Vision Statement

St. Agnes Parish Council (‘the Council’) recognises that children and young people thrive at home, in school and within their community if they are healthy, safe, enjoying life, achieving, contributing to our community and can look forward to jobs. The Council’s Youth Strategy aims to support the best outcomes in these ‘Every Child Matters’ key areas, by identifying needs and priorities and working with a range of community partners to support services and activities that meet these needs. The five pillars are:

The Council will:

  • Provide opportunities to all, regardless of religion, ethnicity, sexuality, background, gender/sex or any other characteristic.
  • Help to support children and young people take part in the life of the Parish.
  • Help to provide opportunities for personal and educational development.
  • Help to make St. Agnes Parish a fun and rewarding place for children and young people to live.
  • Help children and young people to make choices that help them be successful.

Evidence Base

The population of the Parish continues to grow with new development. However, there is a trend of homelessness increasing from no reported issues in 2021/22, to 6 in 2022/23 and 10 in 2023/24. In 2023/24, 98 people from the Parish received support from Citizens Advice Cornwall on 471 separate issues including debt, employment, housing, benefits, and long-term health issues. 3% of those seeking support were under 25 years and 27% were aged between 25-44 years. Over 50% were women. Consequently, the difficulties faced by many adults and families within the Parish are adversely affecting children and young people and preventing them from achieving the best outcomes in the five ‘Every Child Matters’ pillars.

The Parish Youth Project (PYP) is a Council commissioned service, delivered in partnership with Young People Cornwall. The Project has welcomed over 2000 young people to its service since 2015, increased by the cost-of-living crisis. Children and young people seek warmth, food, community and support with complex issues such as mental health, familial breakdown, self-care and substance misuse. The Parish has seen a rise in anti-social behaviour, which affects everyone’s enjoyment, safety and well-being.

S.M.A.R.T Actions

The Council will:

  • Maintain an up-to-date Youth Strategy, which is reviewed annually.
  • Maintain a Youth Strategy Working Group which will:
    • Meet quarterly (minimum).
    • Review and update the Youth Strategy.
    • Review data and evidence and advise on services, activities and budget.
    • Identify annual Youth Strategy Goals, which support the five ‘Every Child Matters’ pillars.
    • Work with the PYP and Outreach Worker to identify the annual Youth Strategy Goals.
    • Identify and work with partner agencies.
    • Identify and seek relevant grant funding.
    • Promote child and youth services, activities and focused decision-making.
  • Provide an annual budget for and to support child and youth services and activities.
  • Deliver annual Youth Strategy Goals, which support the five ‘Every Child Matters’ pillars (Appendix A).
  • Work with, and promote partner agencies delivering child and youth services and activities.
  • Provide an Outreach service through the Council’s Library.
  • Support and oversee the governance of the Parish Youth Project, which is a commissioned child and youth service in partnership with Young People Cornwall (Appendix B).
  • Offer work opportunities via Council apprenticeships.
  • Involve children and young people in decisions affecting them and will create opportunities for them to get involved in the work of the Council and in the community.
  • Engage with local businesses to promote and encourage them to support children and young people.

Appendix A – Youth Strategy Goals for 2025/26

  1. Ensure the annual Council budget allocates dedicated PYP funding, separate from the general grant funding budget.
  2. Seek Full Council approval to ringfence any underspend from the £1,000 budget for the 14th March business event, carrying it forward to 2025/26 to support the Working Group’s activities.
  3. Advocate for youth-specific Certificates of Recognition at the Annual Parish Meeting to celebrate and showcase the achievements of the Parish’s young people.
  4. Continue supporting PYP and YPC in securing local business sponsorship and partnerships.
  5. Define the Council’s annual goals for 2026/27 and provide guidance for the budget-setting process.
  6. Collaborate with the Parish Council’s Outreach Coordinator to identify funding opportunities that support the key areas of the Every Child Matters initiative, enabling joint delivery between the library, PYP, and other youth partner agencies.
  7. Launch a ‘Big Conversation’ with young people to explore their priorities for health, well-being, enjoyment, and achievement within the Parish.

Appendix B – Governance & Oversight of the Parish Youth Project

1. Governance & Oversight

The Parish Council (PC) and Young People Cornwall, through the Youth Strategy Working Group (WG), ensure:

  • Strategic Oversight: The project aligns with the PC’s Youth Strategy and meets the needs of local young people.
  • Funding & Sustainability: YPC secures and manages funding to support the project, including external grants, while the PC contributes funding and ensures financial accountability.
  • Compliance & Safeguarding: The project adheres to safeguarding, financial, and legal frameworks, ensuring high-quality and safe service delivery.
  • Monitoring & Reporting: Regular impact assessments, financial reviews, and service development updates are provided to the WG.

2. Partnership Approach & Wider System Linkages

Collaboration between PC, YPC, and the WG is structured through:

  • Quarterly Governance Meetings: Providing project updates, financial accountability, and impact reporting.
  • Securing Additional Funding: YPC actively seeks external funding sources to enhance and sustain the project.
  • Engagement with Multi-Agency Networks: Ensuring the Parish Youth Project (PYP) is connected to wider safeguarding and youth development structures, including:
    • MACE (Multi-Agency Child Exploitation) & CAPs (Community Action Partnerships) – Supporting risk prevention and safeguarding.
    • National Youth Sector Links – Aligning provision with best practices and sector developments to keep the project fit for purpose.

3. Roles & Responsibilities

  • Parish Council:
    • Commissions the Parish Youth Project and ensures its alignment with local youth strategy.
    • Provides funding, governance oversight, and financial accountability.
    • Engages the WG to monitor project outcomes.
  • Young People Cornwall:
    • Leads the delivery of the Parish Youth Project, ensuring high-quality youth services.
    • Secures and manages additional funding to enhance project sustainability.
    • Maintains safeguarding, operational, and financial accountability.
    • Reports on service delivery, challenges, and opportunities to the steering group.

4. Compliance with Strategy Objective

The governance structure supports the strategic objective:

“Support and oversee the governance of the Parish Youth Project, which is a commissioned child and youth service in partnership with Young People Cornwall.”

This approach ensures the PYP remains a YPC-led project, with clear oversight from the PC, and benefits from strong governance, funding sustainability, and integration into wider youth and safeguarding networks.