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Community
Development and Safety Committee
25 June 2014
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Theme Report:
Children and Young People-making the transformational shifts
File No.: CP2014/12377
Purpose
1. To report
progress on the Transformational Shifts particularly relevant to children and
young people, and council’s role and activities in supporting education and
life-time learning.
Executive
summary
2. Transformational
Shift 1 of the Auckland Plan - “Dramatically accelerate the prospects of
Auckland’s children and young people”- is fundamental to achieving the
vision of the “world’s most liveable city”. All six transformational shifts
impact on children and young people; but the shifts on raising living standards
and Māori economic and social well-being, are critical to children and
young people’s well -being and opportunities. The priority “Putting children
and young people first” also means giving priority to supporting parents,
families and communities.
3. In the first
term, council has laid some solid strategic foundations and delivered a range
of policies and services that contribute to a shift in thinking and practice.
There has also been some successful collaboration with central government and
other partners on key issues like youth unemployment and housing.
4. Council has
provided mechanisms for young people to have a voice by establishing the Youth
Advisory Panel and local youth groups; and supporting civic participation and
youth-led initiatives.
5. However, the
“game changing” issues for children, such as tackling child poverty, are
interdependent, often requiring sustained investment over a long period, and
creative and courageous leadership in council and the community. Significant
gaps remain.
6. The new
approach to developing the Long Term Plan 2015-2025 provides opportunities for
transformational change as do opportunities to work with central government,
the community and social sectors and others on shared priorities.
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Recommendations
That the Community Development
and Safety Committee:
a) note the range of activities
council carries out that support the education, health and well-being of
children and young people
b) endorse the shift to youth-led
planning and delivery of activities and child/youth impact assessments and
measures
c) note the potential opportunities
through the Long Term Plan to reshape council’s activities around the
Auckland Plan transformational shifts and the directive to “put children and
young people first”.
d) note the discussions council
staff are having with central government officials and social and community
sector leaders, to explore joint action on shared priorities to address
significant gaps in policy and service delivery for children, young people
and families.
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Comments
Strategic
direction
Auckland
Plan
7. The first
transformational shift in the Auckland Plan is “Dramatically accelerate the
prospects of Auckland’s children and young people”. The Auckland Plan
recognises that if we do not achieve this shift, future generations of
Aucklanders will continue to face today’s problems. All the transformational
shifts impact on children and young people, but the shifts “substantially
raise living standards with a focus on those most in need” and
“significantly lift Māori economic and social well-being”, are
fundamental to achieving transformational shift one. The priority “Putting
children and young people first” also means giving priority to supporting
parents, families and communities. A vast body of research and experience
concludes that the critical foundations that all children need are:
· Love, nurturing and early attachment[1]
· Sustainable and adequate income
· Decent, affordable and stable housing
· Supportive communities and responsive
support services
8. The Auckland
Plan recognises that education is an important determinant of income and social
mobility and that inequality in educational achievement have a life-long
impact. Responsibility for education sits primarily with central government.
Council’s main role is supporting life-long learning and civic participation.
(see Attachment A - Council’s role in education, literacy and lifelong
learning)
9. The Auckland
Plan also reflects the increasing body of evidence linking participation in
sport and physical activity, arts and culture with improved academic, health
and social outcomes, benefitting students, families and communities alike.
Council supports programmes like Find Your Field of Dreams and the Sistema
Programme to achieve these multiple outcomes.
The Southern Initiative
10. Many Auckland children and young people are doing well and this
should be celebrated and sustained. Some critical issues such as misuse of
alcohol and other drugs and mental health issues, affect young people across
the region. However, for transformational change, the focus must be on those
children, young people and their families who are most disadvantaged and
under-achieving- primarily Māori and Pacific families, who are
concentrated in the Southern Initiative area. (see Attachment B & C - 2013 Population Density
Heat Maps of Children, ages 0 to 14 years and 15 to 24 years for Auckland's
Urban Area)
Youth Advisory Panel
11. Council has provided mechanisms for young people to have a voice by
establishing the Youth Advisory Panel and local youth groups, and supporting
civic participation and youth-led initiatives.
