goals and be proud in their achievements. Their families, schools, significant others and friends are important in each individual’s development and we work together to share concerns, put in place actions and celebrate success.

All this achieved and we have not yet reached our third anniversary.

We’ve accomplished a great deal but there is of course much more to do. The hubs are at the centre of Young Hackney. This nucleus supports the specialist work of Young Hackney and the specialist work supports the hubs.

Staff are flexible and can move competently from one type of activity to another using valuable skills. We want the work of Young Hackney and the hubs to now also be at the centre of other family and social care support; a place where professionals can meet young people and families and introduce them to the wealth of transformational opportunities available to them. We believe in the power of positive young people as fantastic role models to others and know from experience how important peer influence is in adolescence. We have seen in Young Hackney many young people find confidence through sharing experiences with workers and other young people and know that learning from and influencing each other positively is critical for their futures.

We look forward to our next year of delivery with all the challenges it brings but building on all the outstanding work we have achieved.

in our Hubs

As part of the commitment to deliver the Youth Offer, £5 million has been invested in five state of the art youth centres in Hackney.

• Forest Road, E8• The Edge, N4• Stoke Newington, N16• Hoxton Hall, N1• Concorde, E9

Today these centres, known as Hubs, are the heart of Young Hackney. In May 2011 when Young Hackney began, Myplace funding had been secured but only Stoke Newington was complete. Concorde Youth Centre still had a leaky roof, disabled access to Hoxton Hall was poor and the kitchen, art and music rooms required refurbishment. Forest Road and The Edge hadn’t opened.

Our commitment in 2011 that “Young Hackney units will be based in these centres where a full programme of high quality, structured youth activities including basic and life skills, homework support, sport, music, media and creative arts can be accessed” was still an aspiration.

We knew it would be difficult and there were delays, but we have delivered on our promise and exceeded expectations. 2013/14 is Young Hackney’s first full year of operation with all the Hubs open.

In that year, attendance has exceeded all expectations. The number of unique individuals attending the Hubs will be 6,245 - nearly 10% above the target of 5,700.

Individual attendances, which were expected to reach 31,388, will hit 44,394 - 41% above the target figure.

Young Hackney delivers.

Young Hackney Connects

Connecting Young Hackney promised ‘Opportunities for every young person’.

When the Disabled Children’s Service at The Ark wanted to provide an opportunity for young people with disabilities to build relationships with other young people in a social environment, Young Hackney was able to help.

Working closely with the young people involved, Young Hackney started a group. They chose to to name themselves ‘The Young Ones’ - a nod to their feeling that previous social provision for people with mild/moderate learning difficulties tended to be directed towards adults much older than them.

Sessions are semi structured, with a weekly activity requested by the group and a sporting activity including football, basketball and Caporiea.

Activities have included:•Relationships exploration using arts and crafts (Valentine’s theme)•Cooking and hosting skills•Jewellery making to improve fine motor skills•Weird science night (homemade lava lamps, balloon rockets etc)

From December 2013 they joined the mainstream open access session at Forest Road. Now there is no distinction between ‘The Young Ones’ and other young people that attend Forest Road on Monday evenings. The Transition Team and Young Hackney staff work with all young people.

Regular attendees will begin completing the ASDAN activities short course to evidence the range of activities undertaken on Monday evenings. Longer term, staff are considering an integrated residential for Summer 2014.

More generally the night has contributed to improved joint working between Young Hackney and Hackney Ark to support young people with a range of LDD.

Current plans include reintroducing successful projects such as a rock climbing group and a regular Hackney Ark club night at Forest Road.

chi ldren and young

people aged 8 -196,245In

2013/14 a tota l of

44,394attended Young Hackney act iv i t ies

times

A day in the life...Chris Murray, Youth Programmes Manager at Forest Road Hub, talks about a typical day working for Young Hackney.

Early start with a late finish...nothing new there! I’m sure this story is the same throughout Young Hackney. Here goes my day.

8:00 am Telephone conference call with MyPlace (John Thompson) to prepare for the London and South East Regional Conference to be held at Forest Road Youth Hub. Talked with colleagues from both MyPlace and UK YOUTH about the format of the event and the layout of the two breakout areas for the workshops. Looking at over 100 delegates attending. Still undecided on lunch menu!

