London,
01
June
2009
|
23:00
Europe/London

Hackney Youth Service gains NYA Quality Mark Award

Hackney Council’s pledge to make the borough ‘a good place to grow up’ has been given an added boost following Hackney Youth Service’s attainment of the National Youth Agency Quality Mark National Award.

The Award, made by the NYA Executive Board on 21 May 2009, is another milestone in the borough’s journey to becoming one recognised nationally for the quality of its services. The NYA assessors particularly endorsed the commitment to youth participation and youth involvement in every aspect of service planning and delivery in the borough.

Councillor Rita Krishna, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: ““This award recognises yet again how much talent and resourcefulness there is in the young people of Hackney. The commitment of the Youth Parliament to get more young people involved in shaping their communities is second to none in the country. The award is also a great testament to the commitment and dedication of staff who have, in the space of three years, transformed the Youth Service from one branded as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted, to one that can be justly proud of its excellent provision.”

Young people in Hackney are actively involved at every level of the Council’s work, from decision-making to service delivery.

The borough has a vibrant Youth Parliament, which has a marked influence on policy at a high level; the Youth Service was a pioneer in the development of a Youth Inspectors scheme; and young people are intrinsically involved in the Youth Service commissioning process.

This work is underpinned by a rigorous Quality Assurance process, with all Youth Service staff members taking part in regular assessments of provision. The report presented to the NYA Executive Board also highlighted strong leadership as a key element in the transformation of the service.

For more information about Hackney Youth Service and activities for young people visit: www.hackney.gov.uk/youth-service