Birmingham IYSS

Birmingham's IYSS is designed to bring all the strands of youth support together, including the Youth Service and Connexions. Underpinned by the Brighter Futures Strategy, it will help to deliver the Brighter Futures six priority outcomes with a specific focus on supporting all young people to enjoy and achieve.(See Local authority case study: Birmingham Integrated Youth Support Service)

Birmingham's Integrated Youth Support will be for 9-19 year olds (25 if there are physical or learning disabilities).  Birmingham will be looking for effective third sector partnerships to deliver universal and specific services:

"[Birmingham's] remodeled service will further integrate its delivery with partners - particularly the third sector - to make the most effective and efficient use of human and physical resources to benefit young people."  (Source: Local authority case study: Birmingham Integrated Youth Support Service)

VCS Matters have successfully applied to lead on providing support to third sector organisations to work with IYSS.   VCS Matters development workers in collaboration with all partners will develop the infrastructure and processes to work with third sector partners to influence and engage with IYSS.  We will also co-ordinate and facilitate an integrated working approach within the third sector.

VCS Matters acknowledge that there are many diverse voluntary and community organisations in Birmingham working with children and young people and considers it essential that every group have an opportunity to influence the design, delivery and evaluation of services for young people.

To ensure optimal participation and an effective partnership with IYSS the following elements will be developed:

1. A thematic network of third sector organisations working with the IYSS age range
2. A process that brings third sector organisations together enabling effective engagement with the Local Authority's commissioning framework , accurate signposting to funding streams within IYSS, Children and Young people & families and the wider LA
3. A communication strategy between the third sector and IYSS to enable effective information sharing.

VCS Matters already have a sustainable and effective model of integrated working and will build on existing best practice principles to develop effective partnerships within the third sector and with IYSS so that all young people "have something to do, somewhere to go and someone to talk to".