2023 Trustees Report for Westgate Youth Project
Westgate Youth Project provides a range of youth club activities to children and you people with hidden disabilities. The project will give an increased sense of belonging, improved knowledge and skills and improved resilience.
Westgate Youth Project delivered its services every Thursday evening. The sessions are split into two, one and a half hour groups. 6-7.30pm for young people aged 10 -14, and 7.45 – 9.15pm for young people aged 15 – 19.
Westgate Youth Project is a targeted provision for young people with hidden disabilities. A hidden disability is defined as any disability that is not immediately apparent.
Many of the young people that attend the project have Autistic Spectrum Condition, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Mental Health Problems. Some of the young people have co morbid diagnoses of ASC, ADHD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Mental Health Problems, and other sub type conditions such as Pathological Demand Avoidance.
One young person has a severe hearing impairment and a global development delay. Another has a diagnosis of ASC, Type 1 Diabetes, and a severe nut allergy. One young person has multiple diagnoses of Conduct Disorder, ODD, ASC and ADHD.
Many of the young people that attend the project are “looked after “either in residential children’s homes, short term, or permanent foster care. Some young people have experienced neglect and abuse and suffer PTSD from childhood trauma.
Some young people attend specialist schools out of the local area, so are isolated from their peer groups during their social leisure time.
Some young people attend local mainstream schools; however, struggle to become part of their school community due to their hidden disabilities and social communication needs.
The young people that we work with are at very different stages in their journeys. Some have experienced significant change with regards to a sense of belonging. For example, one young person who has a very difficult time at school and only leaves the house other than for school, has become a young leader, helping to set up at the beginning of the session, serving young people in the tuck shop and signing them in. Another young person, new to the area with no friends locally attended her first session as a very quiet, reserved young lady very quickly became a very popular, engaging member of the project. One young person came along after his carer contacted his concerns regarding his child’s lack of friends. It is very difficult for this young man to engage with his peer group due to his disabilities. Other young people tend to struggle with his behaviour. However, he joins in group activities, youth workers manage his behaviour, and I am confident that in time he will feel safe enough to be himself and start to make connections with other young people.
Amongst most of the young people that attend the project there is a great camaraderie, they tend to take part in activities together as opposed to operating separately.
At a young person’s initial visit to Westgate Youth Project, they complete a Wellbeing self – assessment form. This is based on the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale indicating positive mental health and gives a primary indicator of a young person’s mental health and wellbeing. This is completed annually and is used to measure the impact of work with a young person and distance travelled.
The feedback from parents and carers is particularly important to us as young people are sometimes unwilling or unable to communicate their own feedback to us, especially while they are still in the process of building trusting relationships with the youth work team. Parents and carers regularly send along the siblings of young people that already attend the project when they are old enough. Most new young people that attend, do so because a friend has recommended the project to them.
We collect feedback and suggestions from young people through dialogue, using user surveys and young people’s evaluations. During staff briefings at the beginning and the end of each youth work session, observations regarding young people are discussed and recorded on youth work evaluation forms. Key data is taken from other internal information such as case studies, attendance figures and records regarding individuals such as 1:1 interventions and Early Help
In addition to this we work closely with most parents and carers of the young people attending
The young people that attend Westgate Youth Project are all unique in as much as they may have Asperger’s, “moderate Autism and/or ADHD coupled with co morbid diagnoses of often severe anxiety, a global delay, other mental health problems or mild physical disabilities. Therefore, their individual learning styles and needs vary greatly.
Some young people thrive in mainstream schools and college, some attend specialist schools, some are home tutored, and some are not in education, employment of training, due to for example permanent exclusion and waiting for a new school place, the inability to attend school due to mental health problems or inconsistent schooling due to constantly being moved around foster placements and care homes.
Often young people will report that they are excluded from classes because their behaviour can be misinterpreted as rude and disruptive, or teachers do not have the time to answer a question in a way that they understand. Often young people appear to understand what is being said, but on checking back with them they do not.
Some young people are too self-conscious to take part in group sports activities. However, when offered a small group activity such as boxing, they have been more comfortable taking part and have found that they have excelled.
We recently had an African drumming workshop where young people learnt important life skills such as turn taking, listening to instructions, patience, and synchronicity. This group of young people are intrinsically motivated to move.
They were all able stay engaged, listen to instructions and as a group produce a piece of music. Out of 23 young people present for this activity, only one chose to sit out. On investigation this young person was struggling at school and spent the time speaking with a youth worker for support.
We collect evidence in the form of a Wellbeing self – assessment completed by young people when they first join the project. This involves 14 questions which provides a score of wellbeing and is then completed annually to measure distance travelled and the impact of the work with everyone.
