Practitioners

Positive Activities

Positive activities in Portsmouth

For youth clubs, youth centres and projects run by the Integrated Youth Support Service in Portsmouth look in where to find us and for any other activities look in get involved, what's on, freetime or the youth zone of Ask Sherlock.

In this section:

Statutory Guidance and National Standards

How positive activities are measured

Policy background

Legislation

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Statutory Guidance and National Standards

Statutory Guidance on positive activities has been published by DCSF: It sets out the national standards for positive activities:

• Access to two hours per week of sporting activity and other physical activities such as aerobics and dance
• Access to two hours per week of other constructive activities in clubs, youth groups and classes. This includes activities in which young people pursue their interests and hobbies; activities contributing to their personal, social and spiritual development; activities encouraging creativity; innovation and enterprise; study support; and residential opportunities.
• Opportunities to make a positive contribution to their community through volunteering, including leading action, campaigning and fundraising
• A wide range of other recreational, cultural, sporting and enriching experiences
• A range of safe and enjoyable places in which to spend time. This could simply be somewhere to socialise with friends.

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How positive activities are measured

Youth Advisors conduct reviews with each young person in year 11 (age 15). This review now includes a question on participation in positive activities as follows: ‘In the last 4 weeks have you participated in any activity lead by an adult outside school lessons such as Sport, Art or Youth Group?’ The answer to this question is recorded on the Client Caseload Information System (known as CCIS). This will give local information on levels of participation in activities.

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Policy background

Aiming High for young people: a 10 year strategy for positive activities was published by DCSF in July 2007.

It sets out the vision for the support and opportunities that need to be made available for young people. There are six key elements:

1. Rebalancing the public narrative about young people – counteracting the unrelenting negative perception of young people by celebrating the achievements of the majority
2. Empowering young people to increase their influence over the design and delivery of services for them
3. Increasing the number of local places for young people to go
4. Removing barriers and supporting young people to access local opportunities and services for them
5. Improving the capacity and quality of services for young people
6. Supporting and developing the youth workforce.

The Aiming High Implementation Plan was published in March 2008.

The Youth Crime Action Plan was published in July 2008 and is a joint plan from DCSF, Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. This promotes positive activities as an effective measure to reduce anti social behaviour by young people.

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Legislation

Section 6 of the Education & Inspections Act 2006 came into force in April 2007. This amends the Education Act 1996. It states that Local Authorities must secure for young persons aged 13-19 (up to 24 if they have a learning disability) access to:

(a) sufficient educational leisure-time activities, and
(b) sufficient recreational leisure-time activities

The authority must take steps to ascertain and to take into account the views of young persons about activities and facilities, the need for additional activities and facilities and access to these.

They must publicise up-to-date information about positive leisure-time activities, and facilities for such activities, in the authority’s area.

Additionally Local Authorities are required under Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (as amended) to consider the impact of every decision they make on their duty to reduce crime, anti social behaviour (ASB), the misuse of drugs and alcohol and to consider the impact on the environment of that decision. It is known that many young people are involved in ASB because there is nothing for them to do and authorities should be considering the impact of their offer of positive activities in relation to ASB.