Youth trial in spotlight

MISSING THE BEAT? Young DJ Kobi Chapman, a former Wairarapa College student, provides the music at Waigrown, last year's alcohol-free youth event, as part of the Social Sector Trail.

A trial programme aimed at reducing truancy, offending, risky sexual behaviour, and alcohol and drug use by young people has made "extremely limited progress", according to minutes from a joint hospital meeting - but the trial's managers say that is no longer the case.

The Ministry of Social Development selected Wairarapa for one of its Social Sector Trials after seeing their success in other regions.

It started in July 2013 and involves ministries and agencies committed to addressing youth issues and increasing the number of young people in education, training and employment.

But after a presentation about the trial at a Wairarapa, Hutt Valley, and Capital and Coast District Health Board committee meeting, members noted it had made extremely limited progress.

South Wairarapa Mayor Adrienne Staples, who was chairwoman of the trial's advisory board until December, said the original manager left for personal reasons and the new managers, Julie Brunton and Matt Grant, had to play catch-up.

"The trial has progressed in some areas, which is what we wanted. In others there hasn't been as much achieved as we had hoped."

She said the idea was for agencies to do what they normally did but work together more so that more would be achieved.

"So far we haven't seen massive changes and results, we've still got a way to go."

Ms Brunton said the meeting had been held in September last year and the comment no longer reflected the existing situation.

Since coming on board in July 2014, they had revised the trial's action plan.

She said there were already pathways and initiatives in place, such as the Life to the Max programme, a school holiday programme and a study group.

A one-off health grant had just been granted to target drug and alcohol issues.

Ms Brunton said that, as much as the trial was about tangible benefits for youth, it was also about agencies communicating and collaborating.

"One of the things is breaking down the silos and provide a forum for cross-agency discussion."

A working group had been formed to progress the action plan's initiatives.

Ms Brunton said data for each outcome in the plan would be analysed but it would be difficult to attribute success to any one agency, activity or programme.

The board's secondary school principals representative, Geoff Shepherd of Kuranui College, said more time was needed to assess any trends.

"It's difficult to pick whether it has made any difference but I'm confident it will make a difference."

He said the trial had taken a while to get traction but he did not think it had made limited progress.

Rock On, a programme to reduce persistent truancy, was working, he said.

Chairman Frazer Mailman said he was delighted to report the trial was back on track after a challenging time last year, when no one was solely responsible for the project for a three-month period.

"The future is certainly bright, with a new project team in place and some exciting initiatives in the pipeline."

Ms Brunton said the trial was an amazing opportunity for Wairarapa. "The issues aren't simple, so the solutions aren't simple."

Funding of $225,000 was provided by multiple agencies to run the two-year trial.