We collect feedback from young people through dialogue, user surveys and young people’s evaluations.
Young people participate in the planning of activities that we deliver. So should they wish to gain more information or skills in a specific area, we work with them in a way that enables them to learn, in a way that suits their individual needs. We then check their understanding using conversations, games, quizzes and fact or fiction cards.
We work closely with the majority of parent’s and carers; this allows us to build a good working relationship and get better insight into the impact of our work. This is particularly important for young people with speech, language, and communication needs.
We also make use of other forms of information such as youth worker session evaluations and staff observations, which are recorded and recognition of achievements such as certificates and accreditation.
Most of the young people that attend The Westgate Youth Project face adversity regularly, albeit, bullying, transitions between foster placements, care homes and key workers, changes in locality, discrimination through ignorance due to the lack of visible indicators of disability, or inconsistent education due to their needs not being met. Young people often change school regularly in a bid to find the most appropriate therapeutic environment.
When young people become members of The Westgate Youth Project, they become a part of a community; one of the main aims of the project is to provide an inclusive, safe environment for young people who share common factors and experiences. In turn becoming part of a community and developing a sense of belonging, reduces isolation, improves mental health and wellbeing, in turn increasing the resilience of the young people.
Because of the varying needs of the group and the fact that some have been attending for several years and some have been attending for several weeks they are all at very different places on their individual journeys.
Young people are offered the opportunity to try new things, with each new thing that they try so their confidence, self-esteem, resilience, and sense of agency grows.
One young person with ASC and ADHD requires substantial support from youth workers; this young person only very occasionally engages with her peer group
and will take part in activities only with one-to-one support from a youth worker. She is reticent to take part in activities because she doesn’t want to stand out as different or do it wrong and draw attention to herself. However, when boxing was introduced as an activity, she took part with great enthusiasm. She also took part in African drumming. This young person found the confidence to take part in new opportunities, enjoy them, learn from them, and feel empowered by her successes in them.
At a young person’s initial visit to The Westgate Youth Project, they complete a Wellbeing self – assessment form. This is based on the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale indicating positive mental health and gives a primary indicator of a young person’s mental health and wellbeing. This is completed annually and is used to measure the impact of work with a young person and distance travelled.
In addition to this we work closely with most parents and carers of the young people attending the project and gain regular feedback from them.
Parents and carers in general are very good at communicating with us if the young person has any current concerns outside of youth club, if they will be away and a young person will be unsettled or in respite care for example. We are then able to ensure that we aware of each young person’s current situation, able to keep an open dialogue and put youth work interventions in place if the need arises.
Equally young people, their parents and carers share with us positive outcomes that they have experienced or observed as a result of taking part in Westgate Youth Project activities.
We collect feedback and suggestions from young people through dialogue, using user surveys and young people’s evaluations.
During staff briefings at the beginning and the end of each youth work session, observations regarding young people is discussed and recorded on youth work evaluation forms. Key data is taken from other internal information such as case studies, attendance figures and records regarding individuals such as 1:1 interventions and Early Help Notifications.
An important part of adolescence for any young person is to be accepted as a member of a peer group. Being accepted by one’s peers and functioning as part of a group as well as independently is an important part of growing up, trying out different roles and personal and social development.
For young people with hidden disabilities there are many barriers in place that must be removed in order for them to become a part of their peer group. If they are at a mainstream school other young people don’t tend to accept them due to their unseen differences, if they are at a specialist school it tends to be out of area, so none of their peers are available during their social leisure time.
By being a part of the community that is The Westgate Youth Project these young people are able to gain solidarity and social affirmation from being a part of the group. They are able to interact with their peers and use the skills that promote personal and social development in a safe environment. Young people
have the benefit of youth workers to facilitate conversations and support the social structures that will help them to come together and work as a group.
For the majority of our young people this is the first time that they have experienced being part of a peer group where they can interact socially without facing some degree of discrimination.
