The Cabinet has decided to support various recommendations to improve youth provision in Thanet, including enhancing accessibility to sport and leisure opportunities and engaging more with young people.

URL: https://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=5385

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose: On 24 April 2025 Cabinet was presented with the findings of the Youth Service Provision Review Working Party which looked into youth provision in Thanet and how Thanet District Council could support such provisions in the district, taking into consideration the functions a district council could provide. This scrutiny review led to some findings and proposals being put forward for Cabinet consideration and response as well as senior management comments. Cabinet agrees with the importance of engaging and supporting young people.

Content: On 24 April 2025 Cabinet was presented with the findings of the Youth Service Provision Review Working Party which looked into youth provision in Thanet and how Thanet District Council could support such provisions in the district, taking into consideration the functions a district council could provide. This scrutiny review led to some findings and proposals being put forward for Cabinet consideration and response as well as senior management comments. Cabinet agrees with the importance of engaging and supporting young people. Cabinet agreed the following in response to each of the Overview & Scrutiny Panel recommendations:   1.  Recommendation 1 - Accessibility of sport and leisure opportunities is important to health and wellbeing and something supported by the Cabinet. In line with CMT comments this will not be an easy thing to implement but Cabinet will ask officers to draw up a proposal for consideration during the 2026/2027 budget build which will include tabling the idea at the Thanet Parish Council Forum for their considerations;   2.  Recommendation 2 - The council has a duty to consider the voice of the child in its decision making and commits to improving this by discussing more proposals with Youth Council and organisations such as Thanet Youth Network and Youth Forums;   3.  Recommendation 3 - The patrolling of parks, open spaces and high streets is not a service currently provided by the council and would need significant financial investment of around £550K. This would provide at least 10 patrolling officers on shift, a manager and associated equipment. In order to provide this provision there would have to be cuts in other service provision. Cabinet will ask officers to draw up a proposal on how this could be achieved for consideration in the 2026/27 budget setting process;   4.  Recommendation 3a - The Thanet Community Safety Partnership (TCSP) focus a vast amount of their resources on providing interventions in schools and youth organisations, the partnership does not have a continuous presence in these areas. Kent Police are the arm of the TCSP who provide this presence through their child centred policing team. The Cabinet will feed back this recommendation to the TCSP Chair;   5.  Recommendation 4 - There is no funding available for a Youth Liaison Officer to be employed by the council. Cabinet will feed this recommendation back to the TCSP Chair for consideration in preparation of their work plan;   6.  Recommendation 5 - Cabinet supports improvements in engagement with young people however there is no allocated budget for an increased TDC presence in schools and youth groups. Cabinet will ask officers to draw up a proposal for how this could be achieved for consideration during the 2026/2027 budget build;   7.  Recommendation 5a - This would require an additional budget and whilst Cabinet is supportive to this in principle there would be a cost implication of around £50K depending on salary scale. In order to provide this provision there would have to be cuts in other service provision. Cabinet will ask officers to draw up a proposal on how this could be achieved for consideration in the 2026/27 budget setting process;   8.  Recommendation 5b - Cabinet is pleased to learn that there is so much enthusiasm from Councillors to support youth activities and engagements. Cabinet will ask officers to investigate and give feedback on how Councillors can be involved in this work;   9.  Recommendation 5c - Cabinet will ask officers to include this within the training programme for councillors;   10.Recommendation 5d - The Council will continue to work to improve communications with young people;   11.Recommendation 5e - Cabinet will ask Officers to carry out a review of the Thanet Youth Council;   12.Recommendation 6 - This is a significant piece of work and Cabinet will be raising this with the Chair of the TCSP as DWP are a partner to see if this is something that can be achieved by the partnership rather than TDC in isolation;   13.Recommendation 6a - The council already provides a range of internship and apprenticeship opportunities both directly and indirectly through its contractors. Cabinet will ask officers to continue to pursue these opportunities where possible;   14.Recommendation 7 - As age is a protected characteristic under the Public Sector Equality Duty, Cabinet agrees that the needs of young people could be more explicitly set out in the terms of reference for the Equalities Cabinet Advisory Group rather than establishing a further CAG;   15.Recommendation 8 - As age is a protected characteristic under the Public Sector Equality Duty, the impact on young people from decisions taken by the Cabinet should be considered as part of equalities screening assessments and equalities impact assessments. The consideration of the Public Sector Equality Duty is already included within the standard template for all Cabinet decisions. Cabinet recognises the importance of supporting and engaging young people, the working party has provided a number of recommendations which Cabinet wish to support as they can. The alternative option to not respond to the recommendations of the Youth Services Provision Working Party Report was rejected as they wish to support the young people of Thanet

Date of Decision: June 26, 2025