Two of Torbay’s key services for children and young people will be undergoing some changes from next month.

Torbay Youth Service and the Young Carers Service will be delivered by Torbay Youth Trust from February 2020.

The new partnership agreement is the result of work which has been taking place since 2013 by Torbay Council and Torbay Youth Trust.

The aim is to meet the requirements of the local authority, deliver against long term strategies relating to poverty, attainment and employment and health, while exploring additional funding streams and building revenue capacity.

Councillor Cordelia Law, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said: “We are pleased to be able to share the news of this agreement between Torbay Council and Torbay Youth Trust.

“A key advantage of this is the ability of Torbay Youth Trust to bid for additional grants and other income, not accessible to the Council. The Youth Trust is in a position to do this both as individual provider and also in collaboration with other organisations via Torbay’s newly-formed Imagine This Partnership (an umbrella organisation for 30 VCSE organisations across Torbay), within which the Trust will sit from February 2020 . This will result in more opportunities to creatively support young people in Torbay to be happy, healthy, safe and to achieve, than would be available if the services were delivered solely by the local authority.”

Johanna Morrell from Torbay Youth Trust said: “Torbay Youth Trust’s embedded position within the Imagine This Partnership means that it is well placed to take services forward within Torbay’s voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. The Trustees are looking forward to using their broad range of expertise to inform development, both in terms of creative delivery and to meet the statutory and strategic aims of the local authority.”

Staff teams from both services will transfer to Torbay Youth Trust on 1 February 2020 and will continue to support children, young people and families, working closely with Children’s Services to identify and support those most in need. Torbay Youth Trust is committed to developing relationships of trust with children and young people and to enabling them to have a strong voice in their communities.

Torbay Council and Torbay Youth Trust would like to thank Torbay Community Development Trust for hosting and supporting the development work for Torbay Youth Trust.