9:05 am Getting on the bus after dropping off the future CEO of ‘Moxy Girlz’ ahead of a busy day. Read through emails relating to the previous nights’ sessions

at Forest Road (after school club and integrated session) which were both well attended! Alongside these sessions we had the Youth Parliament, rock climbing, filmaking club and the Kunbi Jones functional skills session running out of Forest Road. Busy busy busy. Over 65 young people attended last night and no incidents.

10:30 am Arrived into the office with the daytime sessions running. NEET2EET sports with 12 young people working hard to achieve their Level 1 in Sports Coaching, Turkish Young Parents Group (15 participants) on the HENRY First Aid Training Course and the HCVS presentation on CV skills for unemployed young people in the meeting room.

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Young Hackney Connects

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11:00 am Discussion with colleagues about how to best capture the through put of users, external users from Young Hackney staff who are either hot desking or based in the hub.

Reviewed data and feedback from the young people attending the half term programme. Young people keen to try new and exciting things. Water sports came top out of the list of things to do. Feel an ASDAN coming.

Between 12:00 and 2:00pm Discussion about the format and costings for the Easter Programme which will be delivered both within the Hub and in partnership with Hoxton Hall, Laburnham, Concorde and the Sports Unit...nearly there!

4:00 pm Meeting with Hackney Empire to discuss joint working, shared diaries (of events) Tottenham (six degrees of separation) and European Youth Exchanges. Lots to discuss.

5:30 pm Due back at Hub and running late. Decided to take the bus back to Forest Road (I can hear Sarah S telling me to walk.) Meeting with Young Hackney staff regarding Youth Parliament and the level of prep needed to increase participation, voters and school input.

6:15 pm Meeting with a potential volunteer. Drama is her specialism and much needed at Forest Road.

7:40 pm After accepting a lift to Glyn Road (Thank you Lisa) met with staff on the Clapton Park Estate following the Youth Club’s move to new premises. Outlined the proposed detached and outreach sessions on the Clapton Park Estate and, fingers crossed, getting the Purple Bus out after the Easter break one night per week.

9:00 pm Heading home.

“The most rewarding part of my job?

On any given day at Forest Road you’ll find parenting groups, NEET

programmes and sports sessions alongside cooking classes and 1-2-1

behavioural management interviews all under one roof and

all with the sole purpose of improving the lives of children,

young people and their communities.”

in award winningAdventurePlaygrounds

For younger children, the Young Hackney promise of ‘Opportunities for All‘ is delivered through its seven Adventure Playgrounds. These are spaces dedicated solely to Children’s play where activities such as digging, making fires, building and demolishing dens are not only provided for, but encouraged.

There are a total of seven Adventure Playgrounds:

Two are directly managed by Young Hackney:•Hackney Marsh, E9•Shoreditch, N1

Four are run by independent charities:

•Apples and Pears, E2•Evergreen, E8•Homerton Grove, E9•Shakespeare’s Walk, N16

One is run by a national organisation and is primarily for disabled children:•KIDS Hackney, E5

Adventure Playgrounds are open all year after school and all day Saturday during term time and all day Monday to Friday during the holidays. The age range is 6 -15 and entry is always free.

This year Hackney was proud to receive two national awards for its Adventure Playgrounds.

Young Hackney Connects

Shakespeare Walk won ‘Adventure Playground of the Year ’ at the London Play Awards while Hackney Marsh won ‘Most Open Adventure Play Setting’ .

In addition Hackney Marsh has been recommended for accreditation in Quality of Play.

While we are proud of this national recognition, we are even more delighted with the results of an evaluation carried out by the Quality Assurance and Policy Team that was published in October 2013.

88% of children responding indicated that they would definitely recommend the Adventure Playground to a friend. Many of those who wouldn’t recommend had reasons that didn’t reflect on the playgrounds e.g. they were afraid that their friends would think that the games they played were childish.

Parents were equally positive. One said:

“I think it is a fantastic resource; my daughter has been coming here for about 4 years and whilst she has complicated SEN needs, the playground has been brilliant in offering us support and letting her be independent”.

Another summed up the feelings of many parents when she said:

“This place is wonderful. Every child should have access to an adventure playground”

“I feel like it’s my second home.”

Response from child who was asked his opinion of Adventure Playground

Celebrating Women’s Day

Young Hackney provision is not just limited to the Hubs. The Young Hackney staff deliver activities in a number of different community spaces throughout the borough. ‘Divine’, a girls’ group takes place every Friday evening at Youth Of Haggerston.

