Police out tonight keeping York safe for young people

hoodyOrganisations in York are working together this summer to help children and young people enjoy their holiday safely right from the start.

Over the school holidays, North Yorkshire Police and City of York Council will head Operation Liberate, an initiative that will identify young people in potentially vulnerable situations, and take steps to keep them safe.

While York is a very safe city, young people may be at risk due to their location, the time of day, their peer group and the potential for anti-social behaviour.

Operation Liberate ran for the first time in 2015, and got underway this year on Saturday 23 July. Under the operation, young people identified to be potentially at risk can be brought to a designated ‘place of safety’. There, they will be spoken to and advised by police and volunteers, and referred on to other organisations if necessary.

Partner agencies including domestic abuse charity IDAS, the NHS, Lifeline and the council will work together with specially-trained volunteers to ensure any particularly vulnerable young people get the support they need.

Inspector Lee Pointon, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “It’s vital that we do everything we can to help young people in York keep safe. During the summer holidays, some youngsters may find themselves in potentially harmful situations. We and partner organisations can support them, to ensure they don’t put themselves at unnecessary risk.

“Operation Liberate is all about working together to support these young people so we can identify their needs at an early stage and help avoid any problems recurring in the future.”

Finding Dory in York – summer swim sessions

As the summer holidays begin City of York Council is encouraging York’s children to ‘just keep moving’ this summer, with the nationwide interactive family swim sessions and a brand new 10 Minute Shake Up campaign – all inspired by the new Disney·Pixar blockbfind doryuster, Finding Dory.

The campaign from Disney, Change4Life and the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) sees the launch of themed family swim sessions at hundreds of pools across the UK as well as new 10 Minute Shake Up activities, in a bid to make exercise fun and help children get the 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity they need each day.

The Finding Dory inspired swim sessions, which are co-created with the ASA and run from 22 July until 4 September, will provide an hour of in-water storytelling for the whole family, teaching children key swimming skills as they are taken on a journey with Dory and friends, led by trained instructors.

The Change4Life 10 Minute Shake Ups with Disney are back for a third summer to encourage children to get the 60 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity they need each day with fun 10 minute bursts of activity. For 2016, there are even more interactive Shake Ups than last year, including those inspired by the new Disney·Pixar film, Finding Dory, which set a box office record for an animated film when it opened in the United States in June.

To coincide with the launch of the campaign, Disney, Change4Life and the ASA commissioned a survey of more than 1,000 children aged 5 to 11 and their parents on their attitudes towards physical activity. The survey revealed that three quarters of children aged 5 to 11 (73%) want to do more physical activity, and 56% of children miss taking part in school PE lessons over the summer. Finding ways for their children to be active is a challenge faced by families, with 61% of parents saying they struggle for ideas during the school holidays.

The research showed that more than half of children (55%) said that swimming is one of their favourite ways to keep physically active during the summer holidays.139% of 5 to 11 year olds also said that they would want to go swimming more often if they could go with family members.1

Physical activity helps children build social skills, boost self-confidence, improve bone and heart health and maintain a healthy weight, yet just 21% of boys and 16% of girls currently meet the national recommended level of activity of 60 minutes each day.

Councillor Carol Runciman, City of York Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health said: “This is a fantastic initiative to encourage children and families to get active. Increased physical activity can lead to better academic achievement, with improved attention span, behaviour and self-confidence. I would encourage people across the city to sign up”.

City of York Council’s Director of Public Health, Sharon Stoltz said: “In children physical activity is essential for mental and emotional health as well as physical health and a reduced risk of developing chronic conditions in the future.  The 10 Minute Shake Up is a great way to get the city’s children moving this summer!”

Search Change4Life online for Disney and Finding Dory inspired 10 Minute Shake Ups and don’t forget to book your swim session today at www.disney.co.uk/justkeepmoving.

All York schools to benefit from mental health project

childrens-mental-health-matters-utaheasy2loveA partnership of City of York Council, the Vale of York CCG and York schools has agreed funding to roll out a pilot project to further improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people across the whole city.

Each of York’s six geographical clusters of schools will now have a dedicated School Wellbeing Worker who will build on the very successful pilot undertaken in 2015/16, and whose results helped secure funding from the national Children’s Mental Health Transformation Programme, ‘Futures in Mind’.

While the pilot project involved three secondary and 17 primary schools, this next stage will involve all York’s schools. Funded by City of York Council (CYC), the schools and the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the pilot introduced a new form of partnership working between the council, the city’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and schools, in order to strengthen the emotional and mental health support arrangements for children and young people in school settings.

Although the health and wellbeing of children in York is known to be generally better than England’s average, the CAMHS Executive recognises the importance of giving high quality advice and support as soon as concerns emerge. This exciting project will ensure support is available from confident and capable professionals within the school community.

The School Wellbeing Workers will provide additional mental health capacity and expertise to local authority and academy schools across the city. They will focus on providing training, offering support and advice to pastoral staff, and delivering individual and group work to children and young people. This regular, proactive and consistent mental health resource which is based in schools, works alongside school staff with pastoral responsibility, to increase their confidence and competence as part of a co-ordinated and effective early response to children and young people’s mental health issues and concerns. The new team will also work with the city’s Primary Mental Health Workers and York Educational Psychology Service.