Core
strategies
12. The following
are the core strategies, most relevant for children and young people, that
have been developed to help deliver the Auckland Plan:
I am Auckland
13. I am Auckland is the Children and Young
People’s Strategic Action Plan which was co-designed and co-developed with
youth. I Am Auckland has seven goals which describe what children and
young people see as “putting them first” and how to achieve it. (see Attachment
D – Moving to Action – I am Auckland Goals) Importantly, youth said they want
to develop their own programmes and projects in partnership with the council
and the community. The council is supporting this through civic participation,
sport and recreation programmes and the youth-led organisation of the I am
Auckland launch and awards.
Thriving
Communities
14. Thriving
Communities is council’s action plan focused on innovative ways in which
council can support community-led action to tackle inequality, build social
cohesion and strengthen democracy. Support for youth-led initiatives, young
people as change makers and giving children and young people “voice”, is an
important part of this.
Te Kauora-Future
Directions
15. Delivery of
Auckland Libraries 10 year strategic plan is now underway. The two focus areas
most relevant to this report are “every child a reader” and “inspiring
learning, enabling participation” (see report “Libraries in Community
Development” 14 May 2014).
16. Auckland
Libraries programmes provide important support to emerging literacy and a
lifetime of reading and discovery:
· Each week
approximately 2,700 children, parents and caregivers across Auckland take part
in Wriggle and Rhyme active movement for 0 to 2 year olds. This is a
programme that helps develop the parts of the brain used for reading and
communicating
· Storytimes, after school programming, vibrant school
holiday programmes, library activities delivered outside a library building;
and the Dare to Explore summer reading adventure (over 8,000
participants last year), enable meaningful play and active learning and
discovery
· Libraries
are particularly important as digital learning hubs, especially in communities
where family ownership of technology is low. Through libraries young people
build digital and media literacy, including safety online.
Housing Action
Plan and Housing Accord
17. The Housing Action Plan addresses the key issues of supply, choice,
affordability and quality. Initiatives include a “warrant of fitness pilot with
other councils, exploring a housing bond option to give
greater and cheaper access to funds by community housing providers, and
financial literacy support for Pasifika families in the Southern Initiative
area.
18. Under the Special Housing Areas, set up under the Housing Accord with
government, developers are required to provide either 10
% of the homes as “relative affordable”( i.e. 75% of the Auckland median house
price); or 5% of the homes as “retained affordable” (i.e. held in perpetuity
for affordable housing), or a combination of these two. There are also
eligibility requirements for purchasers of these homes with a focus on income
levels and first time buyers
Arts and Culture
Strategic Action Plan (in draft)
19. The Arts and
Culture Strategic Action Plan recognises the role of arts and culture in
providing opportunities for children and young people and supporting their
educational achievement, health and well-being. The draft Plan contains actions
on increasing access and participation and programming for children and young
people and more opportunities for careers in the creative sector.
Auckland Sport
and Recreation Strategic Action Plan (SARSAP)
20. The Auckland
Sport and Recreation Strategic Action Plan sets out a vision for Aucklanders to
be “more active more often”. The plan is for council and the sector and
focuses on 4 priority areas: participation, infrastructure, excellence in
recreation and sport and sector development. Schools and tertiary institutes
are instrumental to achieving the vision along with other collaborative parties
such as sports organisations, clubs and central government.
21. The
development and learning of children and young people is one of the five key
benefits of recreation and sport:
· Recreation and sport programmes teach
fundamental movement skills and teamwork. The council provides a diverse range
of recreational and sporting opportunities to children and young people and
proactively target school aged children to ensure on-going participation
throughout the schooling years and into adulthood
· Active engagement with children and young
people is delivered within a broad framework of youth-led development
· Research on young people’s perceptions and
participation in sport and recreation forms the basis of much of the work with
young people. Sport and Recreation in the lives of Young Aucklanders was
jointly published by council and Sport NZ and released in 2013
· From this research the Parks Sport and
Recreation Department worked with the Youth Advisory Panel to develop the Youth
Speak Sport Summit. Young people looked at the findings and in particular,
barriers to health and wellbeing, and developed 10 priority actions that are
now part of SARSAP. Young people are now involved in the project development
and implementation of these ideas examples of projects include, adapting and
developing programmes that focus on teenage girls.
Youth voice and leadership
22. Two key ways that council supports youth
participation, voice and influence are the regional Youth Advisory Panel (YAP)
and local youth boards. Significant regional, sub-regional and local youth
engagement processes took place between February and April 2014, to influence
the Long Term Plan and local board three year plans.
23. Local youth boards have been very proactive in
expressing their local youth priorities, to inform the local board plans. In
many cases they have supported local boards to engage young people early in
their planning and this is reflected in local board priorities.
