Strengthening the
Network
Annual Review 2013
Contents
Chairperson’s Review 3 Strategic Plan overview 4 Strategic Outcome 1 6 Strategic Outcome 2 8 Strategic Outcome 3 9 Statement of Financial Activities 13 Balance Sheet 14 Acknowledgements 15
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Youthnet
Youthnet is the voluntary youth network for Northern Ireland, an umbrella body that advocates for and supports voluntary youth organisations across Northern Ireland. Our member organisations cover a broad range of activity for young people across Northern Ireland, including front line delivery of youth work in communities, local youth projects, work in rural and urban interfaces, outreach and inclusion projects, early intervention services for young people involved in the juvenile justice system, youth work employability programmes and regional and national organisations for young people.
Chairperson’s Review Throughout the year the Youthnet Executive Committee has sought to build upon the work of the previous committee and the valuable input from member organisations to establish a new Strategic Plan for Youthnet 2013- 2016. We are very excited by this new strategic plan as we believe it enables youthnet to continue to champion the voice of the voluntary sector. An overview of the new strategy is provided on pages 4-5. A key focus of our new Plan is to engage the sector in the development and implementation of any new strategies that flow from the Department of Education’s Priorities for Youth. We will ensure regular communication with members throughout this time as we believe this information needs to be acted upon by us all. The Executive Committee also recognises the need for Youthnet to strengthen its representative base and raise the profile of the role and contribution of the voluntary youth network within the education family.
The new plan is developed within the context of increasing accountability, both with the introduction of the Charity Commission and more intense scrutiny regarding value for money and the clear need to demonstrate impact. It is also based on the premise that Youthnet is an enabling and learning organisation which seeks to use the strengths and expertise of the network to strengthen and support voluntary youth organisations. We will continue to work with a partnering ethos with statutory colleagues and key organisations on a North/South/East/West basis to ensure that the voluntary youth sector is best placed to deliver in the new operational arrangements emerging from Priorities for Youth. We will continue to improve the quality of services to our membership and ensure that this work is evidenced to demonstrate impact.
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Strategic Plan 2013-2016 Youthnet’s vision is of….
An equitable society where all children and young people are valued, respected and supported to flourish.
Our mission is….
To champion and enable a vibrant, influential and valued voluntary youth sector, responsive to the diverse needs and aspirations of children and young people.
Values
Youthnet is committed to: • Equity, promoting diversity, and recognition of interdependence • Positive social change to address exclusion • Working collaboratively with others • Being a learning and enabling organisation • Conducting our business with integrity in an open, honest, transparent and accountable way to our members and stakeholders • Recognising and valuing volunteering • Recognising and valuing staff and volunteers as our greatest resource and investing in accordingly 4
Youthnet
Our new strategy is based on the premise that Youthnet will: • Encourage the building of mutually beneficial relationships with and between member organisations, within the youth work sector and other sectors; • Facilitate the development of good working relationships at a policy and strategic level; • Broker and actively promote collaboration; • Commit to promoting, sustaining and developing the workforce including addressing the support needs of volunteers; • Support innovation by facilitating dialogue and developing and communicating new ideas, initiatives and projects; • Support the voluntary youth sector to develop a strong evidence base; • Develop a clear communications strategy that will highlight the contribution of the sector; and • Reflect best practice in organisational effectiveness.
1. 2. 3.
STRATEGIC OUTCOMES
Government health, welfare and social policy reflects the needs of children and young people and the adults who work with and for them. Government recognises and values the contribution of youth work in meeting their priorities and invests accordingly. Organisations have greater capacity and are supported to improve policy, practice and research.
ACTIVITIES ADVOCACY
PRACTICE
COMMUNICATION
Campaigning and Lobbying on behalf of the voluntary youth sector
Develop local support infrastructure and facilitate stakeholder engagement
Promoting the value of youth work and the contribution of the sector to Government priorities
Engagement with Ministers, MLAs, Assembly Committees, civil servants and public officials
Identify opportunities and support organisations in collaborations
Developing media relationships and promoting a positive image of young people
Monitoring, analysing policy and responding
Coordination of support and training
Promoting the contribution of the voluntary youth sector and volunteers
Facilitating stakeholder engagement, regional/local in policy development
Conferences and seminars to disseminate effective practice
Providing network opportunities and events Production of publications
Conducting and Commissioning Research
Contribute to the implementation of Workforce Development Strategy to ensure the needs of staff and volunteers are met
Promoting good practice and celebrating success
Developing data collection systems
Develop the capacity of the sector to imbed Quality Assurance
Developing communication systems to ensure access to timely and relevant up to date information
Collating evidence from the voluntary youth sector
Support the sector in Impact Measurement and Practice
Disseminating online and off line information
Engaging with the sector to gain the views of young people
Specialist support to youth work practice e.g. inclusion, child protection Development and dissemination of resources
Raising standards
Increasing access
Developing the workforce
Improving the learning environment
Transforming governance/management Annual Report 2013
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Strategic Outcome 1: Government health, welfare and social policy reflects the needs of children and young people and the adults who work with and for them.