Activities include discussions, project planning and careers and revolve around the interests of the young women who attend.

The young women have recently trained so that they can sit on a recruitment panel for psychiatrists at Homerton Hospital. This is of particular interest to two of the group’s members who want to pursue medical careers.

They are also developing a play that will look at the issue of self harm and hope to present it in schools.

in the community...

Shaniece began attending the group when she fe l t pressure at home and at school .

She was br ight , but at r isk of fa i l ing. Af ter speaking to one of the workers, she was encouraged to bel ieve in herse l f and to make posi t ive changes.

She was able to pass her mock exams and is now enjoy ing school .

Certif icates

Young Hackney Connects

Hackney schools are among the best in the country and Young Hackney works to support them in their aim of ensuring that every child experiences success and is enabled to make a good start in life.

Primary Schools

Some primary schools commission additional support through Young Hackney Primary Units. These units implement individually tailored intervention programmes for children at the earliest stage of a concern, focusing on the child at the centre of a wider network.

Primary units engage with parents and adopt a systemic approach, taking into account all the systems influencing the child. They also work with families and the schools to promote and engage children in positive activities that can be sustained by the family.

with schools...

Young Hackney Connects

In 2013, pr imary students working with their Young Hackney Unit won a Cut Fi lm BAFTA for their f i lm Superheroes Don’t Smoke .

Re-engagement Unit

The Young Hackney Re-engagement Uni t works in partnership wi th a l l Pr imary Schools in the borough to support them in the i r goal of e l iminat ing permanent exclus ions by support ing chi ldren in school and in the home.

Secondary Schools

Al l secondary schools have an a l located Young Hackney Uni t .

Each school chooses how to best use i ts uni t - in some cases th is can be through targeted work with an indiv idual or group work done with in the school , whi le in other s i tuat ions i t is more appropr iate to prov ide support for students outs ide of the school day and env i ronment.

In a l l cases, Young Hackney recognises the centra l i ty and importance of educat ion for the young person, for the fami ly and

Many students...show significant improvement because they have been provided with strategies and resources.

The tenacious approach taken by Young Hackney staff demonstrates their commitment to making a difference for all young people; to provide the support, guidance and persistence in supporting young people to change and develop towards improved life chances and positive futures.

Haggerston Schooll

Sarah Johnson, Young Hackney Practitioner, talks about her role in Young Hackney and some work she and the unit’s CAMHS clinician have done jointly with a young woman and her mother.

No two days are the same working for Young Hackney! One day I can be working in a school or visiting families’ homes, the next day in a community project supporting a young person with their volunteer work. Everyday is a new learning experience, learning from the varied skills set of my colleagues, and from the diverse communities, families and young people I work with.  As staff we are encouraged to build on our areas of expertise and continue to develop our service. In the last two years I have developed my work in several areas. Inspired by the emotional support that Young Hackney provides to young people, I have commenced training as a child therapist. Furthermore, due to an interest in youth participation, I had the privilege of working with Shoreditch Youth Forum.

I was proud to see the group put on a community cooking event that enabled 100 young people from across the borough to meet and discuss their cultures through the medium of food.

The most rewarding thing about my job is to see a young person make a positive change in their life. I was reminded of this last week when I attended a home visit with Ciara and was greeted at the door with a bubbly smile. A few months ago Ciara was very low, felt anxious about her future and had a strained relationship with her mother. Ciara felt isolated and unable to talk about how she felt. Additionally,she had made several apprenticeship applications without success, and this in turn affected her confidence.  However, Ciara met with me and a CAMHS worker regularly; providing her with a mix of practical advice and emotional support. I also met with Ciara and her mother to encourage them to communicate their concerns to each other. Sessions with Ciara gave her time to share her fears, reflect on her experiences and realise her potential. A few weeks ago she was delighted to find out that one of her apprenticeship applications had been successful. Ciara speaks more positively about the future now, best of all she has got her smile back.

Ciara’s story is used with her permission but her name has been changed and the photo was posed by a model at her request.

Young Hackney Connects

Young people with the support they need to achieve

Hackney is a young borough with over 30,000 young people aged between 8 and 18. In adolescence, some young people make poor choices.

In a very small number of cases these choices lead them into contact with the criminal justice system. The Young Hackney goal is to ensure that young people are supported to admit their mistake, understand why it has happened and change their behaviours.

