• Consult on the future of the association
• Share updates, news and hot topics from the conference

But that’s just the start of the possibilities.

• A blog consists of blog posts posted by the owner of the blog or approved authors. A blog post can be an article, some shared media (videos, pictures), an announcement or a question.

  and

• Comments which are posted by anyone who visit the blog and can respond to blog posts.

So - that means there is usually a blog author who shares information or starts a discussion - but then anyone can get involved.

Usually blogs are public and accessible to anyone on the internet. Regular readers of a blog are encouraged to subscribe using an RSS reader or by e-mail to be able to keep up to date with the latest posts on a blog.

Readers may find a blog because it has been linked to by another blogger (blog author), because it has been found in a search engine or because they have been given the address of the blog.

So what do you want the APYCO blog to achieve?

• Perhaps you want to see regular articles about managing services for young people?
• Perhaps you want to read occasional comments from the Chief Executive?
• Perhaps you think the blog should feature ‘guest authors’ from amongst the APYCO membership - sharing their stories about their work or hot topics that affect them?
• Perhaps you want to see more consultation on the blog - and see it as a platform for APYCO members talking together in public about the direction of the organisation?
• Perhaps you have a different idea entirely

Drop in your preferences, ideas and comments below - and lets see how we can develop the APYCO Interactive blog into the future…

Kevin explained:

There is pressure on leaders with an agenda coming from above when they need to initiate and drive change from below.

We need to be able to secure the space for people to think and reflect on what change means for them, and to gain a sense of ownership over the changes.

It can be tricky for leaders of services to do that when there is a top-down agenda to deal with - but in the workshop we explored different approaches people are taking to manage the tensions.

Quick questions:

How are you managing the balance in your service?

What approaches have you adopted to help staff teams gain a sense of ownership over the changes?

You can find all the resources from the presentation online here.

DK shared how services with young people can:

• Use Skype to keep in touch via voice and video conversations with integrated teams, run conference calls and stay in touch without phone call charges
• Use Google Documents for collaboration in teams
• Set up and run a blog in just three clicks.
• Use Animoto.com to create dynamic visuals videos from photos.
• Use Issuu to display youth magazines and content dynamically online
• Use Flickr to share photos and geo-tag them
• Use Dipity to create virtual timeslines of events and activities
• Run interactive votes using SMSPoll.net

Also available at the conference was the executive summary of the new Youth Work and Social Networking report by The National Youth Agency - a practical research report outlining how youth services can take steps to develop their social media and social networking strategies. You can download a copy of that report here or discuss the report on it’s own blog here. (Disclosure: I was the lead researcher on the YWSN project).

With integration happening in 149 different ways across the country, what is the essence of integration and an integrated youth support service.

Here is what Fiona Blacke, NYA Chief Executive had to say in a short video interview:

Ross Little, Senior Information Officer at the NYA, argues that we need to make sure we’re collecting the right information to be able to track and learn from the diverse transitions to integrated youth support across the UK.

If the government are not measuring something, then that something can easily get lost. There may be a role for the NYA in collecting the information that helps services identify the different roles youth work is playing in integrated services.

Quick questions

• What is your definition of integrated youth support services?
• What should The NYA and others be measuring to make sure we keep track of the youth work role in the future of Integrated Youth Support Services?

Earlier on I spoke to Nicole Joseph about her perception that we’re not talking enough about the specific contribution of Youth Work to positive activities provision.

What we need to establish and detail is what is unique about the youth service offer. Without that clarity and definition we’re asked to deliver unskilled work in under-resourced centers and bases.

This afternoon some groups will be taking part in a Socratic Dialogue exploring ‘What is distinctive about Youth Work?’.

How would you answer the question?

Dee talked about how this was similar to Detached Youth Work - but some of the table-based discussions sought to explore the difference.

The street based work in the youth crime action plan seems to be about getting young people off the street - but detached youth work can recognise that the street is not always to move young people on from, but can be a space where we can work with young people.

So, when we are talking about Places to Go and Things to Do for young people, can the street be amongst places to go?

I took a quick straw poll of the different job titles around the tables in the main conference room - and here are some of the job titles I found:

(Tag cloud created with Wordle

Quick questions

• Have you got a different job title?
• What does this diversity of job titles and job roles mean for the future of APYCO and of services for young people
• What would your idea job title be?

Whilst the current name no longer adequately describes the range of different youth service arrangements across the country, last night’s executive committee meeting decided to withdraw the proposal to rename the association Association of Integrated Youth Support Services as it became clear that this name too fails to reflect all that the association is about. Today’s AGM has accepted the proposal to postpone the name change.

So - with an extra-ordinary general meeting to vote on a new name scheduled for six months from now - and few names yet on the shortlist - we need your ideas for a future name for the Association.

Add your suggestion as a comment or comment on the ideas that others have shared. Try to explain why you think the name you are putting forward really captures what APYCO is, or needs to be, about.

A shortlist of names will be brought to members in January 2009.