Priorities for Youth Youthnet engaged in a robust consultation process with members and local providers culminating in two meetings with the Department of Education (DE) in the early part of this year. These meetings provided an opportunity for the Department to hear from the Sector at first hand. We recently met with members to review the final policy and we will be engaging with DE, the Youth Council for Northern Ireland (YCNI) and the Education and Library Boards (ELBs) to discuss the sector’s role in the implementation of the new policy.
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Youthnet
The final policy document reflects concerns raised in relation to the contribution of volunteers and the voluntary youth sector in the delivery of youth services.
The Department requires its Arms’s Length Bodies and ESA to adhere to the values and principles of the Concordat when carrying out activities on its behalf.
The Department recognises the value of youth work with 22-25 year olds where this has the potential to enhance employability.
‘The support of key statutory and voluntary sectoral partners will be essential for the smooth transition.’ DE
Inspiring Impact
Trans Forum
Youthnet was represented on the Building Change Trust advisory subcommittee to support the development and implementation of Inspiring Impact in Northern Ireland and contributing to the NI Inspiring Impact Development Plan. Implementation of the NI Development Plan will commence in 2014.
Youthnet played a key role in initiating the research ‘Grasping the Nettle’ - The Experiences of Gender Variant Children and Transgender Youth Living in Northern Ireland carried out by RuariSantiago McBride, Institute for Conflict Research. This was the first piece of research from Northern Ireland to specifically investigate the experiences of young people who experience gender distress and/or identify as transgender (aged 25 and under).
Community Relations, Equality and Diversity Youthnet participates in the CRED Reference Group set up to advise the Department of Education on the implementation of its policy. During the year the group contributed to a research report highlighting the training needs of volunteers involved in CRED work.
Youthnet is represented on the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership LGB&T sub-group. The sub group has developed an Action Plan and report mechanisms for recording development. They have also compiled a literature review relevant to LGB and T young people to be used as a centralised focal point for research and reference. This review also highlights gaps in local research.
Volunteering Strategy Steering Group The Volunteering Strategy Steering Group advises the Department for Social Development (DSD) on the implementation of the Volunteering Strategy for Northern Ireland ‘Join in, get involved: build a better future’. Youthnet represented the network on this group during the year advocating for the support needs of volunteers across youth work and highlighting the contribution they make.
A significant outcome this year was the announcement that a Gender Identity Clinic for under eighteens was to be established in Northern Ireland.
Policy responses include: • Peace IV Consultation • ESF Programme 2014-2020
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Strategic Outcome 2: Government recognise and value the contribution of youth work in meeting their priorities and invests accordingly.
Youth Service Sectoral Partners Group (YSSPG) This group has continued to work on the development of an agreed outcomes framework for youth work. As part of this the group through YCNI have commissioned work to develop an information framework to identify descriptors for a variety of youth work interventions. This will assist in evidencing youth work across all youth sector deliverers and can be formulated to present the global contribution of youth work in Northern Ireland.
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Youthnet
The difference youth work makes to young people who are described as NEET
Together: Building a United Community – United Youth Programme
As part of our commitment to fostering collaboration, Youthnet commissioned a paper on behalf of a group of voluntary youth organisations working with young people described as not in education, training and employment (NEET). This has been presented to the Department for Education (DE) and Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) Ministers and other government departments and policy makers.
Youthnet and its members have been engaging with the Together: Building a United Community – United Youth Programme Team, in the early stages of shaping and designing the programme.
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Strategic Outcome 3: Organisations have greater capacity and feel supported to improve policy and practice
Workforce Development
Youth Work Training Board
Governance Training and Support
Volunteer Group
We have worked with representatives from across the sector to review and revise the current suite of accredited youth work and community relations training programmes.
Youthnet continues to contribute to the development of governance resources through the Developing Good Governance Group. We are also currently preparing to pilot an innovative on-line governance training programme, developed in partnership with the membership.
Youthnet convened a group of voluntary representatives from across the network to explore recommendations of the 2012 Youth Work Workforce Development strategy, specifically related to volunteers. Work to develop a draft framework to support volunteer induction for youth work volunteers is underway. It is anticipated that the framework could provide a template for basic training/ induction programmes across the voluntary youth sector. A draft framework will be ready to test out with the sector in 2014.