Our Unique Approach

In other boroughs, this would mean a transfer to a specialist Youth Offending Team. The Young Hackney model , which sees ‘young people who offend’ as opposed to ‘young ,offenders’ is designed to allow continuity of understanding and consistency in decision making. Structures are designed to flex around the unique qualities of the young person rather than force the young person to fit into the artificial compartments defined by service silos.

The criminal justice system is complex and highly regulated and navigating it can, at times, require specialist skills. Young Hackney has developed its model to include a Youth Justice Triage Unit and a Youth Justice Unit to provide support to the Core Units when required and to handle complex cases.

Youth Justice Triage

When a young person is arrested for a low level offence for the first time and admits guilt the Police, working with Young Hackney and supported by the Crown Prosecution Service, can agree to deal with the matter outside of court. Young people can be diverted out of the system

Young Hackney’s dedicated Youth Justice Triage Unit administers the system and can work with young people who were not previously known to the service. The unit supports the Core Units to deliver interventions which can include:

•restorative justice

•knives and weapons awareness•substance misuse•referral to longer term support

Benefits of Youth Justice Triage are:

•work with the perpetrator can start immediately

•the young person can quickly begin to understand the implications of the crime and make reparation to the victim

•more attention and focus can be given to serious and persistent offenders

The most important benefit of Youth Justice Triage?It works.

With Youth Justice

Young Hackney Connects

Of the 79 young peop le offered Tr iage in 2012 , on ly

2 reoffended in the next twe lve months

The Youth Justice Unit

Some young people will have committed offenses that are too serious to deal with outside of court or have previously been convicted.

Young Hackney has a specialist Youth Justice unit which exists to help core units navigate the court system. It is responsible for quality assuring court reports and providing regular surgeries for practice development as well as individual support for staff development.

In some cases, the Youth Justice Unit takes on full case responsibility to allow core units to balance their workloads and free them to concentrate on the hubs, voluntary casework and other statutory work. However, in line with the Young Hackney model, any change for young people is driven by their needs and the focus is on a seamless transition.

While youth justice work is challenging and requires specialist knowledge and skills, workers report that it is particularly satisfying to watch young people who have offended change their behaviour and get back on track to success.

A key Young Hackney priority is to ensure that young people who offend are rehabilitated quickly.

A contributing factor to this goal is engagement in education, training or employment (ETE). This is particularly challenging as many of the young people who offend have

had poor educational experiences and may lack the self discipline necessary to sustain a placement.

The estimated figure of young people in ETE for 2013/14 is 71%. We are not satisfied with the result, and the goal for 2014/15 will be 80%. In order to achieve this figure, we have already implemented a strategy of adding education conditions to statutory orders.

Hackney has seen an impressive drop in its reoffending frequency rates. Hackney’s rate is now lower than both the London and national average.

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Work with Integrated Gangs Unit

Young Hackney believes that the best way to keep young people out of gangs is to offer them opportunities for achieving stability, support and success in other areas.

However, a small number of young people do become involved with gangs.

with CAMHS

Most traditional Child and Adolescent Health Services (CAMHS) are clinic based and usually open only during office hours.

Many young people cannot or will not access services that are offered in this way. When Young Hackney started in 2011, one of the goals was to break down those barriers to support.

The CAMHS4YH service is designed around the habits and needs of the young person and family.

Eight clinicians are embedded in the core units and work closely with them and will do home visits to meet families, introduce themselves and the service, conduct assessments and provide treatment.

Many of the young people seen by the CAMHS4YH may have previously been referred to mental health services but failed to attend. By visiting them in their home or meeting them in a place that feels comfortable, workers can break down some of the barriers that prevent access to these vital services.

There is full collaboration with the young person to identify goals and ensure that CAMHS, working with Young Hackney, is the best service to meet their needs.

CAMHS4YH operates a crisis rota (launched in July 2012) which allows workers, young people

and families access to clinical support outside of office hours.

All members of CAMHS4YH are trained in SAVRY (Structured Assessment of Violence and Risk in Youth) as well as AIM, the evidence based assessment of young people who display sexually harmful behaviour.

Jermaine’s Story

In January 2013 the school reported that Jermaine, aged 12, had been tying a headphone wire around his neck and saying he “wanted to die”.

The CAMHS clinician carried out assessment and noted low intention and an immature understanding of the concept of suicide as well as some Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) traits that had not been previously identified.

