Application Form s18

APPLICATION FORM

Please refer to the ‘2014 Guidance for Applicants’ before completing this application form.

The application form is split over four sections. It is up to you to decide the content and length of each section, but your application must not exceed three pages in total (excluding the cover pages).

Please ensure that your application covers the key criteria that we are looking for and is effectively presented. Any questions relating to your application or the submission process should be directed to [email protected] or 0131 474 9275.

The deadline for submission of entries is 5pm on Friday 18 October 2013.

Submitting Your Application Form

We have introduced a new online application portal for the 2014 awards. You should therefore submit this application form electronically using our online form. COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2014

02 PLEASE PROVIDE SOME DETAILS ABOUT YOUR APPLICATION:

CATEGORY APPLIED Local Matters FOR

PROJECT NAME (as you wish to see it Fantastic Friends Friday published)

LEAD ORGANISATION East Renfrewshire Council

DEPARTMENT/TEAM Community Resources

Elaine Grogan Community Worker

Tracy Butler Community Planning Manager

PARTICIPANT NAMES OR PARTNER Fantastic Friends Friday Community Group ORGANISATIONS

CONTACT NAME Elaine Grogan

CONTACT DETAILS 0141 577 3657 [email protected]

CAN WE PUBLISH THIS APPLICATION FORM ON OUR WEBSITE? YES COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2014

EXECUTIVE In one short paragraph please describe this project is about, what it has SUMMARY achieved, and why it is delivering excellence. Fantastic Friends Friday (FFF) is a unique community group made up of young people aged 18-25 who have additional support needs (ASN) in East Renfrewshire.

The young people had been attending an ASN youth group (Rulebreakers) run by the Council’s youth team, but started to feel they had out grown it. They wanted to take control and set up their own follow on group where they could do the types of activities that were important to them with people their own age.

The young people approached the Council’s Community Planning team on their own initiative and asked for support to create a new type of group: one ran by and for the young people themselves. In October 2012, Fantastic Friends Friday (FFF) was founded and has been going from strength to strength ever since.

With support from parents, carers and Council staff the young people have been developing the relevant skills to run the group themselves, ultimately with minimal support. Now the young people run their own committee consisting of 15 members, 5 of which carry out the duties of the committee. The Chair, Vice Chair, two secretaries and treasurer were elected by the young people themselves, as with any other community group.

The group get involved in lots of different activities which are great fun but at the same time are helping them to develop essential life skills. So far this has included pampering nights, learning how to make soup, and arranging nights out to a local restaurant. The young people are becoming effective and efficient in running the group and at the same time gaining the confidence and independence to excel as young adults. The success of the group is best summed up by one of its members: “It has helped me feel and act more like an adult. It also has encouraged me to learn new things I wouldn’t be able to before.” What is your project about, and why is it important? What are you aiming to PLANNING achieve, and how does this fit with the bigger picture? Does it tackle the issues that matter most to your community or your organisation? The Scottish Government Programme for Scotland 2013-14 states: Empowering communities to work with local service providers to design and deliver innovations that improve outcomes for local people is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s approach to public service reform. It is the responsibility of those in the public, third and private sectors to work together to recognise and support those community assets. As such, members of the youth group ‘Rulebreakers’ themselves identified the need to have a group provision for individuals 18+ with Additional Support Needs in the area and have worked alongside the Council to develop this groundbreaking community group. After discussion with the young people it was decided to ask their parents to assist the group, with the aim of the group being self-sustainable and independent by summer 2015. This target was set in consideration of the young people’s additional support needs- the group originally set the target for self-sustainability for one year after the group began, however after further planning and development agreed that a more realistic target of three years should be set.

In addition to fitting in at a National level, the group has contributed to the strategic direction of East Renfrewshire Council. The East Renfrewshire Single Outcome Agreement 2013-16 aims to ensure that “Residents live in communities that are strong, self-sufficient, resilient and supportive.” Consequently, a community worker and sessional staff using the Community Development Approach currently work with the group to encourage them to be pro-active and carry out various essential tasks (such as minute taking, room booking and treasury skills). In the short term, this has increased the young people’s capacity to do things for themselves and built up their confidence: “Friday night club (FFF) teaches me, whereas the Thursday night club (Rulebreakers youth club for young people with ASN) doesn’t teach me things”.

In the longer term this group will continue filling a much needed gap in service with a sustainable COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2014

04 approach – the group is run by its members (they plan to phase out the use of support staff) and is a progression group. As such when members move from the younger ASN group they open up spaces for new members to attend: “No regrets about leaving Rulebreakers. I’ve done my time and am leaving space for someone else.” There is no specific target for group numbers. As a progression group, new young people can progress to the group, and members will leave the group as they get older (25+), more independent and no longer feel the need to be part of a group- the nature of the group means that numbers can fluctuate. However, plans to increase numbers attending are already underway, with members designing posters and flyers to promote the group and encourage new young people with ASN to attend, as well as purchasing a mobile phone specifically for group business and queries from the public and potential new members. Current group numbers sit at 15 young people, but it is hoped when the group moves to larger premises there will be space for more. The group have already received telephone queries about attendance at the group, and two new members have joined since the group’s founding in 2012.

