Nicola Rees from the London Fire Brigade will present on LFB’s Youth Engagement Strategies.
Minutes:
A PowerPoint presentation on LFB Youth Engagement Strategies was provided by Nicola Rees (LFB Youth Engagement Co-ordinator).
Three youth engagement activities were undertaken which were:
· Early Intervention—LIFE
· Fire Cadets (ages-14-17)
· Junior Fire Cadets (ages 11-13)
The Fire Cadets were a uniformed youth organisation and were externally funded. The Group heard that there were 14 units located in different parts of London, with 16 young people in each unit. The programme offered the opportunity to earn a BTEC 2 qualification. The Fire Cadets now had a path for progression and the programme helped them to develop their self-esteem, practical skills and personal development. The Group was informed about the benefits for participants, the local community and for volunteers.
The Group heard that the Fire Cadets had been involved in fund raising for fire fighters and for local charities, and had collected money for homeless people at Christmas time. Ms Rees highlighted that her aim was to develop inter-generational work, also to develop peer education and to get involved in helping to build better community cohesion. The Fire Cadets were involved in much social media interaction.
Ms Rees mentioned that LFB was looking for volunteers to help with the work of the Fire Cadets and she outlined some of the benefits of working as a volunteer. Volunteers were recognised at an award ceremony, and mentoring opportunities existed.
An update was also provided concerning the Junior Fire Cadets. The intention was that by participating in a positive cadet experience at this stage of their lives, the children would develop resilience, skills and be encouraged to become engaged citizens, contributing to positive activities in the local community. They were also provided with the basic skills required to keep safe.
An overview was provided of the aims and objectives of the LIFE courses. A LIFE course was regarded as a youth intervention programme. These courses were aimed at young people aged 14-17 who met one or more of the following criteria:
· At risk of becoming involved in gangs, ASB or other criminal activity
· Had been excluded from school
· Had poor attendance at their educational provision
· Had been underperforming in school
· Had been displaying challenging behaviour
· Were not in education, employment or training.
The idea of the LIFE course was to positively impact and influence young people so that they made the right decisions and choices, before they made a decision that would negatively affect their future. The LFB employed a designated co-ordinator to deliver the work, and the LFB was one of the few organisations that was directly involved in trying to tackle gang violence and dis-engaged young people.
Ms Rees gave the example of a young person that had been referred from a school and attended a Life course at Bexley. The impact on this student was transformational, and the young person had become a Fire Cadet and also a member of the school student council. It was agreed that Mr Gooding would email the Chairman with details of the LIFE referral programme.
Referrals to the Junior Fire Cadets and the Fire Cadets could be via self-referral or via schools. It was agreed that the Borough Fire Commander would send out information concerning the recruitment process for the Junior Fire Cadets. Mr Gooding explained to the Group that it was not a given that anyone who applied to the Fire Cadets would be accepted. There were a limited number of places available and candidate had to sit and pass a structured interview as if they were applying for a job.
Ms Rees gave the example of a young man that had been praised for his work who then burst into tears as he had never been praised for anything before. Cadets could apply to come back as Graduate Cadets if they wished. There were different type of Graduate Cadet positions available:
· Manager Cadets
· Station Manager Cadets
· Watch Manager Cadets
· There was also an Ambassador Programme for outstanding Cadets
Mr Gooding explained that LFB were applying for funding and for corporate sponsorship, and that funding requirements were evolving and changing.
The Chairman thanked Ms Rees for a very interesting and informative presentation.
RESOLVED that
1- Mr Gooding would email the Chairman with details of the LIFE referral programme
2- It was agreed that the Borough Fire Commander would send out information concerning the recruitment process for the Junior Fire Cadets
Post meeting Note:
Mr Gooding disseminated the information relating to Fire Cadet recruitment on 21/06/18