24. In July 2014, a new intake will occur for YAP,
in which half of the members will change and new young people will join the
group.
Young people as change makers
25. There is a growing focus within council on
practically supporting young people as change makers. This work is currently
co-funded by the Ministry of Youth Development (MYD). Latest examples include:
· contributing to the September 2014 Festival for the
Future which is supporting young people (15 to 30 year olds) who are interested
in social enterprise and social change. The festival will be followed by a
summer incubator programme for young entrepreneurs
· working with “Boom,” a social enterprise, on how
council can increase young people’s capability to be change makers. This will
inform council’s capacity building programme for youth leadership and
development from 2014.
Ministry of Youth Development Youth Development
Partnership Fund
26. The Youth Changemakers programme has been
implemented across the Auckland region, with funding support from the Ministry
of Youth Development. It consisted of a youth summit and sub-regional youth
jams, with subsequent local youth projects being delivered. This programme will
finish with the Tāmaki Makaurau Youth Awards in August 2014. These awards
are being delivered by the Youth Advisory Panel in conjunction with the
council, Hapai te Hauora Tapui (Maori Public Health) and Ngāti Whātua
Ōrākei.
27. The council has recently been notified that it
will receive further support from the MYD in the 2014-2015 year to expand this
programme. It will deliver ‘Home Grown Initiatives’ workshops and forums to
accelerate ideas for local community change, and ‘Home Grown Action’ - delivery
of change projects run by local young people.
Roskill Youth Zone and community facilities
28. The Roskill Youth Zone (RYZ) is taking a
strong social enterprise and innovation focus with the Roskill Coffee Project
and screen printing business located in the facility. The thriving coffee
project trains young people in hospitality skills and supports them to find
employment in this industry. The screen printing business provides a platform
for young people to learn screen printing and is developing into its own
successful screen printing enterprise.
29. As well as developing a social enterprise
incubator for young people, the RYZ also runs a wide range of youth programmes,
including recreation programmes for young people with disabilities, art classes
and school holiday programmes.
30. Another solely youth focused community
facility supported by council is Zeal, in Henderson. In addition, all of
council’s community centres and many of its facilities include youth
programming and engagement.
Arts, culture and events
31. Council’s Events team has been actively
exploring initiatives to meet the Auckland Plan objective of providing more
youth focused events. A trial youth food event called What’s Your Flavour?
is being held in August 2014, with the inaugural event being held in 2015 if
the trial is successful. This is a food competition along the lines of Master
Chef, in which YAP has had an ongoing advisory role.
32. The trial is being supported by the Home
Economics and Technology Teachers’ Association of New Zealand Inc. (HETTANZ),
the New Zealand Chefs Association and the Restaurant Association of New Zealand
(RANZ). This fun ‘have a go’ event will provide a platform for secondary school
students (Years 11/12/13) throughout Auckland to compete through a cooking
competition using food and cultural fusion. Other key events, with a youth
element, include Music in Parks and Movies in Parks.
33. Arts facilities and programming also have a strong youth focus, including
bringing schools to exhibitions, supporting young artists, outreach arts
programmes for young people and youth art exhibitions. The Matariki Festival,
underway at the end of June, has a range of youth and family friendly events.
Drivers of
transformational change
34. It is
generally accepted that the real “game changers” for children and young people
will be:
· Tackling child poverty through adequate and
sustained income for all families
· Tackling the causes of child abuse and
family violence
· improving the quality and affordability of
housing
· Increasing options and access for early
learning and family attachment support
· Improving education and employment
opportunities and outcomes
· Reducing harm caused by alcohol, tobacco
and other drugs
· Improving mental health and reducing youth
suicide rates
· Increasing physical activity and making
good nutrition easy and affordable
· Opportunities for safe play and to be
“children”.
35. These issues
are interdependent, often require sustained investment over a long period, and
creative and courageous leadership in council and the community.
