A message from Jonathan Olaofe to you all

“It has been a very challenging year and, on behalf of my colleagues at the Central Support Team, I would like to take this opportunity to say a very BIG Thank You for your hard work. All your efforts are really appreciated. Compliments of the Season to you all."

The Connexions Surrey bulletin is produced every two weeks and we aim to keep you up to date with current issues and aware of news that is relevant to your day to day jobs. The bulletin sits alongside the PA Resource section of the website.

1. NEET: Update, Job Opportunities, and Activities Calendar
2. Connexions Training Programmes
3. Surrey County Council Courses
4. National Connexions Network-E News
5. Success Stories
6. Teenage Pregnancy – Christmas Campaign
7. Living, Learning, Working, Having Fun Leaflets
8. Leeds College of Music Events Coming Up
9. The January Guarantee
10. Young Person Feedback/Happy Cards

1.  NEE T  

UPDATE: How well are we doing in 2009? Click Here for the latest graphs on NEET & Unknowns.

Job Opportunities for Young People: Our Centres produce regular listings of local opportunities. Vacancy Bulletins are now listed on the Connexions website Job search page and you can also pick up copies from your local Centre to share with the young people you are currently working with. Please also direct your young people to our website and encourage them to spend a few minutes completing a few questions which will open up the database of jobs relevant and available to them.

NEET Activities CALENDAR: You will see to the top left of this screen there is now a Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) Activities Calendar.  To publicise an event please contact: Jemma Campbell-Scott at Connexions Surrey jemma.campbellscott@surreycc.gov.uk  - Tel: 01483 519350

2. Connexions Training Programmes

To register for any of the following courses:  Please complete the attached application form and email it to Corinne Ford at mailto:corinne.ford@surreycc.gov.uk and cc your line manager and if from VT helen.coomber@vtplc.com

Introduction to Connexions

Aim

To give all Personal Advisers who have either been working less than 9 months as a Connexions PA or are new in their role, an understanding of:

• Connexions, agencies associated and “What is happening in Surrey”
• An introduction to the PA handbook and identification of how it should be used by PAs
• Multi-agency working and implications on the “wider perspective”
• “Principles and Values” that all PAs should adopt
• The Professional Development that should either be completed by all PAs or is available as additional optional training
• The booking procedures for individual training courses or workshops

To register for any of the following courses:  Please complete the attached application form and email it to Corinne Ford at mailto:corinne.ford@surreycc.gov.uk and cc your line manager.

Introduction to ADAPT

Aim - To provide training on the use of Adapt and obtain a good understanding of the system. As a result of the course participants should have a good understanding of Adapt and be able to record work with clients.  The course covers:

1. Adding and amending records for clients
2. Recording contacts/plans
3. Recording letters and telephone contacts
4. Joining and leaving clients to NEET
5. Recording a Potential/Actual Endorsement
6. Recording Group Sessions etc
7. Be able to record work with providers/opportunities
8. Adding new providers
9. Amending records
10. Recording a visit
11. Adding and submitting to an opportunity
12. Recording the outcome of a submission
13. Putting an opportunity on HOLD and then back on to LIVE & Cancelling an Opportunity

 ADAPT Workshop

Aim: To provide training on the use of Adapt and obtain a better understanding of the system and to:

Manipulate data in a record card

Manipulate data in the daily planner

Run both formal searches and a magic search

Manipulate search result

Print search results

Run a report to obtain statistical data

 Everybody’s Business - 2 Day Multi-agency Training Course

Basic child and adolescent mental health awareness for staff and volunteers who work directly with children and young people. Each training event will be supported by a CAMHS Primary Mental Health Worker or other CAMHS clinician. Delegates will be expected to attend both days to complete the course. Lunch will be provided

Aim:

To increase mental health awareness for front-line staff and volunteers, thereby improving access to mental health advice and support for children and young people across Surrey.

To promote inter-agency working and understanding within the 4 Surrey areas.

