ITEM NO.
REPORT OF STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES
TO LEAD MEMBER OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES
ON
29 JUNE 2009
TITLE: RELOCATION OF SALFORD YOUTH OFFENDING SERVICE
RECOMMENDATION:
The Lead Member for Children’s Services is asked to approve the following:
a) That the YOS should re-locate from Encombe Place to premises on St Simon
Street.
b) That a contribution of £155,000 towards the funding required for the
refurbishment and construction of the extension should be made available from
the Children’s services Directorate budget, coming form funding that is currently
held in balances in the YOS budget.
c) Due to the sensitivity surrounding the proposed relocation of YOS to Blackfriars
Housing Office, this report is submitted to Children, Young People and Families
Scrutiny Committee on the 8 July 2009.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This report outlines the proposals for re-location of the Youth Offending Service from
its current premises in Encombe Place to proposed new site Blackfriars Housing
Offices, St Simon St, Blackfriars.
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS: Relocation of Salford Youth Offending Service
Report dated 27.3.09
(Available for public inspection)
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KEY DECISION:
DETAILS:
YES
SEE BELOW
KEY COUNCIL POLICIES:
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND IMPLICATIONS:
ASSESSMENT OF RISK:
If not approved the YOS will continue to operate from a property that is not fit for
purpose and not DDA compliant and is considered to be an unsafe working
environment for staff.
SOURCE OF FUNDING: Youth Offending Service
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS Supplied by
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Supplied by Neil Summersfield
OTHER DIRECTORATES CONSULTED: Urban Vision
CONTACT OFFICER: Lesley Craven
TEL. NO.
WARD(S) TO WHICH REPORT RELATE(S): IRWELL RIVERSIDE
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0161 7780133
RELOCATION OF SALFORD YOUTH OFFENDING SERVICE
1
Background
1.1
Salford Youth Offending Service ( YOS) has been based at Encombe Place
for some considerable time. The building is a 19th century town house and is
totally unfit for purpose as a YOS. The building is not DDA compliant and can
never be made compliant; it is now too small for the size of the YOS team
which has expanded over the years and the building is in a poor state of
repair with very costly backlog maintenance issues. As a result of all of these
factors there have been concerns for some time that the staff who work in the
YOS are working in an unsafe environment. In addition, the limited space
available at Encombe Place means that, on occasions, the young people who
attend cannot all get into the lobby area so they spill out onto the street.
Furthermore, any disabled young people or disabled parents/carers cannot
access the building and, if no alternative space can be found, they have to be
interviewed outside the building or in the yard behind the building.
1.2
The YOS is subject to inspection by HMI Probation and the outcomes of this
inspection will be fed into and will influence the Corporate Area Assessment.
A full inspection has been scheduled for the week of April 20, 2009. Previous
interim inspection visits have consistently highlighted the fact that the YOS is
currently in accommodation that is unfit for purpose and have flagged this as
a significant risk.
1.3
Due to these factors, the Urban Vision team have, for some years, been
searching for an appropriate building to which to re-locate the YOS. In
addition to the benefits to the YOS, re-location would enable the council to sell
the building on Encombe Place and realise a capital receipt.
2.
Blackfriars proposal
2.1
A council owned building on St Simon Street in Blackfriars will soon be
vacated by the Housing team that currently occupies it. The building is
currently too small to meet all of the YOS’ needs but there is space adjacent
to the building which is large enough to build an extension that would create
accommodation of an appropriate size. The one-off building and
refurbishment costs to make this building fit for purpose are estimated at
£173,000 and £155,000 of this can be met from balances within the YOS
budget, using funds provided by the YJB. The balance of funding will come
from the corporate accommodation budget. The extension would require
planning permission and this, plus the need to refurbish the building and the
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need to avoid disturbing the YOS prior to the April inspection, make it likely
that re-location of the YOS could be complete by September 2009.
3.
Accommodation
3.1
When the extension is built there would be 6 interview rooms off the reception
area. The rest will be office space providing hot-desking and agile working
facilities to enable the full YOS team of 55 staff to operate from the building.
There would also be a conference room and a filing room as the YJB requires
the YOS to maintain extensive records. It is proposed to maintain an area free
from confidential records, that can be zoned off from the rest of the building,
and to make this available for community use during the evenings and at
weekends when the YOS is not using the building.
3.2
In addition to this the Youth Offending Service would be very keen to consult
with the local community to carry out projects which would improve the quality
of the local environment.
All young people subject to YOS orders are required to carry out community
payback, and the service would be keen to explore how this could be of
benefit to the local community. This could take the form of landscaping,
rubbish clearance, painting decorating etc. The service is also working with
Age Concern who have identified the Blackfriars area as having the potential
to develop inter-generational work with the aim of achieving a better
understanding and communication between older residents and young people
in the area.
The Youth Service are keen to support the YOS with the proposed move and
would deploy detached youth work teams to engage with young people
throughout daytime sessions and additional evening sessions in the
Blackfriars area, and if identified as a need would work with community
groups in the development of the Oasis Centre through the provision of youth
work training and support with planning of youth work programmes.
3.3
4.
Recommendation
4.1
The Lead member for Property made the following decision at his briefing on
27 February 2009:

That subject to the following the YOS Service be relocated to the former
Blackfriars Area Housing office.
(a) The building will be available for Community use at evening and
weekends
(b) The YOS work with the community to identify projects that can be
worked on through community payback initiative.
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(c) The building will provide facilities for use by the Greater Manchester
Police.
(d) The Council will support through the neighbourhood management
service Community groups in submitting bids and proposals for funding
for Community use.
(e) The Council will welcome continued dialogue with community groups to
develop business plans and expressions of interest for the use of the
Oasis.
4.2 The Lead Member for Children’s Services is asked to approve the following:
1. That the YOS should re-locate from Encombe Place to premises on St. Simon
Street.
2. That a contribution of £155,000 towards the funding required for the
refurbishment and construction of the extension should be made available
from the Children’s Services Directorate budget, coming form funding that is
currently held in balances in the YOS budget.
3. Due to the sensitivity surrounding the proposed relocation of YOS to
Blackfriars Housing Office, this report is submitted to Children, Young People
and Families Scrutiny Committee on the 8 July 2009.
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