Significant
opportunities for transformational change within Council
Business as
usual
36. Opportunities
include:
· Increased alignment of “business as usual”
activities with I am Auckland. Free access to swimming pools for under
16s is an example of this. Other examples would be addressing gaps in the
provision of council services/programmes for 5-14 yr olds, and the expansion
of the council’s Wi-Fi network in public transport and town centres to provide
greater access to information
· Ensuring new residential design in growth
areas meet “child-friendly” criteria and have an adequate range of open space,
parks, playgrounds, libraries, broadband, public transport and other amenities
important to child/youth/families. An example of this is planned
collaboration between Auckland Waterfront Development Agency and the Planning
Division on developing a child-friendly apartment design tool for the Auckland
Design Manual
· Provide adequate funding and operational
flexibility within council’s existing suite of activities that support
communities. For example, a network of community hubs to support family
engagement with their children’s learning is growing de facto and needs
coordination and support
· Reviewing the performance of council’s
activities by using youth-friendly measures and more emphasis on youth-led
initiatives in key areas (such as public transport provision, facilities use
and management and community events delivery)
· Establishing a process for engaging with
children effectively and with integrity.
· Council staff
are engaging in discussions with key stakeholders including the Ministry of
Social Development’s Family and Community Services, SKIP (Strategies with Kids,
Information for Parents) and the Auckland Savings Bank (ASB) Community Trust,
on how to make a significant collective difference for Auckland’s children.
Council is creatively exploring how to deliver key activities such as community
facilities, parks, recreation, events and how to engage with children.
Potential opportunities include; developing more safe play options for
children, collective impact approaches for early learning and attachment and
place-making that better reflects how children experience our streets,
neighbourhoods and town centres.
Long Term
Plan 2015-25
37. The new
approach to the LTP (outlined in the mayor’s direction setting of March 2013)
is a significant opportunity to reshape council’s activities to put children
and young people first.
38. Examples of
proposals that would be transformational include:
· Targeted outreach to parents and children
to address the gap in library
membership and participation, particularly among families who have low levels
of awareness about libraries and who will not respond to traditional service
promotion
· Innovation fund for local and regional
“youth as change makers” activities
· Social enterprise fund in TSI focusing on
0-14 year olds.
Potential
for transformational change working with central government
39. The “areas of
joint interest” diagram (Attachment E) shows that in a number of critical
areas, council, government and other agents share the same outcomes and
targets, and share some policy settings and programmes. Youth employment is one
area where significant progress is being made through Youth Connections
and the Mayor’s Youth Employment Traction Plan (see reports to CDS
Committee 14 May 2014). Education is another area where there has been
some effective collaboration with council playing an important role in
facilitating partnerships across the sector, working closely with the Ministry
of Education, school clusters and boards of trustees; for example, to make
best use of existing recreation and sport assets and align planning for future
provision of education and community facilities. The Housing Accord is a third
example of effective collaboration with central government on a critical issue
for Auckland’s children and young people.
40. However,
alignment and collaboration is patchy, depending on the issue. The council
needs to improve collaboration with government departments and build sustained
relationships, especially at executive and strategic levels.
Significant
Gaps
41. There are
still some critical areas where there is no clear, coherent, “joined up”
policy, where action appears fragmented and uncoordinated:
Child
poverty
42. There is no
coherent, cross-sector policy and action plan (as proposed by Children’s
Commissioner). Council services and facilities play a significant role in
mitigating poverty and providing opportunities for disadvantaged children.
Council could consider facilitating development of a plan for Auckland.
Early
attachment and early learning
43. Early
Childhood Education participation rates are tracking up but a significant percentage of children are left
behind at each assessment milestone. Early success at school would be likelier
if every child in Auckland entered school with the necessary level of alphabet
and number recognition, language skill and book/digital awareness. Successful
progression through school increases the likelihood that young people who leave
school enter into further training, study or employment. Gaps include:
· Council policy on what is or should
be Council’s role in Early Childhood Education - this is currently being
explored in the southern local boards
· There does not appear to be a sufficient
range and geographical spread of early attachment programmes and poorer areas
where participation is lower, still lack enough quality, affordable, culturally
appropriate child care and early learning
· Communities are developing their own
initiatives, such as New Zealand Rugby League clubs which are refocusing to be
family friendly; and these could be supported by council.
Housing
44. Poor quality or crowded housing has a major impact on children’s
health and is a chronic and worsening problem in Auckland.
· A recent study of rheumatic fever patients
in Auckland in 2012 shows a strong association between rheumatic fever and
household crowding, noting that 48% of patients shared their bed with at least
one other child, and nearly 90% of Auckland rheumatic fever cases reported
living in cold, damp or musty homes
· Analysis of 2013 Census data on crowding
is underway. Early indications are that Auckland continues to have the
greatest proportion of people living in crowded conditions, and identify a 9%
increase in South Auckland.
