Letter to All Heads of Primary Schools

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES

FORTH CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE & FAMILIES ACTION GROUP MEETING Thursday 9 May 2012

Present: Christine Mackay (Total Craigroyston - Chair), Bunty Lind and Stewart Fowlie, (Trinity CC); Mark Donaldson (Muirhouse Library); Peter Johnson (FYSC/MYDG); Rhona Hunter (Circle); Cathy Wood and ? (NHS Lothian); Jennifer Kelly, (Edinburgh’s Telford College); Diane Hope (Craigroyston CFC); Ruth Stanley and Jim Pattison (SfC).

Apologies: Cllr Jackson, Cllr Cardownie, Cllr Day; Tom Kerr, (Granton & Distrct CC); Moira Heatly (Forthview PS); Jane Rough, (Early Years and Childcare); Roy Douglas (Muirhouse Salvesen CC); Bunty Lind (Trinity CC); Inga Wilson (C&F); Theresa Allison (North Edinburgh Childcare); Rab Byfield (CLD)

ACTION 1. Minutes of previous meeting held on 29 March:

Cathy pointed out that Bump Start does not operate in Muirhouse Library – with this change minute approved as accurate. 2. Matters Arising

None not on agenda.

3. Forth Early Years Forum

Diane reported that recent meetings had looked at a number of issues, including:

 Total Craigroyston progress.  Community Creche – an application for funding via Forth NP CGF is being prepared and consideration being given to longer term funding.

4. Forth Youth Work Managers Group

Peter reported that the next Managers meeting is on 17 may and that recent activity has included:

Transition work - Youth Work organisations working with Active Schools and CLD looking at Transition work into secondary schools.

Summer Programmes - being planned across the area. Including Youth Work Games carrying theme of Inspire 2012 and the carrying of the Olympic Torch by Chris Thomson, a Muirhouse young person in Dunfermline (June8-10). 40 young people taking part. Streetbreak (diversionary activity from excessive alcohol misuse) residential: July.

Area wide events: North Edinburgh Alcohol Initiative Collaborative 20 July; Quest 27th July.

Employment and training work :

 Go Forth (GYC)  Tomorrow’s People (first cohort graduated, large number from Muirhouse)  Northern Lights (MYDG culminating in Ocean Youth Trust)  MY Adventure offering apprenticeships through schemes.

Antisocial behaviour:

 Regular Roundtable meetings  North Edinburgh Theatre Production at NEA (No knives Better Lives)  Streetbreak sessions in PYCP, NEA, Library well attended and diversionary activity around alcohol misuse, Streetwork (GYC and Junction) 2 sessions per week.

5. Total Craigroyston

Christine circulated her April and May briefing sheets.

A focus will be on ‘looked after’ children. Some early difficulties were encountered in getting a definitive list of the numbers of ‘looked after children’ but Christine has held meeting with Inga to look at this and how to improve support structures.

Looking at a nurture group at CCHS for transition group – with each young person having an Individual Education Plan.

Snook have organized a number of engagement events, including:

A design session on 28 May for local people and workers to generate ideas.

A follow up Prototyping Lab on 18 June to look at and refine ideas generated on 18 June.

The TC team will also be out and about on Sat 2 June at MSC area gathering views in a more informal way.

Also looking at another event on 6 June to get views from young people. Peter also suggested doing something on 7 June as there is a Thursday night session at NEA.

Christine asked if all these events could be publicized and local people encouraged to attend.

Christine has also set up a local Management Group – based on Children’s Services MG.

2 She is also meeting with Evaluation Scotland to design an Evaluation Plan.

Diane currently planning GIRFEC briefing sessions.

Christine also planning to hold Bystander Training locally – looking at violence reduction approaches – for local staff. Agreed it would be useful to do one session before summer break and another afterwards. Looking at a 2 hour event on a Friday am.

Rhona said there is a worker at Circle who is currently doing research into effectiveness of various violence reduction approaches – could be of interest to Total Craigroyston..

8. Project Information Sharing

Mark said Muirhouse Library community room is being refurbished – Tomorrows People helping. Also trying to encourage parents to attend with their children and weekends and not turn over responsibility for looking after their children to library staff.

Long discussion on use of library by young people. Need to ensure that young people can use and benefit from library without excluding other users.

Stewart spoke about his voluntary work with RSVP – feeling that primary schools do not make enough use of volunteers. He also passed some maths sheets to Christine who will pass these to relevant people within education.

Cathy said a Time Bank ‘broker’ has been appointed, Spartans breast feeding initiative progressing and still waiting for Bump Start evaluation.

Jen circulated a copy of the Telford prospectus and the Edinburgh Colleges Festival brochure.

Applicant numbers for most courses at Telford are very high and some have waiting lists – encourage people to apply early.

Youth calls lower – highest spike on Mondays when there is no Safer Neighbourhood Team presence.

A local shop had been selling catapults but they have now been taken off sale.

Lot of golf related crime – theft of golfing equipment and using clubs/balls to cause damage to property.

During Euro 2012 the SNT will be working with Spartans to run street football activities.

Bunty – Impressed with TC to date and looking forward to hearing

3 outcome from consultation period.

Rhona said Harbour Project is working with families affected by substance abuse. They have taken on new staff recently but still operating at capacity. Also received funding for a YP drug and alcohol worker – a city wide remit but will be based in NE.

Have also set up a Dads Group that is operating well – received some funding from Forth NP.

Ailene – Working in Royston Wardieburn area and wondered if this was part of TC geographical area. Officially it is CCHS cluster area which does not take in RW, but if consultation suggests area should be extended then they will look at it again.

Christine suggested that next meeting could be used to begin to build a wider network of children and families types of groups and to give some feedback from the Total Craigroyston consultation – we will invite a wide range of local groups and offer afternoon tea.

Date of Next meeting: Thursday 21 June at 2pm in NELO

Proposed future dates: Wed 1 August, Thurs 13 September, Wed 24 October and Thurs 6 December. All 2pm in NELO