Youth
Kent Safe Schools
Who are we?
The Safe Schools initiative originated from a County Conference hosted by the Police, on Youth Crime Prevention in November 1993. The Canterbury and Thanet Inter-Agency Steering Group had consistently expressed concern about levels of youth crime and anti-social behaviour and saw the development of Youth Action Groups (YAGs) as a positive way to involve young people in identifying their own issues of concern and finding solutions.
Pilot Project
In 1994, a pilot project was established in Thanet, incorporating a full time Youth Action Project Worker and a part time Assistant to facilitate Youth Action with groups of young people in local Thanet/Canterbury secondary schools. YAGs involved young people volunteering to tackle community safety issues such as Anti-Bullying, Vandalism, Drugs Awareness and Personal Safety often with links into District Community Safety Plans.
A successful application for funding to Kent County Council Safer Kent resulted in a continuation of the initiative during 1995/6. Subsequently, a positive evaluation report produced at the request of the Inter-Agency Steering Group in January 1997 summed up by saying:
'There can be no doubt that the development of the Safe Schools Initiative has contributed to the overall safety of young people in their school environment. It is particular noteworthy that the Thanet/Canterbury model has been promoted by Crime Concern and adopted nationally resulting in 20 similar developments based on inter-agency co-operation'.
Inter-Agency Steering Group
The Safe Schools Inter-Agency Steering Group involved representatives from both statutory and voluntary organisations and funding and resources were often pooled to aid the developments of projects within the initiative. In 1997, Kent County Council looked to extending the Safe Schools Initiative beyond its pilot scheme in East Kent by writing into the 5-year Strategic Plan to develop a County-wide project later to be known as Kent Safe Schools.
In 1999, the first Peer Mentoring scheme was introduced in secondary schools offering peer support to pupils from older, trained mentors.
This was followed by a Primary Peer Mentoring (Buddying) scheme in 2001 in Folkestone and by Primary developments in Youth Action in 2002 in Thanet.
Awards
During its 14 year history, Kent Safe Schools has remained at the "cutting edge" of developing young people's approaches to reducing crime, tackling social issues and empowering young people. It was nationally recognised in 2000 by winning the prestigious British National Crime and Community Safety Awards and this was followed in 2001 by being cited by Social Services Inspection and National Audit Commission report on Kent Social Services as an example of good project practice.
Kent Safe Schools Today
As an organisation, Kent Safe Schools currently employs or has vacancies for 70 staff to provide a range of services in targeted areas across the whole of the County. The services delivered by Kent Safe Schools are diverse and needs led, within the funding frameworks available. Kent Safe Schools focuses on providing services that improve opportunities for children and young people considered to be vulnerable. Kent Safe Schools operates as part of Kent County Council, Attendance and Behaviour Service and is overseen by a multi-agency steering group. Kent Safe Schools predicts that in excess of 7000 children and young people will access some element of Kent Safe Schools Services in 2008/9.
As an organisation, Kent Safe Schools works closely with a variety of organisations and agencies including: Kent Police, Kent Fire & Rescue, Kent Drug and Alcohol Action Team, Kent Community Safety Partnership, Kent Council for Addiction and others in order to add value to organisations which hold a responsibility for the lives Children and Young People.
Our work is shaped and delivered around the Every Child Matters, Youth Matters and Respect Agenda frameworks, which look at positive outcomes for children and young people to promote their emotional, social and physical well being.
Kent Safe Schools strives to ensure positive outcomes by providing services that improve both the physical and emotional well being of a wide range of vulnerable children and young people, within school and the wider community.
Our main focuses are:
• Delivery of services in schools and or the community which support the educational, cultural and social development of children and young people
• Provision of education to pupils who are or at risk of exclusion from mainstream education
We are an organisation that prides itself on the innovative approach that is used in listening to, consulting with and developing/delivering services in collaboration with children and young people. Services are creative, focussed and where age appropriate and possible, activities are peer led to reflect the needs identified by the children and young people with regard to themselves, families, schools and communities. In this way, we are able to take a lead in the development new products and services which benefit children and young people. Ultimately, Kent Safe Schools business is to support the educational, social and cultural development of children and young people in Kent by developing and delivering products and services.
We place high value on our professionalism at all levels within the organisation. Valuing and respecting each others contribution, as well as those of partner’s stakeholders and participants. We aim to be a progressive employer of choice within our field placing the highest value in our staff. We will work to retain and develop staff by rewarding success, sharing expertise, and encouraging progression.
What do we do?
The flexible framework, that represents the core business and values of Kent Safe Schools and in which services are developed and delivered is as follows:
Youth Action Groups
Providing groups that enable children and young people to identify and devise solutions for areas of concern to them, in their school or community
Primary intervention groups
Nurture, self-esteem, social skills, anger management
Peer Mentoring
Provide training for referred and volunteer students to become mentors, pair them with pupils in need of support to offer continued support and guidance
Anti-bullying activities
Delivery of awareness training and school based workshops to combat bullying
Parenting support
Provide support and training to parenting practitioners and groups parents in Thanet
KVTP (Kent Vocational Training Programme)
Provide work experience, placements and training for young people wishing to enter the care sector
Work Based Learning
Providing work experience and skills through work placements and community projects for KS4 pupils at risk of becoming ‘NEET’ (not in education, employment or training)
Transitional activities
Providing support to children and young people at significant transition points in their life to ensure they remain engaged
Restorative practices
Supporting schools to develop restorative cultures to tackle behavioural issues
Diversionary activities
Providing out-of-school activities in a safe environment aimed at providing a positive experience for children and young people and reducing anti-social or offending behaviour in the locality
Schools Drugs Educational Advisory Service
Drugs Education is a statutory requirement of the National Curriculum Science Order. Schools are expected to extend substance misuse education (including illegal drugs, alcohol and smoking) through the non-statutory framework for PHSE.)
Alternative Curriculum
Alternative curriculum provision for KS4 young people permanently excluded from school and KS1/2 children temporarily excluded from school, in specific districts
Partnership working
Working with partnership organisations to ensure a holistic approach to working with children and young people and to enhance the service delivery
How can I find out more?
We produce newsletters detailing our current and upcoming programmes and developments every quarter. We also produce leaflets which provide information about the different aspects of the service.
If you are a young person, parent or professional, please contact us to find out more.
Kent Safe Schools
Clover House
John Wilson Business Park
Whitstable
Kent
CT5 3QZ
Visit the website: www.kent.gov.uk/safeschools
email: kentsafeschools@kent.gov.uk
Last update: Wednesday, September 17, 2008