Information Sharing and Confidentiality

"Sunderland Youth Offending Service has to share and obtain information under various laws and regulations including the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Data Protection Act 1998.

This means that we can share information about you with the Local Authority, Health Authority, Police Authority and other organisations to ensure you receive the right service and to protect your safety and that of others. In some cases we can share this information without your consent e.g. if it is to prevent a crime, if the court asks us, etc. All the people who we are sharing your information with have agreed to treat your information sensitively and carefully."

Empowering Young People Pilot and the 'Letsgo' Card
Sunderland is one of only nine local authorities, selected by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, to take part in Empowering Young People Pilot from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. Sunderland’s Empowering Young People Pilot will be known as 'Letsgo' card. Access will be through the promoting positive activities website www.letsgosunderland.com.

Letsgo card is a smartcard allowing disadvantaged young people to take part in positive activities.
Once registered, young people receive their card, which is credited with £33 per month for the duration of the pilot. Up to £99 of credits can be saved to pay for more expensive activities. Up to 100 Positive Activity Providers including statutory, voluntary and private sectors will be registered in the pilot.

198 young people purchased tickets for activities to a value of £5,110 during the school holidays. Letsgo Card has a Free Phone Helpdesk number available 8am to 9pm everyday 0800 0850 037.

Street Magazine

Street Magazine is written by young people for young people to read. There is so much negative media about teenagers in the press and Street Magazine gives them the opportunity to share their stories about themselves and the work they do in the community. It is full of useful and up to date information. There are 1700 issues of Street magazine distributed to Schools and Youth Clubs city-wide.

To see the latest copy of Street Magazine, follow the link: Street Magazine

ENYAN

This year ENYAN (English National Youth Arts Network) is aiming to raise the profile of youth arts and is campaigning for the rights of young people such as yourself. It is essential that those who work in the youth arts sector (artists, workshop leaders, education managers in theatres and arts officers in local councils for example) consider your views and thoughts when planning their work.

This year ENYAN will be campaigning for the use of the arts as the best way of communicating with young people, such as yourself, to find out your views. In order to do this it is essential that we hear your views about this to inform the campaign. There is a quick and simple online survey you can complete.

To complete the online survey click here

What is Wear Kids? Wear Kids is a free voluntary support scheme for Young People aged 8-13 and their families in Sunderland. Our aim is to help young people stay out of trouble and prevent anti social behaviour. Young people can refer themselves directly to the scheme or can be referred by parents, carers, teachers or other professionals. Wear Kids can be contacted on 0191 566 3114 or send any queries to our e-mail address wearkids@ssd.sunderland.gov.uk

Are you facing a difficult time in your life, feeling alone, and that no-one understands. Would you like to meet someone that can help? Our Volunteers are trained to work with young people, and offer support and guidance. Volunteers are called Mentors and they are not paid. They choose to work with people like you, and provide you with new opportunities. If you would like to know more about what help a Mentor could give you please contact Sunderland Volunteer Mentoring Service on 0191 566 3016. One of our project workers will be happy to talk to you.

Would you like to see an article you have written published in a magazine?

If so, click here for the young people's Street Magazine. ( pdf 64k)

THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK (A poem by a young person)

I never used to think before I had a drink. The only thing on my mind was getting off my head,
And having a good laugh with my mates. If it meant getting into trouble then it was part of the laugh.

One Saturday I met up with my mates in the ISIS pub where I drank pint after pint until I was down to my last £5. So we went to the shops to buy some cans of lager. Later, someone suggested we go to his house at Ashbrooke.

So we agreed.

As we got near he knew a short cut through Thornhill School, and over a metal fence. As a passed my cans over I never expected that I would fall.

But I did.

I knocked myself out for about 10 minutes. When I woke up I had a broken my left arm and fractured my left wrist. I spent five days in hospital, needed metal plates in my elbow and pins in my arm and hand.

Just because I never did…
…THINK BEFORE I HAD A DRINK.

Last year while at school, I was bullied every day. My Mam and Dad went to school about it, but nothing was done. One day I went to the park with my friends and while I was there, a couple of older girls came up to us and started picking on us. Then all of a sudden one of them punched me in the face. Some of my friends ran round to get my mam and dad. I went to hospital and my mam and dad phoned the police. The girl who hit me was prosecuted. I was so scared I wouldn’t go out side. Mam and dad took me out of school and started teaching me at home, it was then I heard about the mentoring program. My mam got in touch with Jane and she came out to see us and she told us how it worked and that she would match me up with a mentor, it only took a couple of weeks and they matched me up with Joanne, at first I was nervous but when Joanne came to see me she was really nice, about 2 week into the program Jane took us to the science life centre in Newcastle, I was gutted that Joanne couldn’t come because she had to work, when I got there I had a chance to meet other mentors and children in the same situation as me. Now once a week I go out with Joanne. At first we went to the wacky ware house for some thing to eat, now each week we go some were different. I like talking to Joanne because I feel happy talking to her about things and if I have a problem she helps me. I hope I keep going out with Joanne in the future and at Christmas we exchanged gifts.

If you would like more information about anti bullying or if you are being bullied and would like to get in touch with the Anti Bullying Strategy project you can contact:

Sunderland Anti Bullying Strategy

37 West Sunniside

Sunderland

SR1 1BU

All of the services of the Anti Bullying Strategy can be accessed by completing an Anti Bullying Referral Form (available from the contact address above) and referral forms can be made by organisations and individuals including parents and young people.

Anti Bullying Video - to get the message on Anti-Bullying click below to access a short video including some of your favourite stars.
Click here for Rio Ferdinand - Click here for messages from the pop world

* broadband connection preferred