How have you carried out your project? How did you ensure that this was done DELIVERING effectively? What are you doing to continue to improve? Since it was founded the FFF group has been delivered in partnership with the young people themselves, their parents and the Council, with a view to there being minimal support for the group by summer 2015. Quality Framework paperwork is used by staff working with the group to plan and evaluate the work planned and carried out (including any activities planned both before and after the group carry them out) as well as chart to evaluate progress towards the move to a larger hall in summer 2014, and the target of being self sustainable by summer 2015. This paper work ties into the Councils How Good IS Our Service framework, which is based around the EFQM.

The group were granted free hall lets for a year on the proviso that they can sustain themselves for the future, both with staff and premises. So far the young people have been instrumental in guiding the project- contributing weekly on what they want to see happen in their group, and inviting outside agencies in to deliver courses (for example ‘Heart Start’, a first aid course). There are regular committee meetings with the young people as well as parent support meetings and funding group meetings. These three groups are in constant touch with each other, planning and developing activities and the way forward for the group. The group meet presently at ‘The Edge’, a dedicated youth facility however they will have to move in the summer of 2014. In May 2013 the group submitted a successful application to secure Young Start funding of £32,748. These funds will be used to secure hall lets for a neighbouring community hall, transport for group members that will be co-ordinated by themselves (poor public transport links were identified as a barrier to young people with ASN accessing services), a community worker and two sessional staff, as well as start up equipment. It is planned that membership fees (currently £3 per member per week) will cover hall fees in the future, and that eventually the group will run without the help of staff.

The group themselves developed a 12 week plan that mixes fun activities with learning including booking venues and inviting new members to the group. Most recently the group arranged an outing to a local restaurant, including agreeing on a time and date, booking taxis for members, booking tables and checking the suitability of the venue for wheelchair users. This outing was enjoyed by all, and all tasks set by the group for themselves were performed successfully. Amongst other activities, the group also previously held a casino night, and allotted specific tasks to each member to prepare for and carry out on the night such as catering, preparing games and entertainment, hosting and handling petty cash.

INNOVATION & Why is your project innovative? How is it helping to prepare for the future? What LEADING PRACTICE is happening to help other organisations benefit from your approach? There are groups for young people with ASN (for example the learning disability charity Enable which holds local area co-ordination meetings) however as far as we are aware there is no other Council led project that supports this kind of facility for 18+ young people with additional support needs- it is planned, designed and led by the young people themselves (there are no referrals, responsibility for membership lies with the young people). There are currently 15 members of the group, over 80% of which were originally members of the Rulebreakers youth group for younger people with ASN. This has led to more openings in Rulebreakers and therefore gives more young people with ASN a valuable opportunity to be part of a group, while assisting the older members of COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2014

05 FFF to prepare themselves for adult life, and eventually leaving the groups altogether.

When the group eventually becomes self-sustainable this will open up resources within the Community Resources section to provide other much needed services- Fantastic Friends Friday already costs less than the average youth group run by the Council- there will be no hall fees to pay come summer 2014 and the group already requires less staff.

As the group is still in fairly early stages, there has been no interest in its practice from other local authorities as yet, however the group has received interest from services within the Council’s Community Health & Care Partnership, as well as Enable. We fully believe that this approach is replicable for other local authorities and third sector organisations- the group model is self- supporting and is delivering high levels of satisfaction for participants on reduced resources.

What impact are you having, or expect to have? How are you measuring this, RESULTS & IMPACT and what does this tell you? Are you delivering what you set out to achieve?

The group is still in very early stages so it is challenging to measure impact as yet, however group numbers and attendance are measured weekly. In addition, a short feedback survey was issued to members in September 2013 showing that: o 91% of participants reported that the group had helped them to feel more confident and more grown up. o 82% of participants stated that the group has helped them to learn new things.

There are currently 15 members of the FFF group, 80% of which progressed from the youth group ‘Rulebreakers’. Since the birth of the group in October 2012 two new members have joined, and average attendance per week is 92%.

The group is inclusive across the area: members come from areas all over the authority. There are members coming from Barrhead, Neilston, Newton Mearns, Giffnock, Netherlee. Clarkston, and Eaglesham.

Feedback from group participants has been overwhelmingly positive: o 100% of participants state that they enjoy attending FFF o 91% of participants asked stated that they will continue to attend FFF

“I think FFF is an enjoyable group. I feel more grown up and I have a changed a weakness to a strength as treasurer.”

“I have learned lots of stuff at the group and enjoy being an independent adult.”

“It has helped me feel and act more like an adult. It also has encouraged me to learn new things I wouldn’t be able to do before.”

Being a supported youth group for young people with complex needs, the Rulebreakers group needs 2 community workers and 4 sessional staff per meeting (costing £250.40). As an (eventually self-supporting) community group, FFF only uses 1 community worker and 2 sessional staff per meeting (costing £125.20), with a view to eventually having no staff support at all. Therefore currently there are savings of £125.20 per week with the future aim of a weekly saving of £250.40 compared to other youth/ ASN community groups when the group hit their target of having minimal support by summer 2015.

Please limit your application to 3 pages or less and use font size 11or greater COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2014

06 NEXT STEPS

 Have you answered the criteria set out in the guidance?

 Is your application form 3 pages or less. Anything more, including appendices, will be automatically rejected)

 Has your application form been authorised by an appropriate person?

 Have you indicated whether you wish the application form to be published?

 Have you provided details for someone we can contact about your application?

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION BY 18 OCTOBER 2013 USING OUR ONLINE APPLICATIONS PORTAL: