What we've done

"THE LAST LAUGH"

  • The Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee completed their short film, "The Last Laugh", about bullying and held their Premier at the Empire Cinema at Basildon Festival Leisure Park.  Where were you on Wednesday 17th March 2009?  Were you lucky enough to attend the event?  If you weren't able to attend, don't worry.  An anti-bullying resource pack will be sent out soon to schools in Essex.  Each pack will contain a copy of "The Last Laugh" and anti-bullying resources for teachers.  So make sure your school gets a copy and that you all get to see the DVD!

 

  • The event was a great success and enjoyed by everyone.  The message that the DVD sends is powerful and memorable.  The Committee hopes that you all have the opportunity to see the film and recommend it to others.  Click here to see a press release about the event. 

 

  • There are so many people to thank for helping to make the Premier such a brilliant day and for helping to produce such a great film, including staff and students from Greenward Academy, the film crew and script writers, the staff at Empire cinema and many, many more.  Unfortunately it's impossible to name you all, but the Committee are extremely grateful and would like to thank everyone who has supported and assisted the Committee in any small way throughout 2009.

 

  • Congratulations, EYSC members for all your hard work and dedication!!!  The success of the Premier shows what a brilliant job you've all done this past year.  You should all be very proud of yourselves.  Thanks to your report and the DVD, which will be sent to schools and the decision makers at Essex County Council, you've really helped to make a difference.  Well done!

 

 

 

THE ESSEX YOUTH SCRUTINY COMMITTEE'S ANTI-BULLYING REPORT 2009

The purpose of the Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee, like other scrutiny committees, is to look at important issues, talk to decision makers and put forward recommendations to make things more effective.

 

Having consulted with over 1,500 young people in South Essex last year, the Committee found that bullying was the most important issue for young people.

 

It was for this reason that the Committee chose anti-bullying for their first scrutiny report.  Knowing that their report would be presented to Essex County Council's Scrutiny Board and form part of the Scrutiny Board Chairman's report to Full Council, meant that it would help influence decision makers at Essex County Council and its partner organisations including schools.  Thereby making a real difference for young people in Essex.

 

The report starts by detailing who the EYSC members are, what difference and impact they can make and how the Committee chose anti-bullying as their first scrutiny topic.  The report goes on to provide background information about bullying, how the Committee gathered its evidence and key information that came out of the witness sessions.  Towards the end of the report is a list of 12 recommendations.  These include:

RECOMMENDATION 1

The good work that is being done by all agencies should be fully co-ordinated to ensure maximum benefit for the young people of Essex.  Agencies should work together to do everything possible to enable victims of bullying to speak out at the earliest opportunity.

 

RECOMMENDATION 2

Agencies should pool funding or seek sponsorship to create a confidential "Bully Text Alert" service that enables:

  • Victims to report bullying and gain support
  • Young people who witness bullying to report it anonymously
  • Bullies who want to stop to find support

This should be promoted via "flagpens" or cards to all children and young people in Essex and link to support offered through existing services, including police, health & youth services.

 

RECOMMENDATION 3

The Young Essex Assembly should be consulted in the development of promotion and marketing of the "Bully Text Alert" service.  They should consult with other young people to ensure the design is young people friendly.

 

RECOMMENDATION 4

Schools and Passenger Transport should require all school transport operators to use and monitor CCTV and adopt the best practice standards set by the best of the operators in Essex.

 

RECOMMENDATION 5

Schools and Passenger Transport should classify reported incidences of bad behaviour on school transport operators; including a specific bullying classification.

 

RECOMMENDATION 6

All new teachers and professionals working with young people should receive anti-bullying training that is updated regularly and co-ordinated to give the same messages.  This should include training around positive relationships, body image and assertiveness skills.

 

RECOMMENDATION 7

The Schools, Children and Families Directorate should ensure the adoption of best practice across all schools.  This will include all schools ensuring that their anti-bullying policy is openly displayed and that it is clearly explained to all pupils, their parents/carers and professionals.  This should include sanctions for bullying, rights of appeal and pastoral support available for both the bullied and bullies.

 

RECOMMENDATION 8

All schools should have an effective CCTV surveillance system monitoring inside and outside the school.

 

RECOMMENDATION 9

Anti-bullying should be on the Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) curriculum, to include positive relationships, peer pressure, body image and assertiveness skills.  This should be co-ordinated from the range of agencies currently offering in-school training.

 

RECOMMENDATION 10

All schools should record and report incidents of bullying, including pupil absence due to bullying and make this information available.

 

RECOMMENDATION 11

Existing Peer Mentor schemes in schools should be evaluated and deloped in other schools, based on "what works".

 

RECOMMENDATION 12

The Health Care in School, South Essex Pilot Scheme should be recommended as an example of best practice to the other Primary Care Trusts in Essex.

 

The Committee will be meeting in May 2010 to ensure that their recommendations are being implemented, ensuring that they have not been forgotten and that something is being done about them.

 

To see the full version of the report, please click here.

 

 

WANT TO SEE THE ESSEX YOUTH SCRUTINY COMMITTEE IN ACTION?

  • If you want to see what the Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee actually does, then click here. 

 

  • Once you get to the site you'll be able to see video footage of the Committee's witness sessions held on 19 and 21 October 2009.  These witness sessions helped the Committee to gather evidence for their report.  Click here to see the actual report.

 

 

EYSC WITNESS SESSIONS - 19 AND 21 October 2009

The Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee received almost 2,000 votes during their consultation. The most popular topic was anti-bullying and this is the Committee’s 2009 scrutiny topic.

 

The Committee invited the following witnesses to attend sessions held on 19 and 21 October:

 

  • Police Constable Jane Grieve
  • Police Constable Diane Murphy
  • Police Constable Paul Copland
  • Natasha Jean-Louis from Basildon Women's Aid
  • Stuart Pankhurst (accompanied by Lisa Vagg, Advanced Skills Personal Adviser, Integrated Youth Service)
  • Cathryn Valance, Chair of Basildon Youth Council Anti-Bullying Sub Group
  • Rebecca Lack, Basildon Youth Council Secretary
  • Sean Russo, Contracts Officer, Student Behaviour & Safeguarding Officer, Passenger Transport Coordination Centre
  • Police Inspector Whipps
  • Jane Al-Rawi, Behaviour Support Teacher from the Witham TASCC team
  • Diane Le Count, Anti-Bullying Coordinator, Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Children with Additional Needs (SENCAN)
  • Melody Williams, Head of Health Improvement for Children and Young People, NHS South West Essex Community Services
  • Sophie Hadler, Chelmsford representative of the Young Essex Assembly
  • Bronwyn Morely, Braintree representative of the Young Essex Assembly
 

 

 

EYSC MEETING - 15 October 2009

  • The Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee met to prepare for the witnesses they interviewed.

 

 

 

'SCRUTINY DAY' (EYSC consultation) - 24 September 2009

  • The Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee held its 'Scrutiny Day' pm 24 September 2009.  This was a great event and enabled the Committee to consult widely with school pupils in South Essex about the topic they would like the Committee to scrutinise over 2009.

 

  • Service providers, organisations and voluntary groups attended to provide information and workshops for participants.

 

  • Here is a list of the schools that attended 'Scrutiny Day':
  1. Beauchamps High School
  2. Bromfords School
  3. Castledon School
  4. Castle View School
  5. Cedar Hall School
  6. The Deanes School
  7. De La Salle School
  8. Furtherwick Park School
  9. Greensward Academy
  10. James Hornsby School
  11. King John School
  12. Sweyne Park School
  13. Woodlands School

 Click here to see photos from 'Scrutiny Day'.

 

 

 

EYSC MEETING - 16 September 2009

  • The Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee had its monthly meeting.  The Committee met to review the results of their consultation with young people during the summer and prepare for its 'Scrutiny Day'.  Have a look at our photos in our photo gallery!

 

 

 

ESSEX GAY PRIDE (EYSC consultation) - 6 September 2009

  • Essex Gay Pride took place on Sunday 6 September 2009.  This was a celebration for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transexual people in Essex and the wider community.  The Committee were there and consulted with lots of young people.

 

 

 

CANVEY ISLAND SKATE PARK (EYSC consultation) - 27 August 2009

  • The Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee visited Canvey Island Skate Park on 27 August 2009 to consult with young people.

 

 

 

'NO MESSIN' (EYSC consultation) - 5 August 2009

  • 'No Messin' was a great event where you could have got involved in various sports, music and gaming activities.  There was loads to do including motor-biking, boxing, football, dance and rock climbing and much more.

 

  • Some of the Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee members went to the event.  Were you there?  Have a look at our photos in the photo gallery.

 

 

 

EYSC MEETING - 30 July 2009

  • The Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee met to prepare for their various consultation events during the summer.

 

 

 

(Crime Disorder Reduction Partnership) 'Face the Public' (EYSC consultation) - 22 July 2009

  • Representatives of the Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee attended the event to promote the EYSC and consult with young people.  Click here to see photos!

 

  • Click here to see what some of the Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee members said about the event.

 

 

 

'BASFEST' (EYSC consultation) - 5 July 2009

  • The Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee members conducted a consultation with young people at the BasFest event on Sunday 5th July.  The members' worked hard and consulted with over 300 young people and saw anti-bullying score top from this event.  The results of this poll will be put together with all the consultation events the Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee will be conducting throughout the summer and at their 'Scrutiny Day' in September and will inform them of the topic that they will scrutinise.

 

  • Click here to see photos!

 

 

 

EYSC MEETING - 2 July 2009

  • The Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee had a meeting to prepare for their various consultation events during the summer.

 

 

 

EYSC MEETING - 11June 2009

  • The Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee met to discuss in more depth the topic they would like to investigate.

 

 

 

EYSC MEETING - 7 May 2009

  • The Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee met to discuss potential topics they would like to investigate.  This has been shortlisted to the following -

 

  • anti-bullying
  • graffiti
  • street safety
  • sexual health and services for young people
  • young people and the police
  • young people and the media
  • youth clubs
  • drugs and alcohol
  • smoking
  • recycling
  • transport
  • provision for lesbian/gay/bi-sexual/transgender young people in the area

 

 

 

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF OUR WEBSITE - 18 April 2009

  • The Essex Youth Scrutiny Committee officially launched its website on 18 April 2009 at Essex County Council.  Click here for more details.

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

  • We've been in the papers!  Click here for more details.