We are improving the way we deliver youth services on the Mornington Peninsula with the aim of expanding opportunities for young people to connect and belong.
At the 2 September Council Meeting, councillors decided to partner with a range of external providers to deliver a more targeted and flexible mix of services for our young people. This new model will provide more opportunity for them to connect with services at a time and place that suits them.
The Shire will retain strong leadership on youth-related issues, ensuring young people have ongoing involvement in the planning, design and evaluation of the services provided to them.
Under the new model, our three youth hubs at Rosebud, Mornington and Hastings will become busier than ever, offering a base for existing providers and other services not currently available on the Mornington Peninsula.
The changes are in response to an in-depth analysis of the way we deliver youth services, carried out as part of an ongoing review of all Shire services.
The review included benchmarking against other comparable councils and engaging with stakeholders and those who use the services, including 421 young people. Insights from more than 5,000 stakeholders across a range of other community engagement projects were also analysed.
The review identified opportunities to improve service quality, cost-effectiveness, accessibility and overall community satisfaction. It highlighted the benefits of partnering with expert service providers to expand the range and reach of services for young people, with Council taking a leadership role in oversight, coordination, policy and planning.
We have notified our staff, community partners, volunteers and clients about Council's decision and will be consulting with them in the coming weeks to determine the key considerations needed to progress the new model and what the final structure should look like.
We will then develop a transition plan, based on that feedback. Council will continue to deliver youth services leading up to the transition. There will be no immediate change for families or our community partners. Updates will be shared as more information becomes available.
