But I'm a hoodie! (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

But I'm a hoodie!

Prof Aynsley-Green who is the country's first Children's CommissionerTHE GREAT DEBATE: Lyndsay Scanlan continues our series by interviewing the country's first ever Children's Commissioner and asks what he believes should be done for Swindon teenagers

THE country's first Children's Commissioner has given his verdict on what should be done for Swindon's teenagers.

Prof Al Aynsley-Green, who has been appointed by the Government, has the job of raising the profile of issues affecting children and making sure their views are heard.

And he has congratulated the Adver on running a week-long series of articles about the problems faced by teenagers in Swindon.

He said: "I am delighted that your newspaper has reported on these very important issues.

"It's so important to give young people a voice and to represent their views.

"I hope that what you have done will send a message to other newspapers."

In the second of our series of articles published on Tuesday we interviewed teenagers who said they wanted somewhere to go where they would not to persecuted by people's perceptions of them as yobs or troublemakers.

Prof Aynsley-Green, a children's doctor and the former national director for children at the department of health, believes that the public's negative perception of teenagers is one of the things that makes life so difficult for them.

He is particularly critical of teenagers being stereotyped as yobs because they wear hoodie tops particularly as he is a hoodie wearer himself.

"People seem to think that hoodies are synonymous with everything that's bad about young people.

"But why should they be demonised just because they are wearing a fashion item?

"I have got one myself and they are fantastic. I wear mine when I go away skiing or surfing with my family.

"They are fantastic when it's cold.

"In the 1970s when I was a young doctor in Oxford I remember buying a hooded sweater."

He believes the public's negative perception of young people has reached a "crescendo".

"We have reached a crescendo of demonisation and vilification of young people.

"And as far as young people are concerned this makes them feel angry, frustrated and bewildered."

The way to stop this, he believes, is for adults to gain a better understanding of how young people feel.

On Wednesday we reported on how Garry Perkins, lead member for children's services has admitted the council has lost touch with town's youth.

He said he is determined to find out what it is that teenagers want from the council and wants his youth team to listen more to what teenagers want.

There are also plans to set up a shadow youth council.

Prof Aynsley-Green applauds these moves.

He said: "It is very courageous of the council to admit they are out of touch with what young people want.

"I welcome the fact that Swindon has woken up to the fact that it needs to relate better to young people.

"I think that the most important thing the council can do is to find out what it's like to be a child or a young person in Swindon. I would also urge Swindon to celebrate the achievements of young people."

When we interviewed bored teenagers about what would get them off the streets, they said they wanted a youth centre that would meet the needs of everybody providing music facilities, graffiti walls, and a coffee shop.

They wanted somewhere cheap and where they would be treated like adults and allowed to make decisions about the facilities and activities at the centre as well as how it was run.

Prof Aynsley-Green said: "Since I've been in this post one of the issues that has come out strongly from listening to young people is that they are concerned about the lack of space and things to do for them.

"Adults see them hanging around and don't understand that it's often because there is nowhere for them to go.

"Young people also need an opportunity to contribute to their communities and more volunteering opportunities should be created for them."

And he said he would be delighted to visit Swindon to meet the town's young people.

"I would love to. My diary is very busy but if there was a serious proposal coming from Swindon then I would like to take it up.

"I'd be very interested in supporting what the council is doing in Swindon."

Town is not making most of 'special orders'

SWINDON is not making the most of special orders forcing parents to control their 'off-the-rails' children, figures show.

Tony Blair has said more organisations will be allowed to apply for the order and they will now be slapped on the parents of children who show the early signs of thuggish behaviour.

The Advertiser has unearthed figures, which show that that the orders are rarely used in Swindon.

The magistrates' court has granted on average only five a year since 2000-1, according to the Home Office.

A total of 21 were served on bad parents in the five years up to December 2004.

Six were granted between April and December last year but only three in 2001-2. Not one was issued between 2003-4. Parenting orders, which were introduced as part of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, are backed up by threats of fines or even prison. They force parents who have failed their children to accept support and can also impose restrictions on where their children's movements.

In February last year, local education authorities and youth offending teams were told they could also apply.

Now, under plans to be outlined in detail in November, housing officers and local anti-social behaviour teams will be added to the list of agencies who can use the powers.

Cheri Wright, who heads Swindon Council's crime and disorder unit, stressed that it applies for the orders when it is necessary. "Ultimately, our aim is to prevent cases of anti-social behaviour," she said. "If we can do that before the case goes to court then so much the better."

"We prefer to use voluntary parenting contracts, which bypasses the court. These are made through a parenting support worker."

Have your say

WE want to know what you think about teenagers in Swindon. Are you a youngster with something to say? Or have you had problems with young people in your neighbourhood?

We want to hear your views.

Let us know by writing to The Editor, 100 Victoria Road, Swindon SN1 3BE.

You can phone the newsdesk on 01793 501806 or fax on 01793 501888.

You can also email us at editor@newswilts.co.uk or text. Start your text with 'wistory' followed by a space and then your story. Send a text to 88010. Texts cost 25p plus operator text charge.

Lyndsay Scanlan