Collaborative Participative Partnership Youthnet is engaged in a Collaborative Participative Partnership with YouthAction, Public Achievement, Opportunity Youth and Include Youth, building on the participation outcomes documented in the ‘Participation and Big Deal report’. The group is working to produce a report that demonstrates the voluntary youth sector approach to participation/youth advocacy that includes agreed outcomes and case studies on practice for dissemination throughout the sector.
We have provided ongoing telephone and one-to-one support on a range of issues to include, HR, governing documents, compliance and financial procedures. In collaboration with the Charity Commission NI we delivered an information seminar on charity registration. We will continue to work with the Charity Commission to keep members informed of future developments and compliance requirements as they emerge. Annual Report 2013
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Member Communication Our most frequent contact with members continues to be through our weekly e-newsletter – Epipe. Youthnet celebrated its 500th edition of Epipe during the year. To celebrate Epipe was revamped in an attempt to offer a more versatile and up-todate communication experience. 47 editions of Epipe and 42 Assembly News updates were circulated during the year. Work is now completed on the redevelopment of Youthnet’s web-site. The new site will be launched at our AGM in December. Youthnet is also planning to launch a new bi-monthly newsletter in the new year entitled, ‘Network Focus’ which is intended to keep members informed of key developments across the Voluntary Youth Network.
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Curriculum Development Unit 9 Governance training sessions delivered to 76 participants
‘Loving the new look Epipe. Nice and clean and easy to read. Good mixture of content and not too long. Really great method for promoting events.’ Member organisation
Youthnet continues to engage with the Curriculum Development Unit through both the Management Group and the Quality Assurance Steering Group. Youthnet now also provides clear links to the Quality Assurance Framework and the Governance Health Check through its Governance training. We supported a number of voluntary youth providers to engage in a Quality Assurance Process and a number of organisations received YCNI resources through Youthnet to kick start the process with a residential.
‘Thank you very much for organising the CP training for us. The trainer was excellent and related really well to our young people...we couldn’t have asked for more!’ Child Protection training participant
Tendering & Commissioning
New members Directory published over 1000 downloaded. 7,200 website visitors
With support from YCNI, Youthnet engaged Advice NI to deliver a 2 day training course on Tendering and Commissioning. Feedback from the course was excellent and participants identified the following actions for Youthnet/YCNI going forward: Mentoring support; Influencing Commissioning; Critical Feedback; Needs Assessment; and Impact Measurement/Outcome.
King George VI Youth Awards 15 awards made ranging from £100 - £500
Voluntary Youth Sector Pensions
Safeguarding
Faith-Based Interest Group
Youthnet has been engaged in a process to identify a suitable alternative pension scheme for voluntary youth sector workers excluded from NILGOSC. We are currently in discussions with the Education and Library Boards, Lucas Fettes & Partners (Financial Services) Limited and Scottish Widows in relation to the pension scheme identified.
We continue to provide a variety of Safeguarding training to organisations/ groups across the network. Our trainers delivered 71 training courses during the year to 1,130 participants.
Following on from the Youthnet Faith Based Interest Group (FBIG) one day conference 2012 on Youth Work and Spirituality, Youthnet commissioned a short report which provides some insight into discussions that occurred on the day from the perspective of those who facilitated the event (Maxine Green and David Brown) and those who participated. This report will be published in the new year.
Youthnet hosted a Pension information session for voluntary sector employers in May of this year and provided follow-up support. We provided input in September to a pension seminar for the voluntary/ community sector, hosted by NICVA.
7 Equality and Inclusion Awareness raising sessions delivered to 89 participants
In response to changes to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (NI) Order 2007, Youthnet produced an information booklet for organisations/ groups working with children and young people. It is available to download from the Youthnet web site. Groups have reported that this is a very useful guide to the legislation (downloaded 678 times in the latter part of this year).
