Agenda and minutes

See apologies listed above.

Councillor Members of the Youth Cabinet are asked whether they have any interest in any item on the agenda and if so, to formally declare that interest.

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

The Minutes of the last meeting held on 6 December 2022 are attached.

The minutes of the previous meeting, which was held on 6 December 2023, were agreed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.

Heather Walton reported that in relation to the issues that were raised at the last meeting, the money for the green bus stop project has been reinstated to use for an alternative project.

Andy Bradburn, IYSS Team Manager and Roger Pakeman, 14-19 Advisor to attend to discuss careers advice.

Roger Pakeman, 14-19 advisor and Andy Bradburn, IYSS Team Manager attended the Youth Cabinet Meeting at the request of the Youth Members to discuss careers advice.

Andy Bradburn advised the Youth Members that schools and colleges are responsible for providing their own careers advice. Andy reported that he is creating an all-age Skills Strategy, it will focus on how to give young people in the borough exposure to jobs and highlighted how careers is being picked up through Ofsted inspections within schools and therefore is giving an opportunity to talk to schools around careers advice. All schools took part in work experiences up until 2012, some schools have reinstated work experiences and others have decided that pupils do not need work experience.

In a response to a question around the Youth Members knowing who their careers lead is within their schools, approximately half of the young people said that they knew who their careers lead was.

In response to a question around having careers advice at a younger age, Roger Pakeman explained that they are looking at doing an element of careers advice in year 7 and advised of a project around having early education advice in Primary Schools, although it isn’t yet known if Bury will be included in this project.

In a response to a question around careers advice in college, Andy reported that there is a big push around apprenticeships, to promote a technical route and advised of apprenticeship advisors as well as colleges attending careers events.

Youth members advised of their experiences within schools and colleges around careers advice that had been given. In a response to a question around ensuring the quality of careers advice in schools and colleges, Andy explained that there are 2 main contractors in Bury that are used and will take the feedback Youth Members provided around the issues with the quality of the careers advice to the network of career leads. It is up to the schools to ensure that they are getting quality careers advice. Each school should have a linked governor as part of the governing body to ensure that careers advice is being looked at.

In response to a question around financial skills in life, Andy reported that it is important to have skills for life when you leave school around relationship, careers and that skills for life need to be broader.

Jeanette Richards, Executive Director of Children’s Services, thanked the Youth Members for their feedback and advised that some of the broader messages will need to be taken to the CS Partnership to enable them to make the best decisions. In summary the Youth Members advised that they would like:

• Careers advice from a younger age.
• Alternative pathways in college rather than being advised about the University route.
• More careers advice sessions.
• A link to education establishments with employers.
• More transition from high school to college advice.
• work experience in schools.

It was agreed:

1. Andy Bradburn to distribute to schools the feedback from Youth Members  ...  view the full minutes text for item YC.5

Councillor Fitzgerald, Chair of the Health Scrutiny Committee to discuss loneliness and isolation with the Youth Members.

Councillor E Fitzgerald, Chair of Health Scrutiny attended the meeting to seek the Youth Members views about Loneliness and Isolation.

Councillor E Fitzgerald reported that it is the Health Scrutiny Committees role to scrutinise everything in health. When loneliness and isolation was discussed as a committee it was felt that it affected older people, however an analysis showed that there are lots of different ways to engage with people.

Councillor Fitzgerald asked the Youth Members:

1. How could people who are experiencing loneliness and isolation be encouraged to reach out?
2. What would be the ask as young people, of the Council and the wider health care system in relation to loneliness and isolation?

The Youth Members provide the following suggestions:

• Due to young people being on social media, they can feel detached from the real room.
• There are benefits from make more connections with people.
• Online friendships are different than in person friendships, although both are important.
• The importance of group work in colleges and schools were raised as this was an issue during the pandemic.
• Schools provide information regarding mental health in assembly, it was advised that they don’t give people’s personal experiences and therefore find it hard to relate.
• Land that is used to socialise eg dog walks, playing football is being sold off for housing.
• Staying off phones and speaking to people around them.
• Advice to be provided around maintaining friendships and how to get over fallouts.
• Being able to have a good relationship with parents and carers to talk about mental health.

Councillor Dean advised that loneliness and isolation was discussed at the Circles of Influence event but unfortunately the event was poorly attended by officers and cabinet members who needed to be there to hear the conversations that were had.

Councillor A Quinn, Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Operations to attend to discuss issues around transport for young people.

Councillor A Quinn, Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Operations attended the Youth Cabinet meeting at the request of the Youth Members to discuss transport issues.

Councillor A Quinn asked the Youth Members if they felt safe using public transport.

Youth Members discussed their concerns around using public transport and advised that:

• People do not follow rules on the buses such as no smoking/ vaping.
• The unreliability of buses meaning that young people have to use the Metrolink at a cost.
• The ‘Our Pass’ let you buy a discounted Metrolink ticket the evening before travel, although this is not useful when you plan on getting the bus and then have to use the Metrolink in the morning due to the bus running late.
• They felt secure cycling around Manchester City Centre due to the cycle lanes but not outside of Manchester.
• Young people are unsure how to use the ‘Our Pass’ to get discounted rates on Metrolink.
• The school traffic is too bad as there are too many cars on the road.
• The Metrolink is very costly, especially at peak times.
• The ‘IGO Pass’ is a discounted travel ticket for under 16’s and it was suggested that this should be the same as the ‘Our Pass’, to makes travel free.
• Other countries offer a better bus service.

It was agreed:

1. Councillor Quinn to feedback to the combined authority suggestions and issues from the Youth Members.

Heather Walton, Youth Participation Worker to update on the key findings.

Due to time constraints, this item was deferred to the next meeting.

Due to time constraints, this item was deferred to the next meeting.

Due to time constraints, this item was deferred to the next meeting.

At the next formal Youth Cabinet meeting a new deputy Youth Mayor will be elected.