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Connecting to Facebook  Newsletter Issue 3 | Summer 2010 |
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Introduction
On a brighter note, Connexions West of England is now known as Learning Partnership West (LPW) - a new name but the same high quality service. LPW comprises two branches (commissioning and delivery) committed to increasing the participation, progression and achievement of young people and adults by delivering services in a variety of locations throughout the West of England. The delivery branch of Learning Partnership West includes the Connexions service (Connexions West), Education Business Partnership (EBP West) and the Adult Careers Service (nextstep). The commissioning branch of Learning Partnership West is a new addition to the organisation called Shared Commissioning Services (SCS). SCS is responsible for the planning and commissioning of 16-19 education and training provision for the West of England sub-region. We look forward to seeing the impact of this very important service. Finally from me, as I indicated at the beginning of this financial year, after 16 years of working with Learning Partnership West, I have decided it is time to move on, so this will sadly be my final edition of our newsletter. May I take this opportunity to thank everyone who I have worked with over the years.
Keith Harrison
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NEET project
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New children's hubs
To read the full article please click here.
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North Bristol Job Club
Dave Portingale, Engagement Worker said: “Each week we aim to get more and more young people to attend. This also encourages young people to meet other young people to build friendships and peer support. I have also invited other professional workers from partnership agencies such as e2e providers to make users of the job club more aware of the range of opportunities available in their area.”
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New address for Bath CentreConnexions West in Bath and North East Somerset has moved offices. Last month the team moved to its new location at Peasedown Youth Centre on Bath Road in Bath. For directions click here. Anyone who would like information, advice or guidance is to ring its main office number 01761 430900 and the team will offer support over the phone or arrange a time and a place to meet. Gloucester Job CentreThe Adult Careers Service has just started delivering its services from Gloucester Job Centre. A recent client scored the services with top marks saying: "After seven months of unemployment, this was by far the most helpful input I have received to help me get back to work - thanks." |
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Six months on from our last newsletter there have been some major changes which I’m sure will affect us all at some point. Since the change of Government in May, the public sector and any organisation relying on public funding is facing new challenges as we all prepare for a tough few years ahead. As the required savings become clear for us we are developing plans to deal with them immediately and ensure a sustainable organisation for the future. 
A summer learning programme, N-GAGE, organised by Connexions West and Weston College which aims to give young people more confidence in considering their post-16 progression opportunities will be running a series of sessions in North Somerset from 26th July – 27th August .
The East Bristol team has made a successful bid to the Locality Targeted Positive Activities fund to continue successful project work with NEET young people, which will enable the pilot project to continue. The project was developed because regular analysis showed that many young people – up to 50% - were either too anxious or too angry to sustain even flexible E2E provision. As a direct response, PAs developed and delivered a six week intervention framework and commissioned therapeutic sessions from Engage with funding from TPA 1:1 Intensive Fund to help young people relax and develop new behaviours.
Following the completion of the Yate West Gate Centre at the end of January, the first of South Gloucestershire’s three locality Children’s Hubs became operational on February 8th 2010. Practitioners and managers from the NHS, the local authority and Connexions West now work side by side from one building in Yate Shopping Centre, to reinforce existing professional partnerships and to forge new ones.With building projects now underway for the Severnvale and Kingswood hubs, these are exciting times for children and young people’s services in South Gloucestershire.
help engage with young people. Inspiring video footage of young people who have used the services of Connexions West and gone on to own their own businesses, combine parenthood with study and work their work up the educational ladder will all be released soon. In addition to the new LPW website, a Connexions West Facebook Fan Page and a brand new Connexions West website will be launched this summer, proving useful reference points and resources for young people in the West of England.
Commissioning 16-19 learning in partnership with local authorities: Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
Bristolians turned out in their hundreds to watch three massive urban dance performances, organised by Bristol City College, at locations in the city centre in May. The performances took the style of a ‘flash mob’, where a group of people assemble in a public place for a brief period of time, then perform an unusual action and disperse quickly. Many of the dancers were young people aged between 16 and 18 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
A new type of job club for young people has been created at The Brentry Lodge Youth Club that aims to help NEET young people develop a range of positive skills that will ease their transition back into learning or employment.