22 Grange Road Ramsgate Kent CTI19LR Phone." 01843 851319 E.mail.' enquiries@adlamaccounlancy.co.uk Your Ref.. Our R8f' EJ/JGIW094 2 Novejnber 2023 Mr A Brown Westgate Youth Project 2 Saxon Road Ramsgate Kent CTII OLN Dear Mr Brow Re: Westgate Youth ProJe¢t Please find enclosed draft copy Charity Commission Accounts foI the Year Ended 31, March 2023 for your revi¢w. Would you please read through the and if tn agreement pLeas¢ sign and return to our office at your earllest ¢onv¢ni¢nce, for our records. Kindly note that it was necessary for us to llY examine your summaries against Bank Statements in order to reconcile the Bank. W¢ found additional income totallin a net £1612.00 which we have introduced, being no enty mad¢ of £1836.80 received on th¢ 4 November from the Co•OP and an entry was included by mistake of £322.71 on the I l November. A fLUther £98 was also r¢ceived, believed to be from The Tuck Shop. Due to additional time required to identify income and io amend transactions to record inforniation for the y¢ar, it has becom¢ necessary to increase OUT fee slightly. We enclose our invoice for your kind attention. Upon receipi of the signed accounts and s¢ttl¢ment of our invoice we will then forward to you Charity Commission Accounts for your onward submission. Yours Sincerely, Adlam Accountancy Services VA T Reg No.. 385 5894 34 VISA Masiei
Adlam Accountancy Services Iiiiioice Ntirnbei'- 27975 C110Mer Ref.. W094 Phone.. (OJ843) 851319/586496 Fax.. (01843) 851740 E_niail.. enquirics@adlamoccoiipitaiiry.co. iiA- 22 Grange Road Ramsgate Kertl CTII 9LR Date.. 02 Nov¢mber 2023 MrA Brown W£slgate Youth Projecl 2 StLYOn Road Rapnsgaie Kenl CTII OLN Invoice Number.. 27975 Ddails Preparation of Charity Con)mission Accounts for the Year Endcd 31st M8nh 2023 Amount 320.1)0 Our fccs 320.00 64.00 384.00 Total Baiik DLJiails Accou171 Niiiiiber.'58944863 Sort Code.'30 98 97 Teinis Siricrly 31) Daijs Ncl Inleresl @ J.50/oper moiiili ii'ill be. chai'ged on oi'er due Accoiinls ni Accoiinlaiicip Sei'i'ices LtJ- Regisiep-ed ojfice 2 ? Gi'ange Rood, Rajiisgale, VA TReg No. ' CJB 385 5894 34 VISA
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGIAND AND WAIES WoStgat• Youth Project Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Fly the perlod from To 0110412022 3110312023 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestrlcted funds Rest¢t•d funds Endowmènt lund¥ Total fund¥ LaBt al to the Mar•#t to th• n•ar•¥l£ tothw no•rtt A1 Rèeèlpts KentCommuThty FounLf8lion Awards For Rgcnno¢i Grani LcKal Cornmunity Fwds Tho H¢nrySmilh ChaTity NatTraI Lofftfrry CorrAThJnityFund Cw Grant SJb%npbons Oihpr Gt8fi1$ Oiharv IrKuThè .500 8,312 022 &673 1.B37 750 8,673 1,837 750 471 472 1.006 Sub total(Gross incomp for AR) 23.905 15. A2 A68•t and Inv¢$knort ul•s. (SK Libl•l. Sub total 23.905 23.90$ 15,346 Stsff Salariès Adrnin Cos Rent Youth Wort. Se5siDn ReyaurlleE Wotk5hDPS Irurane Equipment Ren$ Olher EKpens8S Accountancy eprwatian of As581s 17,144 490 1,100 1.104 17.144 14510 211 900 1.100 95 S09 653 138 137 138 137 351 Sub tot1 21.610 21.610 18.308 A4 Asget and InN8tmènt purchases. $Èè tsbl La & Printèr Mobile Ptrxjne id Insuranc8 GoDds 778 139 338 Sub total 678 19,419 Net of re¢eipts/{paymentsJ A5 Tr•n8f•rn between funds A6 Cash fur)d¥ la?t p•r •nd C•sh funds this year end 1.61 1,617 4,07 13.941 15,558 13,941 15.558 18,014 13,941 CCXX R1 a¢wunts Issi 0111112023
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period UnFo$lrictsd fund• to Tr¥t É R•strl¢ted funds Endowment funds n•ar•4tf Caiegori¢s •Éojl B1 Cash funds Bank Aeujunt 15a43 P•tyCash 216 Total cash lunds 15,558 Unre$trl¢t•d fund to nearost£ 4,163 R•strlctsd funds to n•af•¥¢£ Endowm?nt funds t• £ D•lalls Eqthwnertt B2 Other monetary assets Fiures & Fittings 170 In5uranw prepald 338 4,671 FLWNlto whlth •wtb•lon Detalls Coit IopiicThtl B3 In¥estmeTrt wJ$¢ts FId to thleh lOrt Cury¢rt vluo Imal Det8iFs Co# loptlonllll B4 Ass•ts retslned for tha charltys own use Jnount onal Wboh du• rolatO8 85 Liabilities A¢counlerryS&tifi¢6s S*Jned by one tru$WS on behalf olall Iho Irusttes Date of al Slgnature Print Name CCXX R2 a¢¢wnts ISSI 0111112023