The report of the Strategic Director of Children and Education Services is enclosed.

The report and slide set provides an overview of the citywide approach to listening to what children and young people need to help direct collective resources, support and communities to bring more opportunities, training and experiences for the next generation.

The Board received the report and presentation of the Strategic Director of Children and Education Services that discussed the issues and key concerns identified during COVID-19 that must be addressed before they became entrenched and hinder, or even prevent the progress of our children and young people.

The Our Year Lead officer gave an overview and a presentation that described that a citywide approach is required to listening to what children and young people want; and then harness collective resources, support communities to bring more opportunities, training and experiences for the next generation. ‘Our Year’ 2022 will see partners listening and acting together to create an offer of activities, opportunities and experiences.

From the ongoing work the Board was informed that an expression of interest would be made by Manchester to become part of UNICEF’s Child Friendly City and Communities Programme. This would include a number of themes that would be brought to the Health and Wellbeing Board for further work to develop and engage with partners. The engagement of young people had provided valuable data on what is important to young people in the city. These included: family and friends, Education, Environment, Healthy Lives, having fun things to do and feeling included. A calendar of key events is being developed to include key events throughout the year. Members of the Board were invited to be involved in the initiative and to become Active Advocates. 

The Chair welcomed the report and in particular, the link to mental and physical health of young people.

Members of the Board were the invited to questions and comment.

Members of the Board noted the enthusiasm and motivation of the young people who had been engaged so far in the process and the richness of the responses they had provided as well as the modesty of some of the requests.

Officers were asked if a fund had been made available and how would the initiative be evaluated to determine how successful the year had been.

It was reported that some funding would be made available for the initiative. Contact had been made with the business sector to help raise support for proposed activities and through other means such as contributing resources via self-funding events, free tickets, mentoring, coaching, donations and work apprenticeships opportunities. The year would be evaluated to measure its success as well as the outcome of the UNICEF Child Friendly City application. Young people will be involved throughout the process and a framework would be developed to measure this through strengthening the voice of young people and how the young people in the city look back at their year.

The Director of Adult Social Services welcomed the initiative and suggested an intergenerational element be included in the initiative that could attract young people to opportunities within the Health and Social Care Sector.

Decisions

The Board;

1. Endorse and promote ‘Our Year 2022’. A year to celebrate the successes of Manchester’s children and young people and supporting their recovery from the impact of Covid19;

2. Endorse and support Manchester submitting an expression of interest to become part of UNICEF’s Child Friendly City and Communities programme; and

3.    Promote initiatives/programmes within areas of responsibility that create activities, opportunities and celebrate the success of Manchester’s children and young people.