Feedback from young people involved in the pilot included: “I feel like I can share my feelings more, I know that I can talk to people. We have talked about solutions, it makes me feel like I can open up to everyone, it makes me want to come to school far more, it has improved my mood, it has made my self esteem go up and makes me want to get up in the morning.”
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£1.5 million cut from York children’s centres as eleven set to close

Westfield axed, Hob Moor retained

The Childrens Centre at Hob Moor school is being retained

The Childrens Centre at Hob Moor school is being retained

The Council is planning to replace most of its children’s centres with mobile support staff following a survey of residents views. The results of the survey – which attracted 981 responses, can be viewed here

A report to a Council committee meeting next week gives more details of the plans

The report says, “These new Local Area Teams would bring together a range of existing services to form a new set of preventative arrangements for families from pregnancy through to adult hood. By working in a more coordinated way with partners and communities, the new arrangements will deliver more effective and efficient ways of whole family and community based working”.

The teams will be based at the three retained children’s centres which will be located at:

  • Hob Moor
  • Clifton &
  • Tang Hall

However, the report does not detail what will happen to the space freed up by the closure of the other centres

The Council faces a dilemma as the government may choose to “claw back” £4.4 million of the grant which was used to establish the centres in the first place.

The Council has also announced that it will close the Castlegate young people’s drop in centre and move it to  Sycamore House on Clarence Street

Children asked to share ideas on playing in York’s parks

Local children and young people are being invited to tell the council what they would like to see and do in their local play parks.

Tedder Rd park playground 4 noon 6th June 2016

Tedder Road playground

The consultation is an important part of the city’s updated play policy ‘Taking Play Forward’ which was approved in May 2016. It is being launched with this summer’s Shine programme of activities for five to 18 year olds and asks young people what they would like to see take place, whether new equipment or other improvements.

The consultation includes City of York Council and Parish Council-controlled play areas and will influence how £265,000 of funding will be spent on playground improvements in 2017/18. Around £30,000 has already been allocated towards the replacement skatepark in Rowntree Park.

Suggestions are invited from children, young people, parents or carers and their ideas will be considered by a multi agency panel, including young people themselves. Photos or drawings are also welcomed. A final list of schemes will be forwarded to the Executive Member for approval and prizes of play and sports equipment to use in outdoor play areas are available for the best ideas.
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New junior parkrun on Sunday sets off young peoples Shine activities

click to download list of events

click to download list of events

York’s new Knavesmire junior parkrun is one of the hundreds of workshops, courses, events, clubs and activities featured in the Summer2016 edition of Shine magazine which is celebrating its tenth year

Most of the Shine programme activities are scheduled for the school summer holidays, but for those who can’t wait to get started the Knavesmire junior parkrun starts this Sunday (3 July).

The parkrun is a free, timed two-kilometre run for children of all abilities aged from four to 14 years and is a perfect fit with the expansive programme of fitness activities and sports sessions planned for local young people.

Shine activities are aimed at those aged five to 18, together with their families. The programme offers accessible opportunities to enjoy a summer of activities to keep fit, explore new hobbies, learn exciting new skills such as movie making, and shares information on how to continue sport, play, arts and activities in parks and libraries beyond the end of the school holidays.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Deputy Leader of City of York Council with responsibility for Economic Development and Community Engagement said: “Over the last ten years Shine has grown to an exciting programme of activities for York’s young people, with something to appeal to all interests and abilities.

“The schedule, which includes sessions delivered by a wide range of partner organisations and volunteers, offers young people the chance to develop skills, make new friends and engage in new hobbies throughout the summer.”

Julie Mackenzie, Event Director of Knavesmire junior parkrun said: “We’re really looking forward to helping young people get outside, get active and have fun.”

The Knavesmire junior parkrun will take place every Sunday at 9am (with the exception of race days and other events). To take part children and young people must be registered with parkrun and have their unique bar-code with them. For more information visit www.parkrun.org.uk/knavesmire-juniors.

For more information about the Shine programme look out for the brochure from schools, pick up a copy from libraries or search online at www.yor-ok.org.uk/shine   

Changes for musical tuition opportunities in York

Music childrenA report outlining options for the future development of York Music Hub and York Arts Education will be considered by the Executive Member for Education, Children and Young People on Thursday 30 June. The options are being considered to support the continued development of excellent music opportunities for children and young people in the city.

Based on an evaluation by managers and advice from York CVS’s consultancy service, the Executive Member will be asked to agree to separate the two operations. It is recommended that York Music Hub becomes a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and the case is investigated for York Arts Education to take on the legal entity of a social enterprise by forming a Community Interest Company (CIC).

York Music Hub is a strong partnership of music education providers in the city. York Arts Education, currently a lead partner, would continue to participate in the hub as a member. The hub, funded by the Arts Council England, aims to develop musical excellence and diversity through its commissioning and partnership work, its quality of music provision and by sharing best practice. Its objectives, in line with the National Plan for Music Education include:
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