203 Access NI applications processed. 8 new groups registered.
‘Staff team participants reported that their attitudes and practice has changed as a result of the high quality [OUTstanding Youth Work] training delivered..[which] ..enabled them to examine their own fears or discomfort at these issues and felt that they left the training more confident and comfortable to challenge homophobia stereotypes.’ Youth work manager (statutory)
71 Child Protection training courses delivered to 1130 participants Annual Report 2013
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Equality and Inclusion There continues to be a demand for training and support on equality and inclusion from both the voluntary and statutory sector. We have been able to respond to this by providing access to resources, delivering training and equipping organisations to deliver their own inclusion training to staff and volunteers. Access all Areas diversity toolkit continues to be used widely and many have commented on its value in supporting inclusive youth work. “At times youth workers create, devise and implement so many programmes that we can lose the meaning and this resource holds you to the fundamental principle of inclusion.” Inclusion training participant
Collaborative Support Hub During the year Youthnet led a series of discussions with the network to build upon previous work which explored the need to provide quality, consistent support across the voluntary youth sector at a local, subregional, and regional level. The concept of developing a ‘Collaborative Support Hub’ which provided a range of support functions for the sector was proposed as a potential framework to pilot. A ‘Collaborative Support Hub’ is envisaged as a central hub through which a number of collaborative models and methodologies are coordinated (see diagram opposite). 12
Youthnet
Proposed Collaborative Support Hub
Thematic Support Skills Bank
Proposed Collaborative Support Hub • Coordination • Quality Assurance • Brokerage • Promotion Research, Practice, Training/Seminars, Governance, Inclusion, Human resources, PR/Marketing, Finance, Social Media
Strengthening the
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Peripatetic/ Shared Staff
Thematic Collaborations
VOLUNTARY YOUTH NETWORK FOR NORTHERN IRELAND Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2013 Restricted Unrestricted TOTAL TOTAL funds funds funds funds Note 2013 2013 2013 2012 Incoming Resources £ £ £ £ Incoming resources from generated funds Core funding 2 218,274 - 218,274 218,274 Other voluntary income 2 1,530 - 1,530 1,050 Investment income 3 - 186 186 271 Incoming resources from charitable activities 4 326,256 - 326,256 488,167 Other incoming resources 5 4,032 6,886 10,918 8,589 Total Incoming Resources 550,092 7,072 557,164 716,351 Resources Expended Cost of Generating voluntary income 6 13,702 - 13,702 15,005 Charitable activities 7 466,943 15,994 482,937 812,709 Governance costs 8 38,336 - 38,336 41,841 Total Resources Expended 9 518,981 15,994 534,975 869,555 Net incoming resources/ (resources expended) before transfers Gross transfers between funds Net incoming resources before other recognised gains or losses Actuarial gains/ losses on defined benefits pension schemes Net movement in funds for the year Total funds at 1 April 2012 Total funds at 31 March 2013 All activities relate to continuing operations
31,111 (8,922) 22,189 (153,204) (39,128) (39,128) - (8,017) 30,206 22,189 (153,204) - (19,000) (19,000) (150,000) (8,017) 11,206 3,189 (303,204) 115,238 (258,977) (143,739) 159,645 107,221 (247,771) (140,550) (143,739)
All activities relate to continuing operations. A full set of financial statements are available to download from the Youthnet Website. www.youthnetni.org.uk Annual Report 2013
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VOLUNTARY YOUTH NETWORK FOR NORTHERN IRELAND Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2013 Note ÂŁ 2013 ÂŁ 2012 Fixed Assets Tangible assets 12 4,264 6,034 Current Assets Stock 13 400 400 Debtors 14 116,497 165,349 Cash at bank and in hand 138,641 118,970 255,538 284,719 Creditors : amounts falling due within one year 15 (25,352) (78,492) Net current assets 230,186 Total assets less current liabilities 234,450 Provisions for Liabilities Other provisions 16 (375,000) Net (liabilities)/ assets (140,550) Charity Funds Restricted Funds 17 107,221 Unrestricted Funds - General funds 127,229 97,023 - Pension liability (375,000) (356,000) (247,771) Charity Funds (140,550)
206,227 212,261 (356,000) (143,739) 115,238
(258,977) (143,739)
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies and with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities. The financial statements were approved by the Directors and authorised for issue on 11 November 2013 and signed on their behalf by: Ms Nichola Lynagh Director 14 Youthnet
Mr John Meiklehem Director
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank the following organisations/ bodies who have supported our work during the year: • Department of Education • Youth Council for Northern Ireland • Special European Programmes Body • Building Change Trust • Equality Commission NI
Youthnet acknowledges funding support from the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (Peace III) manager by the Special EU Programmes Body
Follow us on Twitter@YouthnetNI Or Facebook www.facebook.com/youthnetNI Youthnet, 5th Floor, 14 College Square North, Belfast BT1 6AS T: 028 9033 1880 F: 028 9033 1977 E: info@youthnet.co.uk
www.youthnetni.org.uk Registered as The Voluntary Youth Network for Northern Ireland Company Limited by Guarantee (NI 16988) Inland Revenue Charity Number: XR 15098/LS
Strengthening the
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