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The National Youth Agency sponsors the Quality Leaders Project's Youth Strand The National Youth Agency's Partnership in Innovation programme has provided funds for a youth strand of QLP. This is expected to start in towards the end of the year. Details of QLP and the Youth strand age given below: The Quality Leaders Project (QLP) for Library and Information Workers is a well-established approach to combating social exclusion within the library and information services sector. The QLP approach is one of management development through service development as it aims to tackle the dual challenges of providing value for socially excluded communities and also equal employment opportunities, both within a coherent Best Value framework. Due to recent funding successes, the QLP Steering Committee is currently engaged in two different QLP initiatives. The first of these is focussed upon the social exclusion of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, while the second (the QLP-Youth programme) is focussed upon services to young people, with a special emphasis upon refugee and asylum seekers. The QLP Steering Committee are now looking for two authorities to participate in the BME strand, which has just started, and a further six authorities to participate in the Youth strand, which will be starting very soon. Aims of the QLP-Youth Project a.. To refocus public library service so that services to young people are mainstreamed in accordance with the real needs of young people. b.. To provide new skills to library workers so that they can develop and deliver new and innovative services needed by young people. c.. Develop, plan and implement new services for young people in partnership with the youth themselves, and with other stakeholders. d.. To increase social cohesion by encouraging inter-generational work and by encouraging different communities to work together. Outcomes of the Project a.. An innovative model of providing services to young people in a partnership approach which empowers young people. b.. Staff development: the development of new skills and expertise by Quality Leaders and Quality teams from participating authorities. c.. Service development/improvement: new services to meet new or unmet needs of young people, especially from excluded communities and potential users who may not have been reached by their authorities. d.. The development of a QLP Training Manual for use by other public service providers in the development of new QLP projects. e.. Establishing a link between Best Value performance processes and social exclusion performance targets within the participating organisations and at the same time meet relevant requirements of the Equality Standards and EU legislation on equalities. f.. A new partnership approach bringing together various organisations currently working in isolation. Who will benefit from the Project a.. Young people, especially young refugees and asylum seekers, in the participating authorities. b.. The local communities as a whole because as the public library develops new services using new approaches to meeting local needs which have not been met before, it will enhance social cohesion and enable a significant sector of the community to be empowered. c.. The participating local authorities which will be able to improve services and also meet many of its legal requirements while satisfying other criteria such as Best Value, Equalities Standard for Local Authorities, Annual Library Plan and the Public Library Standard requirements. d.. The library service as a whole as the Project will act as an engine of change to meet local and national requirements. e.. Personal and professional development for Quality Leaders (QLs) who will acquire new skills and experiences. f.. Development opportunities for the QLP Teams who come from all communities. If you are interested in finding out more about the QLP, or to register your authority's interest in taking part please contact: · Dr. Dean Bartlett Deputy Director Management Research Centre London Metropolitan University (North Campus) Stapleton House, 227-281, Holloway Road London N7 8HN. Tel: 020 7973 4825 E-mail: [log in to unmask]