Watchdog criticises youth service

Youth support services in Wrexham have been criticised by the education inspecting body, Estyn.

It says some of the services are poor value for money, cannot make decisions and groups do not work well together.

Leaders and managers of youth services bore the brunt of the criticisms, scoring the second lowest mark possible in certain categories.

A formal complaint about the inspection has been made by the Framework Partnership, which runs the services.

The report concerns the area's Children and Young People's Framework Partnership (CYPFP) and the provision for 14 to 19-year-olds in the area. It was written from an inspection conducted in November last year.

As well as traditional services like youth clubs, the CYPFP covers areas including giving help and advice to young people and links between schools and colleges.

The score of four out of five for leaders and managers indicates that Estyn inspectors felt there were some good areas, but there were shortcomings in significant areas.

Effective leadership

These marks were given in the categories of effective leadership, improvement and quality of services and the use of resources.

Estyn was also critical of the youth support service's lack of action in improving shortcomings, noting that it had "not taken action on all the recommendations made by Estyn in the inspection in 2003" and other external reviews.

Work was also needed on how the authority improves its youth services, said Estyn.

According to inspectors, "the CYPFP does not have an overview of the quality of youth support services, and does not have a clear process to set targets to make improvements".

Staff training also came under-fire in the report.

The report recommended the CYPFP identified clear and costed priorities; analysed the performance and cost-effectiveness of sixth form provision; and set itself clear targets to monitor the quality and impact of youth support.

But Wrexham council has argued the Estyn inspection also drew attention to good qualities in its youth support services.

Teaching, training and assessment; the range of support services and a range of methods being used by partners to obtain the views of young people were given a satisfactory grading.

Positive features

Good levels of punctuality and attendance in youth support sessions and, for 14 to 19-year-old providers, sound levels of subject specific knowledge were also positive features of the report, it said.

The chair of the CYPFP which oversees joint working, Terry Garner, said that 11 of the 14 marks given in the report were at the higher level of two or three out of five and they were "reasonably pleased" with this.

But a complaint would be issued because partners within CYPFP felt the report failed to paint an accurate picture of the way in which it was producing improved services for children and young people, said Mr Garner.

"Some of the comments received are completely at odds with other recent inspections and with the council's top Excellence Wales award received just a few weeks ago," he said.

The approach to joint working between the partners had also been reviewed and were starting to take affect, he said.

But the CYPFP would produce an action plan in response to the inspection, added Mr Garner.

Leslie Griffiths, the AM for Wrexham said she was concerned for youth support services in Wrexham after reading the report and said she would be raising it with the leader of Wrexham council Aled Roberts and the Education Minister Jane Hutt.