Scheme hailed for helping youngsters

Caroline Stark, a tutor, and Hawera Intermediate pupil Rayna Thomas during a Footsteps after-school session, one of the concepts created by the Social Sector Trial (SST) in South Taranaki. PHOTO/ZARYD WILSON

South Taranaki leaders are praising the outcomes of the Social Sector Trial (SST), which is approaching the halfway mark.

Last year the Ministry of Social Development granted $170,000 for the two-year trial in South Taranaki, one of several participating districts around the country.

Its manager, Melanie Loft of Tui Ora, said the trial had four goals, to reduce youth offending, reduce truancy, reduce drug and alcohol abuse and increase training and employment for young people leaving schools.

When the SST started last year about 100 adults and 35 young people came together to look at what services were available to help young people, where the gaps in that help were and how best to get that help to the young people who need it.

In the first year the trial has created a position for a youth case worker who works with police to reduce youth offending and an educational phycologist to work in schools throughout the district.

Ms Loft said progress was already noticeable in a reduced number of youth court appearances. She was hopeful to extend the contract at the end of its two years.

"We don't want to leave young people in the lurch," she said.

South Taranaki mayor Ross Dunlop chairs a monthly meeting of representatives from the welfare, police, justice, health and education sectors as part of the SST.

He said the biggest improvement in the past three years had been in crime and policing.

"We've got better support to some of our young people who are at risk."

He said the group has also been advocates for a bus service between Hawera and New Plymouth allowing people to study at tertiary level in New Plymouth.

"It means people can stay here and live and still get other training.

"There is a lot of opportunity in South Taranaki and there are a lot of young people and it's about connecting the two together."

Hawera Intermediate principal Craig Simpson was a big supporter of the SST and involved in the monthly meetings.

He said it was an exciting opportunity to improve the lot of youth in the district.

As part of SST Mr Simpson created the Footsteps programme at his school which puts 20 pupils into an after-school group three days a week. The selected pupils, who Mr Simpson said show potential, are involved in goal-setting and extra study in areas identified by themselves and teachers.

Mr Simpson hopes the SST will end up creating a clear pathway for young people to succeed.