FELIXSTOWE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT GROUP LEVEL TWO YOUTH PROJECT
DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023/24 INTRODUCTION
Who we are:-
We are a Registered Charity & a Company Limited by Guarantee. Established in 2001, we are the only providers of comprehensive youth services for young people in Felixstowe & the surrounding area.
Our vision is to increase the life skills and advance the non-formal education of children and young people aged 7-25 years; and to meet the health and well-being needs of children, young people and families in Felixstowe and the surrounding area.
We will do this by:-
meeting the needs of vulnerable children and young people who are referred to us;
providing information, advice and guidance through our Early Intervention programme;
offering mentoring and counselling services;
working in schools;
offering our Outreach service to young people not easily able to access centre based provision;
working with families when our work with a young person makes this appropriate.
We commit to the following values in our relationships with each other, with young people and their families, and with our partner organisations.
Integrity: be honest, transparent, trustworthy and true to our beliefs;
Passion: be positive and enthusiastic about what we are trying to achieve;
Aspiration: aim for our best and set high, realistic goals;
Resilience: never give up and strive to improve;
Accountability: take responsibility for our words, thoughts and actions.
Respect: for ourselves, our environment and other people.
Leadership and Management structure
We commit to abiding by up to date and legally compliant Articles of Association. As a limited company we will maintain a list of Members.
Governance will be the responsibility of a Board of Trustees/Directors. The Project Manager (CEO) will lead a Senior Team (currently including Deputy Project Manager, Principal Youth Worker and Counselling Lead Professional). They will ensure the delivery of provision, the achievement of outcomes by young people & the ability of the Project to be flexible & responsive to need.
Finance
We believe it is vital that our provision is offered free to children, young people and families as the more vulnerable they are the less likely they will be able and willing to afford to pay. The exception is that we may ask for a contribution to holiday trips. We are mostly a Grant funded organisation, with a track record of success in attracting funding & providing value for money.
We will make it a priority to apply to a range of funders, local and national, and to maintain positive relationships with them by keeping them informed and providing monitoring reports as required.
To promote the welfare of young people (age 7-25) living in Felixstowe and surrounding villages, through supportive relationships and positive experiences, designed to enhance their personal and social development.
Our Safeguarding Priorities
We recognize that the welfare of children and young people is paramount and that they have equal rights of protection. We have a duty of care when they are in our charge and will do everything we can to provide a safe and caring environment whilst they attend our activities.
We will:-
- Treat all children and young people with respect and celebrate their achievements.
- Carefully recruit and select all adults whether paid or unpaid. All staff & volunteers will have a DBS check.
- Respond to concerns and allegations appropriately.
- Act in accordance with Suffolk Safeguarding Children Board guidance.
Contact Information
When a young person visits us we will ask them to complete a contact sheet (please see the link below) should we need to contact parents/carers in an emergency. Any young person under the age of 13 will need a parent/carer to sign this for them. By completing and signing the form you are agreeing to the following statement:
‘I understand this information will be treated as confidential. It will be used to contact my parent / carer in the event of an emergency; Shared with Level Two Youth Workers if they need to know about a health condition, other agencies if required by law or if I am considered to be at risk of harm. You may also log additional information that I choose to share with you. This will only be accessible by Level Two Youth Workers & will be treated as confidential. You will only hold information for as long as you need it. I have the right to see any information you hold about me, have it corrected or have it erased. If you are unable to get consent you may hold information under legitimate interest.
