Warwickshire News Mine

The lively meeting was held by Warwickshire County Council’s Children, Young People and Families Overview & Scrutiny Committee at Warwick’s Shire Hall.

The Committee are currently looking at the issue of young people and alcohol, and had invited a number of groups and individuals to speak to them about the subject.

Having previously heard the opinions of representatives from the county’s Drugs and Alcohol Action Team, Connexions, the Youth Offending Team and educational social workers, it was the turn of young people themselves to address the councillors.

Committee members were treated to two rap videos on the subjects of drugs and alcohol and teenage pregnancy, written and produced by youngsters training with Hybrid:arts, a not for profit organisation based in Leamington Spa that trains young people in creative skills such as music technology and video production.

Hybrid:arts strategic director, Stella Carr, and youth agents Terry Herlihey, Dave Thomson and Russell Marshall (pictured) introduced the videos and told councillors that music was very influential in reaching out to young people, before going on to share their thoughts on the issue of young people and alcohol. 

The Youth Agents emphasised that alcohol is not a problem isolated to young people, rather it is a cultural issue which needs to be addressed holistically.

Councillor Richard Grant, Chair of the Children, Young People and Families Overview & Scrutiny Committee, said: “We were delighted that the youth agents from Hybrid:arts could attend and contribute to our meeting.

"It was the first time rap videos have been played at a Committee meeting and it was an important step forward for the Committee in terms of engaging young people and understanding issues from their perspective. 

“The rap videos are a great way to educate young people about issues that affect them and they are also a great way to raise awareness among councillors.

"The Youth Agents thoughts on the issue of alcohol and young people were extremely valuable and will help shape our recommendations when the review is completed.”

Warwickshire County Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committees have a similar role to that of Parliamentary Select Committees. They look closely at the work of the council’s departments, review policies, and provide a ‘critical friend’ challenge to the council to ensure that decisions made are in the best interests of the community.

The committees also have an external focus and can review any issue that affects community well-being in depth, even if related services are not council services.

The Children, Young People and Families Overview & Scrutiny Committee has the important role of ensuring that services for young people, children and families in Warwickshire are the very best.

To find out more about Warwickshire County Council’s Overview & Scrutiny Committees, follow the link below.

Link to WCC