Local Authority

Each local authority in the North East has a designated Youth Service, which vary in size, budget and reach. All 12 local authority areas have a senior officer who is designated as Principal Youth Officer (PYO) for their service. The Regional PYO’s group includes all the PYO’s from the North East region, and acts as a focal point for support, information and the sharing of good practice. The group also creates the opportunity to consider national, regional and local issues that affect the development of youth services.

Local authority youth services have been through a process of tremendous change in the past few years. The Transforming Youth Work agenda, Resourcing Excellent Youth Services, Every Child Matters and the follow up Youth Matters government paper, along with a range of other government initiatives aimed at local authorities and youth services, have all had an impact on statutory youth provision. The regional Principal Youth Officers group has helped to coordinate a number of regional initiatives to help colleagues cope with this enormous change process. The group developed a regional template for youth service plans, have provided seminars on individual experiences of enhanced inspections within Joint Area Reviews, and have an input into the regional visioning strategy for youth services in the North East.

The Principal Youth officers group is a vital part of the work of the Regional Youth Work Unit, and the Unit enjoys a great deal of practical and financial support from the Principal Youth Officers. For more information, contact Leon Mexter on 0191 440 4410 or at leon@rywu.org.uk

Dates of PYO meetings

Tuesday 5th February 2008, 1.00 pm, Regional Youth Work Unit
Tuesday 1st April 2008, 1.00 pm, Regional Youth Work Unit
Tuesday 3rd June 2008, 1.00 pm, Regional Youth Work Unit
Tuesday 7th October 2008, 1.00 pm, Regional Youth Work Unit
Tuesday 2nd December 2008, 1.00 pm, Regional Youth Work Unit

Links

www.apyco.org.uk Association of Principal Youth and Community Officers – a national organisation supporting local authority youth services and Principal Youth Officers across England. The current Chief Executive is Susie Roberts.

You can see the youth service contact details here: Youth Service Contact Details