Pathfinder choses limited geographic scope

This case study Mobilise achievement 5: There is a realistic and clear needs-based scope for the project

Gateshead needed to make a decision about the geographic scope of its TYS pathfinder.

Issue

The authority had the option to choose the whole of its region or a number of smaller geographic areas to focus on. These included Felling in the north of the region and Birtley in the South.

Action taken

The senior officers responsible for the pathfinder chose to limit the geographic scope and specifically chose Birtley Town and Kibblesworth, in the south of the region.

The area was selected because of:

• Its geographical separation
  
  
• Robust prescence of the Youth Inclusion, Youth Service, Play Service and Extended School Capacity
  
  
• Youth Inclusion Support Panel (The Amber Project) operate successfully there
  
  
• Some multi-agency detached work is being successfully delivered in the area
  
  
• A multi-agency steering group already operates in the area which has local elected member representation
  
  
• A best value area review highlighted children and young people's work
  
  
• Youth inclusion project in Birtley has worked in close conjunction with the Children's Fund, so has focused on a younger age range
  
  
• The pathfinder will give Gateshead the opportunity to test the issues around transition from primary to secondary
  
  
• Extended schools activity is focusing on 8-17 years

Once this decision was taken, the senior officers then managed the local process to ensure that other parts of the community were involved and could see that the whole of the borough would benefit.

Results

One of the clear benefits of this approach was the ability to test a model where there was already a helpful baseline (including a tradition of collaborative working), before rolling it out to the whole borough. However, it also meant that although it was a local solution, it needed to be able to be adapted for use anywhere in the region.

This has allowed Gateshead to achieve significant progress and the tight timescales with little need for additional resources. The pathfinder was consequently much more manageable than it might have been. It has also meant that the process in Birtley has been more inclusive ie. more people in the area have been involved in the project than would otherwise have been.

As a result Gateshead has overcome some of the normal multi-agency and political barriers to many projects and there has been true frontline/grass roots involvement throughout the process.

The roll out solution is likely to have common elements, such as integrated arrangements, lead practitioner and single point of entry for a young person in need, but adjusted for particular needs in other localities.

Choosing this locality route was also in line with existing thinking around locality planning, neighbourhoods and the children and young people's plan.

Click for further process case studies relevant to the Mobilise stage of the targeted youth support change process or to read the achievements for this stage.