Targeted youth support: stage 1 - Mobilise
The Mobilise stage is where partners in local authority children's trusts commit to the change process and build their awareness of the changes required to improve outcomes for at-risk young people.
The summary below explains what you can expect to achieve during the Mobilise stage. These achievements are supported by a series of activities which you will need to work through before moving on to the next stage.
At the end of the Mobilise stage...
1. The local authority understands in depth what targeted youth support (TYS)
is and what the government requires by 2008.
2. Young people are at the centre of the project.
3. Senior management is committed to improving TYS.
4. A project team is in place with the skills and capacity to manage the change
process.
5. There is a realistic and clear needs-based scope for the project.
6. Stakeholders are identified and effective communications are in place.
7. The project has strong governance and reporting mechanisms within the
children's trust and the wider Every Child Matters change programme and
strategy.
8. There is a robust TYS project plan in place.
Click for further details about these achievements,
including the processes behind each one.
Click to read about activities that will help you to deliver these achievements.
Rationale
The Mobilise stage reaffirms the well-being of young people as the top priority of the change process and recognises the importance of all stakeholders. This is the beginning of the move to a culture that encourages closer collaboration between partners in local authority area children's trusts in all aspects of supporting young people.
During the Mobilise stage, it is important to understand what key stakeholders believe are the major issues facing the local authority, including those that may have been identified as areas for improvement by inspections. These views should be reflected in the scope of the TYS project, to ensure that it fits within the strategic agenda and is aligned with the authority's priorities for reform.
The pathfinder has shifted the targeted youth support agenda to centre
stage in the authority. It has properly aligned it within Every Child Matters
and other policy areas, and has shown the power to influence strategic
thinking.
Paul Vaughan, Education and Lifelong Learning (Acting Service Director),
Leicester City
A key task is choosing and appointing the right project sponsor and project manager. Sponsors and managers should be well networked across agencies and, above all, have credibility in the authority and be able to influence and convince others. Their personality, skills and aptitude are far more important than the organisation they are from. Their roles are vital to the success of the TYS change process.
During this stage, participants are at the beginning of the change curve - motivated and aware of the need for positive change, but not yet fully aware of the minutiae and depth of change that needs to take place.
Next stage
The next stage in the change process, Discover, involves managers, operational staff and young people discovering the current state of TYS in the scope area chosen in the Mobilise stage.
Click to move on to Discover or to read about the activities for the Mobilise stage.
Further resources
Targeted
Youth Support - Overview of Activities and Achievements
Targeted
Youth Support - Personal View Case Studies
Targeted
Youth Support - Mobilise Process Case Studies
This page was last updated on 29 September 2006
