About CYS - Our Strategy
Strategic Plan 2006-2008
This is the first Strategic Plan drawn up by Clare Youth Service since the enactment of the Youth Work Act 2001 and the publication of the National Youth Work Development Plan 2003-2007.
Our Strategic Plan maps the way forward for the organisation for the next three years and is guided by current national policy in Youth Work. A full explanation of our adopted strategy can be viewed on downloading our brochure:
Priority Areas
The following 8 areas have been set out as those on which Clare Youth Service will concentrate in the coming three years:
- 5. Training & Development
- 6. Funding
- 7. Infrastructure & Capital Programme
- 8. Policy & Quality Standards
1. Programme Development
Context: A major challenge to Clare Youth Service is to provide innovative and effective programmes to young people in light of their changing needs and that of the society in which they live. Our programmes need to take account of the changing demographics of the county, cultural diversity, the physical and social isolation of some of our target group, the need to recognise the spiritual dimension of the person and the blurring between stages of development from childhood, to youth to adulthood.
Goal: To provide an innovative, effective service to young people, enabling them to have real and meaningful experiences, shaping elements of their lives.
Objectives
- Clare Youth Service will provide proactive and innovative opportunities and services to assist young people assume responsibility and become more active in their communities.
- Clare Youth Service will establish a research and development group, which will keep up-to-date with current youth work trends and ensure that creativity and imagination are maintained in programmes.
- Clare Youth Service will engage in raising awareness so that staff, volunteers and young people are able to recognise and work with diversity in all its forms.
- Clare Youth Service will expand its services in identified locations around the county.
2. Public Relations
Context: Being aware of and creating awareness about issues facing young people, is an essential component of the work of Clare Youth Service. Public Relations is essential to keep the general public aware of the work of CYS, to highlight issues for our public representatives and keep funders up-dated on where resources are spent.
Goal: To improve the public perception and understanding of the role and work of Clare Youth Service.
Objectives
- Further develop the Clare Youth Service web page and our own publication CONNECT, to highlight youth work issues.
- Review and develop opportunities to network with local, regional and national statutory and voluntary bodies.
- Further develop our contacts with local print and broadcast media
- Be proactive in responding to issues (as they arise) that impact on the lives of young people.
3. Volunteers
Context: Clare Youth Service recognises the value of volunteerism as being the foundation on which the organisation is built. They work in many capacities, as club leaders, board members, fundraisers, and all of this work needs to be encouraged and acknowledged.
Goal: To promote and develop volunteerism as a way in which people can contribute to the well-being and development of young people.
Objectives
- Clarify and strengthen the relationship between Clare Youth Service staff and volunteers
- Develop an agency policy on Volunteerism within Clare Youth Service.
- Develop a plan for the recruitment and on-going training of volunteers within Clare Youth Service.
- Acknowledge and record the contributions of existing volunteers and develop a plan for the on-going training and future recruitment of volunteers within Clare Youth Service.
4. Partnerships & Alliances
Context: Clare Youth Service views youth work as a service integral to the development of young people. To this end we will engage with relevant bodies to promote this perspective.
Goal: Maintain and build on existing external relationships, form new relationships, and work in partnerships in the delivery of services to young people.
Objectives
- Develop an agency policy, which will govern our practice in forming links with external agencies.
- Regularly review existing partnerships and strategically target new alliances.
- Clare Youth Service, through the structures available to it will ensure that youth issues are considered in the development of public policy within Co. Clare.
5. Training & Development
Context: A continuous programme of in-service training and development for volunteers and staff,will address the ever changing circumstances of young people and Clare Youth Service's commitment to quality.
Goal: Ensure that the volunteers and staff of Clare Youth Service develop and maintain the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to carry out their work to the highest standards.
Objectives
- A new Induction Programme covering all aspects of the work of Clare Youth Service will be put in place for new staff and volunteers.
- Develop and implement a plan for the on-going training of staff and volunteers relevant to their areas of work and the changing nature of youth work.
6. Funding
Context: Youth Work now has a statutory framework. However, adequate financial resources have not yet been put in place to guarantee consistent and substantial funding. As a result Clare Youth Service is frequently constrained in its capacity to deliver much needed services.
Goal: To secure consistent and substantial funding for identified youth work needs in the county.
Objectives
- Identify any expected financial deficit annually, and devise a plan to address this.
- Play an active role in lobbying for more secure and sufficient funding for youth work, both locally and nationally.
7. Infrastructure & Capital Programme
Context: Clare Youth Service has grown extensively from its beginnings in 1969 to what it is to day a leader in the field of youth work in Co. Clare and beyond. For the organisation to continue to grow and develop it is necessary to examine the need for further capital, infrastructural and human resources.
Goal: To identify the key issues, in the areas of personnel, capital and buildings over the next 5-10 years.
Objectives
- Establish a working group to examine the changing needs of young people and the broader context in which Clare Youth Service operates.
- Review our existing resources in the light of future needs.
- Clarify the financial consequences of 1 & 2.
8. Policy Quality & Standards
Context: One of the goals of the National Youth Work Development Plan is to "put in place mechanisms for enhancing professionalism and ensuring quality standards in youth work" Clare Youth Service believes that the development of standards of youth service delivery is a significant step in ensuring that youth work services are of the highest quality for young people.
Goal: Clare Youth Service will ensure that written policies relevant to our work continue to be developed and implemented and that we work to attain the Quality mark in youth service provision.
Objectives
- A policy task group with responsibility for policy development will be established.
- A Quality Assessment task group with responsibility for the Quality Assessment Process will be established.
- Awareness of existing policies will raised through a Policy Pack to be developed for all staff and volunteers of the service. This pack will be up-dated when necessary.
