Issue - meetings
Responding to the Youth Needs Assessment
Meeting: 03/09/2025 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 39)
39 Responding to the Youth Needs Assessment 
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Purpose
The purpose of the report is to share with the Committee the progress made by the Youth Development Officer to date and set out the priorities for the role moving forwards.
Recommendation
That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolves to:
1. Note the report
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Councillor Andy Graham, The Leader of the Council, introduced the item and was supported by Heather McCulloch, Community Wellbeing Manager and James Edney, Youth Development Officer. The Executive Member made the following points;
- The Report had been requested by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
- The Council had expressed a commitment to assess and address the needs of young people.
- Young people were often not at the table for discussions about what they needed and the nature of the rural district made accessing services difficult.
- James Edney, Youth Development
Officer, was introduced. The Officer made the following points:
- He was a trained youth worker, with experience at Oxfordshire Youth and Thame Town Council.
- In his first six months in post he had visited communities and had subsequently identified 6 priority areas which were shown in section 4.1 of the report.
- There had been some further developments since the report: Stonesfield “have a go day” had taken place and been successful; Topaz, Chipping Norton Town Council and Chippy Pride were now looking to develop a LGBTQI+ group in the town; Witney Youth Partnership would continue, and would focus on issues of exploitation, this would involve networking with other organisations; a job fair would be held on 25 September 2025.
- The Officer expressed that he was happy to take questions and suggestions for future actions from the Committee.
In discussion, members raised the following points:
- Should there be a tangible target for the work being undertaken and clarity on what it was hoped would be achieved. The six priority areas were restated for the Committee.
- This was a discretionary initiative from the Council and Youth Services was in the remit of the County Council.
- Past cuts to services and changes in youth culture had left a patchwork provision of services for young people.
- The Youth Development Officer’s role was suggested to be one of facilitating communication and giving advice, not hosting events and groups. A Councillor gave the example of the Stonesfield “have a go day”, for which the Officer had acted as “glue” to connect local people who facilitated the event.
- A suggestion was made that green-gyms, hedge laying and dry-stone walling may be looked at as potential activities.
- The Officer could contact the local private schools as he had with the state schools. The Officer agreed to follow this suggestion up.
- The Officer could contact local sports clubs who had a strong record for mental health initiatives. The Officer would take away the suggestion. It was noted that some local boxing clubs had been approached.
- Some young people struggled at school and were left with a feeling of not belonging. Alternative provision was therefore crucial.
- The work to support young girls was noted as of particular importance.
- Young people were a valuable and vital voice in society.
- When facilitating groups for young people there was a need for an adult to manage this. Difficulties in attracting volunteers and potential resources for how this could be supported were explored. The officer noted ... view the full minutes text for item 39