About 900 at risk youths are expected to benefit from a $2 million scheme starting in April next year. The Youth-at-risk Engagement Framework will fund programmes to steer young people away from crime, improve their family relationships and help them stay in school.
It will also roll out standardised risk-assessment tools that government agencies, schools and voluntary welfare organisations can use to find out what their needs are. There is now no common assessment and evaluation tool across the various agencies and organisations working with young people. But they need to know the problems young people are facing, so that the appropriate intervention, referral to another agency or shared plans to work together to help the youth.
A social worker from Lakeside Family Services, Mr Weevyn To, 32, said some VWOs might miss out some problems areas in a young person's life due to their specific focuses, such as education or drug related offences. A standardised tool could help agencies identify every problem. If there's a heightened awareness of other issues that might contribute, such as parents' behaviour, it might prompt agencies to focus on the other problems to, or refer to another VWO.
Thoughts:
- I personally feel that programmes/ outreach to youth at risk is one of the most "hidden" job in the society today. Most people would think of relating youths with schools, but not with external agencies and VWOs for interventions.
- That said, I am happy that the Government is putting in more money into this part of the community, so that there would be funding to meaningfully engage these youths and steer them away from the negative path. One person saved is one trouble lesser for the community. Right?
Thoughts anyone?
Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big
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