Working with the Young Hackney Unit, she made a safety plan which was shared with parents, GP and the school.

During a joint home visit with the unit, the mother disclosed her own history

of mental health issues and current suicidal ideation. The CAMHS worker contacted Adult Mental Health Services and discovered that the mother had been seen by a Primary Care Psychologist who had experienced difficulty in getting her into adult services. Working together the professionals provided support, which allowed the focus to shift back to Jermaine.

Working with the unit, they contacted the Primary School and were able to identify other indications of ASD that had not previously been picked up.

A cognitive assessment was arranged as well as observation in school. There were joint meetings with the school SENCo and an agreed plan of support was put into place.

The clinician worked in the family home, making over twenty visits to provide parenting and behavioural support. She also arranged for Jermaine to attend a social skills group.

It is likely that Jermaine will receive a diagnosis of ASD but the unit was also aware that trauma caused by a childhood spent in a war zone may account for some of his presentation and have been supported to deal with behaviours that can be anxiety provoking and difficult to manage.

The plan is to close in several months once the support in school has been embedded.The facts of this case are true, but the name has been changed.

Young Hackney Connects

Photograph posed by model

with SubstanceMisuse

Young Hackney Connects

Young Hackney has a specia l is t substance misuse uni t that :

•educates young people about the dangers of substance misuse and drug deal ing•supports workers in Young Hackney to ident i fy and work with young people who are, or are at r isk of , substance misuse•works d i rect ly wi th young people when appropr iate

Katie’s Story

Kat ie, a 17 year o ld young woman, was referred to the Young Hackney Substance Misuse Serv ice by Chi ldren’s Socia l Care in 2013. In addi t ion to a wide range of issues, Kat ie’s s ix month o ld daughter was subject to a chi ld protect ion p lan. One of the key concerns was Kat ie’s cannabis use.

The case was a l located to a Young Hackney Substance Misuse worker. Through assessment, Kat ie was in i t ia l ly offered 3- 6 sess ions looking at basic drugs awareness, prevent ion, choices and harm reduct ion. Her t reatment goal was to reduce her dai ly drug use, by explor ing the associated r isks and min imis ing the impact on her chi ld. Throughout the in i t ia l course of these sess ions, Kat ie’s drug use reduced.

At a crucia l stage Kat ie’s had to deal wi th the loss of a c lose fami ly member, increasing

her vu lnerabi l i ty and consequent ly her substance use. As a resul t , the Substance Misuse Serv ice offered her a longer intervent ion. I t was thought that a more hol ist ic approach was needed and one of the core Young Hackney uni ts jo ined the team around Kat ie to prov ide support wi th educat ional and housing issues whi le the substance misuse work cont inued. Kat ie at tended the Levy Centre for an appointment wi th ‘ways into work’ and has begun to look for employment.

Current ly her drug use is stable and she has reduced her use to weekends only. She has now turned e ighteen and is being supported in the t rans i t ion to adul t ’s serv ices.

The facts in the case are correct , but the name and some personal detai ls have been changed to protect the ident i ty of the young person.

through sport

“My role is incredibly varied- from managing a

pop up swimming pool initiative in a

playground of a school where 1000’s of children learn to

swim, to teaching netball skills to

orthodox jewish independent

schools.”

Worker in Sports Unit

The Young Hackney Youth and Schools Sports Unit was set up in 2013, following the inspirational Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Young Hackney undertook a consultation exercise with children, young people and schools to review young people’s participation in sport. The consultation looked at young people’s aspirations and sought to identify barriers to participation.

As a result, the unit was developed to:

•increase the opportunity for young people to participate in sport, with a focus on new, inclusive, and non traditional Olympic & Paralympic sports•support talented young athletes to realise their potential by making sure there are adequate competitions and training opportunities and that these are effectively communicated•increase youth participation in sport using existing facilities and new facilities such as hubs, schools, parks, Hackney Marshes Centre, GLL facilities and the Olympic Park •support primary schools to deliver better quality PE and improve school sport utilising the Primary School Sport Premium

Young Hackney Connects

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“I get a lot of satisfaction helping young people to learn how to deal with competition and how to cope with both winning and losing.”

Young Hackney does not see young people as passive recipients of services but as active participants in the development of the service, their community and the world beyond the boundaries of their borough.

