An enterprising future for young people

Young people in Warwickshire are to benefit from a raft of future support following an innovative new approach to how services are funded.

The Positive About Young People programme, a registered charity and formerly part of Warwickshire County Council’s children’s services, is from next month to become the county’s first social enterprise company.

This means that the county council will continue to finance Positive About Young People for the next two years, but leave the ‘company’ free to seek funding from a host of different charitable schemes.

It also means that once out of county council control the programme can be sponsored by businesses.

Cllr Heather Timms, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Families, said: “This is the first county council service to become a social enterprise company and is a perfect template to how it should work. PAYP has done some tremendous work in Warwickshire and now they will have the freedom to continue to work with young people without some of the regulation facing local authorities.

“A good example of the benefit is in working with difficult to reach young people who may be wary of local authorities, will be far more willing to deal with an organisation out of state control.

“As part of the agreement decided by Cabinet last week, we will continue to provide  support to PAYP for the next two years, giving them the time and support necessary to make the social enterprise company a success.

“The new social enterprise company means PAYP can continue to develop and attract other funding at a time when local authority funding is being reduced.”

The PAYP project is a unique service, with ten years of targeted work with vulnerable 8-13 year olds and there are no other comparable services within the West Midlands region.

PAYP is part of the Early Intervention Service, where the county council works with Warwickshire Police, voluntary, private and charitable partners to reach young people who may need support.