Gateshead is a mix of urban and, to the West, rural environments. There are 45,600 children and young people between 0 and 19 years. The council has approximately 250 looked after children.

Between 1997 and the present day Gateshead Council had developed from a traditional centrally controlled authority to one that has fully embraced modernisation and partnership. Children and young people have been one of the many partners that have supported this change.

Gateshead have recently produced a Children and Young People’s Plan involving over 670 children and young people in the needs analysis and created a reference group to support the plan development, a similar number of different young people were involved in setting the priorities for the 2005 Young People’s Charter.

The Council uses the Hear by Right engagement standards to monitor its engagement progress and has achieved the emerging, established level, and the advanced level in 3 areas.

Involving and engaging children and young people with disabilities consistently and supporting young volunteers is still a key challenge.

A wide range of local, specialist and borough-wide engagement structures now exist. Aligned engagement opportunities now exist where young people from different structures come together to deliver training to staff, other young people, other council’s and Connexions Services.

Young people with engagement workers have produced a guidance manual to improve standards in school council’s. School council’s UK has trained three council staff as school council trainers who are working with schools across the borough using a range of innovative techniques.

Fixed play areas have been designed by children and young people. Engagement with very young children is being carried out.

Young people, the community

Ignite

//1997

case

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Community development

Support for local groups, Capacity building