Young Hackney has worked to develop a participative culture that underpins all of the work done and ensures that young people influence the development of services at both a personal and a group level.

Our goal is to ensure that young are active participants in decisions, developments, processes and activities that affect them as individuals and as part of the wider society.

At an individual level this is reflected in Action Plans that are jointly developed by the young person, family and worker and which are not accepted until the young person has given his/her approval in writing.

At a group level, young people have been involved in a variety of activities including the Mayor’s question time, organising an exchange trip to Sweden, acting as sports ambassadors, participating in the Learning to Lead programme, administering the Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF) and serving their community as members of the Hackney Youth Parliament.

Young Hackney Connects

Mayor’s Question Time 2013

Young people with their role in the wider world

Hackney Youth Parliament

More than 6,000 young people voted in the 2012 Hackney Youth Parliament election that was organised by Young Hackney.

Following months of writing manifestos, speaking at hustings and trying to convince class mates and those at local youth centres to vote for them, 28 young people aged 11-19 were chosen to represent the youth of Hackney. 

Their achievements for 2013 include:

• Revised the Hackney Youth Charter to make it more youth friendly.

• Looked at how services such as Young Hackney and the Police could work together to make Hackney a safer place for young people.

• Contributed to a CYPS Scrutiny Committee to review measures to combat youth homelessness .

• Carried out a survey of young people to find out attitudes to discipline at home and at school. The results were fed into the work of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and were shared as part of the Youth Conference in October.

• Worked with the Children’s Health and Wellbeing Team consultation to help determine what a school based health service should look like.

• Was represented on the panel of decision-makers including the Mayor of Hackney and the Lead Cabinet Member for Children's Services as part of Local democracy Week.

• Organised a Youth Conference at Forest Road Hub. The theme of this year’s event was identity. The event involved debates, workshops and panel discussions. Much of discussion centred around how people present themselves online, whether there is an upside as well as a downside to anonymity; and the subject of free speech in an online era.

• Began work with the CYPS Scrutiny Committee on an investigation into careers advice and work experience.  There will be a short film, made as part of the Adobe Youth Voices programme, which will be screened at the BFI in April.

• Members of the Youth Parliament are exploring other options to improve access to quality work experience opportunities.

The next Youth Parliament elections will take place in 2014.

Leap Into Leadership

Fifteen young people took part in a month long programme to develop their leadership skills that culminated in a four day visit to a working farm in Devon. Accompanied by Young Hackney staff, they organised a range of fun but challenging activities that included team building, a night walk across the moor, archery, caving and mountain biking.

For most of the young people it was their first night away from their parents and for some, their first trip outside of London.

All of the young people had a fantastic time and took incredible individual journeys that saw them face their fears, learn new things, make and strengthen friendships and exercise their skills as young leaders.

This was only one of the over fifty outings Young Hackney has organised this year to places as varied as The Shard, nature reserves, Cambridge and Sweden.

Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF)

This grant funding is made available by the London Borough of Hackney to fund projects for young people in Hackney.

The projects are completely young people-led. Young people come up with ideas for activities and young people make the decisions about which projects to fund.

YOF money can be used for an activity or project that benefits young people in Hackney. It funds a wide range of activities and projects including sports, arts, culture, citizenship and volunteering.

The grant can also be used to pay for small pieces of equipment such as computers, musical instruments, sports gear, arts and crafts supplies and props for creative activities.

In 2013, a group of young people from Hackney went to Arenas in Spain to see youth provision in another country. This allowed them to ask questions, exchange ideas and develop a better understanding of others and themselves.

“ ‘Nada is impossible’ --the phrase that could sum up my experience of the trip to Spain.”

IfeYouth Opportunity Fund

Panel Member

through its Staff

Young Hackney’s staff are as diverse as the borough in which they work.

They are all ages and drawn from a range of backgrounds and professions including teachers, youth workers, social workers, YOT workers and psychologists. Within the Young Hackney service, staff speak twenty seven different languages.

They have a range of interests including sport, drama, cooking, crafts, photography. They regularly attend training to develop their skills and ensure that they can provide the best service possible.

As varied as they are, the staff in Young Hackney share one characteristic;they all have a passionate commitment to young people coupled with a determination to help them succeed.

Young Hackney Connects

“Working with young people is hard work, but the rewards are massive.”

Young Hackney Core Leader

“It changed my life.”

@younghackney

www.younghackney.org

www.facebook.com/younghackney

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