Key Learning Outcomes:

To feel confident about identifying factors which contribute to good mental health in children and young people

To be able to identify signs that a child or young person is struggling with their mental health

To be able to ascertain whether you are able to manage these difficulties within your existing role

To know how to access appropriate services to address the child or young person’s mental health difficulties and to have an understanding of what services such as CAMHS can offer.

Please complete the attached booking form and return to surreyjointtraining@surreypct.nhs.uk and cc: Corinne.ford@surreycc.gov.uk and if you are a VTPA please also cc: helen.coomber@vtplc.com

 3. Surrey County Coun cil Courses  

The following courses are available to all Connexions Personal Advisers can be booked directly using links below.  

SCC nomination forms should not be sent by post as this will delay booking and will be more difficult to process.

Identifying young people's drug/alcohol related needs- Half day course.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course participants will:

•    Have refreshed their understanding of young people's drug and alcohol use;

•    Looked at ways of assessing a young person’s drug/alcohol use in terms of the harm it can cause the user, their family and the community;

•    Be able to use the Tool to Identify Young People’s Drug/Alcohol Needs (which is part of the Common Assessment Framework);

•    Be aware of drug and alcohol services for young people and how to refer to them.

Course dates

Supporting young people with drug/alcohol needs- Half day course.  

(This course follows on from the Identifying young people's drug/alcohol related needs course or can be completed as a stand alone course).

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course participants will:

•          Have explored the reasons why young people use drugs and alcohol and role drug/alcohol use can play in young people’s lives;

•          Have explored evidenced based interventions for working with young people, including brief interventions;

•          Have gained an understanding of the key components of confidentiality and child protection in relation to young people's drug/alcohol use;

•          Be aware of drug and alcohol services for young people and how to refer to them.

Course dates

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course participants will:

•        Have refreshed their understanding of young people's drug and alcohol use.

•        Looked at ways of assessing a young person’s drug/alcohol use in terms of the harm it can cause the user, their   family and the community.

•    Be able to use the Tool to Identify Young People’s Drug/Alcohol Needs (which is part of the Common Assessment Framework).

•   Be aware of drug and alcohol services for young people and how to refer to them.

This course is free and available to all Connexions Personal Advisers but there are limited places available. Please book on by completing a SCC nomination form SCC training form.doc and send to corinne.ford@surreycc.gov.uk.

Please ensure you copy in your line manager and if from VT helen.coomber@vtplc.com

 SCC nomination forms should not be sent by post as this will delay booking and will be more difficult to process.

The following course is available to Surrey County Council and voluntary sector Personal Advisers only

CAF One Day Multi-Agency training for Users- now a Half Day training course

Course aim: To enable participants to gain a good understanding of the purpose and process of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF). To enable participants to use the Common Assessment Framework in practice to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. 

Conditions of acceptance of a place on this course: All participants must have agreed with their manager to attend the course.

Please note: As these courses are now half a day, lunch we will no longer be provided. However, feel free to take your pack lunch. 

CAF Half Day Lead Professional Training: This course remains a half-day course, starting at 1.30pm to finish at 4.30pm. To book a place, please select CAF Half Day Lead Professional Training from the CAF Training page. Most dates are now combined with the Half Day Multi-Agency Training as explained above.

If you want to book onto either of the courses mentioned above please select CAF Half Day Multi-Agency training for Users from the CAF training page and complete the e-booking form.

Prior to attending either the CAF Half Day Multi-Agency training and the CAF Half Day Lead Professional Training, it is mandatory to complete the CAF Basic Awareness e-learning course and the CAF Lead Professional e-learning course. If not completed, this will affect your learning on the day. It is also advisable to complete the Information Sharing e-learning course and the Integrated Working e-learning course. These courses are intended to give all staff and partner agencies a good understanding of the CAF assessment, the role of a Lead Professional and Integrated working and are open to all Connexions Personal Advisers. Bookings can be made on both the internal and external SCC websites.

