News Bulletins

Keep up to date with all the latest news from YSS





HRH The Princess Royal accepts invitation to become Patron

In July 2008, HRH the Princess Royal accepted an Invitation to become the YSS patron or the next 5 years.

YSS are delighted that HRH The Princess Royal has accepted our invitation. We believe this will raise the profile of our work and help the charity in its efforts to continue it's work with children, young people, young adults and families at risk of social exclusion.



Launch of AsYSSt Vocational Training

AsYSSt Vocational training operates as the Employment, Skills & Training provision for YSS and its partner organisations.

Unique in its level of personal support and drawing on YSS’s 20 years of supporting the socially excluded, Assist offers flexibility for learners and service users wishing to access vocational training or employment.

With the recent opening of its first dedicated training centre, the construction training unit in Droitwich offers learners the opportunity to train in an environment offering both first class training and high levels of pastoral support.

The centre supports a number of client groups through its range of qualifications. These include entry level, NVQ levels 1 & 2.

Further trainings are planned for opening during 2009, these include Hereford city & Telford, Shropshire.

Complementing its training centres, the service also operates a delivery model across three additional areas:

•  AsYSSt Mobile Training
•  Employment Solutions Unit
•  AsYSST Services Limited – Community Interest Company (CIC)

To read more about this project, please click here



£750k for new T2A project

YSS has received £750k over a three year period from the Barrow Cadbury Trust to deliver a pilot project called T2A (Transition to Adulthood). YSS will initially deliver T2A across Worcestershire and is one of three pilots being developed nationally and sponsored by Barrow Cadbury. The pilots will aim to develop best practice of working with young people in transition between the youth and adult criminal justice systems. In Worcestershire the project will work closely with West Mercia Probation Trust, Worcestershire Youth Offending Service, Worcestershire Youth Support, Voluntary sector organisations and the Police in addition to a wider range of agencies involved with the support needs of young people. All three projects are based on the recommendations contained within the ‘Lost in Transition’ report published by Barrow Cadbury in 2005 and this is available on their website for download www.bctrust.org.uk The project will be evaluated by Oxford University.

Full details of the project will appear in detail on this web-site early in 2009 to co-inside with the start of service delivery. In the meantime anyone interested in further information should contact Lorraine Preece, Operations Director, at YSS on 01299 252303.



Employment Support for ex-offenders in Birmingham, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall and Dudley

YSS is working in partnership with the national employment charity the Shaw Trust and the Department of Work and Pensions to deliver a flexible routeway provision into employment for ex-offenders. Service delivery is expected to start in December 2008. This involves YSS undertaking flexible one to one support based in the community, providing guidance and mentoring to assist ex-offenders back into employment and/or training provision.



3 New Supporting Compliance Projects with Probation across the West Midlands region

YSS has just started delivery on three supporting compliance projects with three different Probation Areas. These are West Mercia Probation Trust area, Staffordshire Probation area and West Midlands Probation area. These projects are aimed at motivating and assisting offenders on court orders or who are on license to engage with the conditions imposed upon them, by helping overcome practical barriers, real or perceived to engagement. YSS delivers a series of 6 focussed support sessions per person, of about one hour duration in the community per week backed up with multiple telephone calls and text messages to maintain motivation.