· Nationally, two in five Pacific people and
one in five Maori and Asian live in crowded households, compared to one in
twenty-five Europeans.
· Analysis of the 2013 Census by the
Salvation Army found South Auckland also has the highest number of crowded
homes that used no form of heating. Given that over half of crowded
households have two or more children, this raises serious concerns. ('This
is Home - an update on the state of Pasikifa in NZ' May 2014).
· Further declining home ownership is a
major issue-especially for Māori and Pacific Island communities. Census
data shows a 30% increase in the number of Pacific people renting homes; and a
2010 BRANZ survey inferred that more than 200,000 of New Zealand's 400,000
rental properties were in poor condition.
Potential
joint work with Government
· Council staff are currently exploring with
government possible joint action in the following areas, which are shared
priorities and build on existing initiatives:
a) Supporting the
development of hubs that support parents’/carers’ engagement with their
children’s education, in particular the Connecting education and communities
initiative. The emergence of ‘community hubs’ is gaining traction across
Auckland as communities come together on place based solutions to local issues
- a recent hui attracted 150 people. Various models of community hubs are being
explored by the JR McKenzie Trust. Further work will explore how local
and central government could support this initiative.
b) Actions to reduce
family violence through the Children’s Action Plan/Regional Family Violence
Plan, including support to the new Children’s Team to be set up in
Manurewa/Papakura Ward
c) Continuing to
support early attachment and early learning
d) Supporting healthy
lifestyles through a shared interest in access to healthy food, good nutrition
and active lifestyles:
· Healthy Families NZ pilots Manukau, Manurewa/Papakura and Waitakere wards
· Development of the Local Alcohol Policy
· Joint campaigning with DHBs to promote
council’s Smoke-Free Policy and aligned DHB programmes
· The Auckland Regional Recreation and Sport
Strategy
e) Addressing
overcrowding and substandard housing through the Auckland wide healthy homes
model and other initiatives to reduce rheumatic fever; and exploring a
voluntary or mandatory “warrant of fitness” for rental housing.
Consideration
Local
board views and implications
45. Healthy Families NZ and a
Children’s Team are being piloted in the TSI area. It is important that local
boards are involved early in the process as representatives and advocates of
their communities, and to consider how local council facilities and services
can support the pilots.
46. There are several local boards
that are collaborating with their local youth groups in the development of
local board plans. In other local board areas youth (and in some cases children)
are mobilised on local issues and in most cases work closely with the Youth
Advisory Panel on the implementation of I Am Auckland at the local
level.
47. There is a strong sense of
community spirit in these local youth groups, and their ability to collaborate
and integrate their activities with other groups, is an opportunity for
council. Council needs to support and build this capacity by providing young
people with work experience, youth development and leadership training,
employment opportunities and recognition for their successes.
Maori
impact statement
48. The Auckland
Māori population is young. Māori pre-schoolers make up 47% of the
total 0-4 yrs population. Māori, 0-24 years are 15% of Auckland’s total
youth population.
49. Māori are also disproportionally poor: 57% of those 15 years
and over have personal incomes of $30,000 or less; for the total Auckland
population it is 50%. The median personal income for Māori is $24,500; for
the total population it is $29,600.
50. Therefore,
actions to support children and young people and families and tackle child poverty,
will especially impact on Māori.
51. Goal seven of I
am Auckland is Rangatahi Tū Rangatira - all rangatahi will thrive;
meaning we acknowledge Te Aō Māori and the aspirations and needs of young Māori across
all areas of the Action Plan.
52. A rangatahi
roopu (forum) is being set up to lead a project to develop goal 7 of I Am
Auckland.
Attachments
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No.
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Title
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Page
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aView
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Auckland Council's role in education, literacy and
lifelong learning
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19
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bView
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2013 Population Density Heat Map of Children (ages 0
to 4 years) for Auckland's Urban Area
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27
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cView
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2013 Population Density Heat Map of Yong People (ages
15 - 24 years) for Auckland's Urban Area
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29
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dView
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Moving to Action - I am Auckland Goals
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31
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eView
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Programme of work of joint interest for Auckland
Council and Central Government
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33
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Signatories
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Author
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Raewyn Stone - Manager, Community and Cultural
Strategy
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Authorisers
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Grant Barnes - Manager - Auckland Strategy and
Research
Louise Mason - Manager Community Development, Arts and
Culture
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