Shropshire has been singled out for praise in a national Government report about ongoing improvements in the way vulnerable young people are supported.
The work of Shropshire Council and its partners is highlighted in the ‘Targeted Youth Support, Next Steps’ document as an example of how reforms are changing the way youth professionals work and improving the lives of young people.
As part of seven case studies from across England, the Department for Children, Schools and Families outlines how “young people in Shropshire report that they get a far more joined up service, offering the support they need”. It says that “for many they now have, for the first time in their lives, a trusted adult they can turn to”.
The report explains that this is thanks to the development of lead professional roles. Lead professionals work with others to co-ordinate support on behalf of a young person, to ensure they get the services they need. They are recruited from a variety of agencies and professions including schools, education welfare, youth workers, personal advisers, housing and health.
One young person said: “Before I met my lead professional everything in my head was kind of jumbled, but now it’s like a tunnel, I know what I want to do. I find it easier to talk about things now.
“Taking all the pressure off was the most important thing. Having someone who knew what she was talking about was good, to share the responsibility with someone else. The Connexions lead professional deals with everything, not just careers but housing and everything else.”
The development of lead professional roles is part of a wider integration of services for young people in Shropshire. Connexions Shropshire and Shropshire Youth Service, along with the Substance Misuse Team for young people, have recently merged into Shropshire Youth, the county’s youth support service.
Councillor Aggie Caesar-Homden, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, said: “This recognition shows that the council and its partners are at the forefront of national programmes which build on the ways in which vulnerable young people are supported.
“We are committed to ensuring that all young people, whatever their circumstances, can lead active, healthy lives and achieve their full potential.”
Issued: 27 July 2009