How to book a place on the Multi-Agency Training for Users Course?

Click on the e-booking form links as above

Select a suitable date and venue, click on 2009 at the top. This will put the dates in order from January 2009. The form will display by clicking on the selected date.

Complete and submit the form. Please allow a few minutes for your form to go through the system.

Make sure you print a copy to keep a record of your booking with the reference number and details of the venue.

If you experience any difficulties with the system, please contact Françoise Noël, CAF Project Assistant for help on 020 8541 7108. Please ensure a copy of your application form is sent to corinne.ford@surreycc.gov.uk

 CAF training -Half day refresher course for users

This course has been designed for professionals who have received training eight to twelve months ago and for professionals who are already familiar with the ECM Agenda and the Assessment Framework

It is vital at this time for the CAF implementation across the County, which is gathering pace that all professionals are up to date and secure in their understanding of the CAF 5-Step process. Attendance will give an opportunity to professionals to update their knowledge on current CAF processes and new arrangements to query if a CAF Assessment has already been undertaken on a child. To book a place, complete the attached e-booking form online and keep a copy for your records once you have submitted it. Please ensure a copy of your application form is sent to corinne.ford@surreycc.gov.uk

4. National Connexions Network E News

5. Success Stories

It would be great to hear from PA Line Managers to let us know about some notable success stories. These would be separate from Impact Reports and could include any awards or particular compliments – we would like to take some key messages from you, which we can transfer to a wider audience and highlight particularly to colleagues within Surrey County Council. We look forward to some positive feedback.

6. Teenage Pregnancy – Christmas Campaign

The Christmas season is a time for fun, socialising and partying. But research has found that the number of young people engaging in risky sexual behaviour increases during this period. Teenage pregnancies rise during this time, which suggests that young people are continuing to engage in risky sexual behaviour and have no knowledge, or ignore the support services that are available. The Teenage Pregnancy Partnership board is running a campaign around the festive season, asking young people to 'put condoms on their Christmas list, so they won't get an unwelcome gift.' It's really important that you know about the support services available to your clients, so if your clients have any questions, please direct them to call the free national Sexwise helpline for young people on 0800 28 29 30 or visit www.surreysexualhealth.nhs.uk for more information on our services. Download the Poster & Print out

 7. Living, Learning, Working, Having Fun Leaflets

We have some new "Living, learning, working, having fun" leaflets. It's a good leaflet for PA's to inform young people about general Connexions info, how to get involved with the Facebook page and the new participation DVD. To order some copies contact:

Nicole Bradshaw - Involving Young People Worker

01483519082 / 07973470977

nicole.bradshaw@surreycc.gov.uk

8. Leeds College of Music - Events coming up

Further education open evenings-Saturday 12^th December 2009

-          Course talks

-          Campus tour

-          View studio facilities

-          Meet academic staff

-          Informal Q&A session

View dates and book your place online at www.lcm.ac.uk

9. The January Guarantee

Attention all Personal Advisers who work with NEET young people.

The Prime Minister announced on 18 November 2009 plans to build on the September Guarantee by guaranteeing an offer of a place in learning, in a job with training to Level 2 or on an E2E course for all 16 and 17 year olds who are NEET in January 2010.

The Learning and Skills Council have been asked to make additional E2E places available from January 2010 and it would be helpful to know where there is likely to be unmet need for E2E to support their discussions with colleges and learning providers.  If you work for VT4S, please let your manager know if you have young people who cannot access E2E provision; other PAs are asked to give local information to Cass Hardy at Surrey LSC – email cass.hardy@lsc.gov.uk.

If you would like to know more, further information is available on the DCSF website or on the Every Child Matters website.

Please note that we will be being monitored by the DCSF on activity levels in January 2010 and that it is therefore even more important than usual that you record all your interventions and young people’s progression on the ADAPT system.  If you have any queries about recording, please ring Jeremy Rea on 01483 518706

10. Young Person Feedback/Happy Cards