Early Help Provision Mentoring & Youth Provision

Tender description

Bedford Borough Council's Early Help Strategy is a cornerstone in the Borough Council's approach to delivering better outcomes for children, young people and their families in Bedford Borough. Our approach to Early Help is very much a partnership one, with delivery of the aspirations outlined in the strategy hinging on successful partnership working not only with statutory agencies such as the council, health agencies and the police, but also private providers and the voluntary and community sector. Early Help is the term used to describe arrangements and services that identify the needs of children, young people and families as soon as the problems start to emerge, or when there is a strong likelihood that problems will emerge in the future. Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015) identifies the critical features of effective Early Help as: o A multi-disciplinary approach that brings a range of professional skills and expertise to bear through a 'Team around the Child' approach. o A relationship with a trusted lead professional who can engage with the child and their family, and coordinate the support needed from other agencies o Practice that empowers families and helps them to develop the capacity to resolve their own problems o A holistic approach that addresses the children's needs in the wider family context o Simple, streamlined referral and assessment process. Since the inception of Bedford Borough's Early Help offer we have seen a significant increase in services completing Early Help Assessments requiring support for young people and their families. As a response to the increase in demand Bedford Borough Council's Early Help Service would like to implement a volunteer mentoring scheme as a cost effective way of increasing the capacity of its offer. Many young people lack guidance and positive role models in their life. This can lead to poor educational outcomes due to disengagement or even criminal activity. This programme is designed to support and compliment the Early Help offer by supporting young people to make informed and positive life choices. By doing this we can prevent young people from entering adulthood with no or few qualifications and avoid further cost to the public purse by empowering, supporting and encouraging them through difficult times to achieve independence, self-worth, motivation and social and educational skills. Mentoring for young people is pivotal in ensuring a positive future for young people at risk of negative outcomes and demonstrating risky behaviours. The proposed new service will deliver a family based approach. Mentoring will primarily focus on the young person. In addition, around 10% of mentoring time will be undertaken with the immediate family to ensure the developmental needs of young people are clearly understood. A minimum of 360 hours of one-to-one mentoring will be provided throughout the academic year. Altho...