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Electric Palace| Electric Palace | Electric Palace
Geographical Area: Walsall
Age Range Min: 8
Age Range Max: 25
Gender Specific: no
| Culturally Specific: no
Method of Access: Referrals are taken from parents, schools, the Connexions service and social services. Young people can also self refer
| | Description | Electric Palace is open seven days a week and offers drop in sessions, free counselling, access to a Connexions PA, a cyber café, senior and junior youth clubs, an e2e initiative, Baby think it over project and Participatory Appraisal Training.
There are two health service drop in sessions (Monday and Thursday 3.40pm - 5.30pm) and young people can speak to the worker without a prior appointment about any issue that is affecting them. As well as being able to hand out free condoms and carry out pregnancy tests, she is able to offer 1:1 counselling with any young person that needs support. The health information service covers a wide range of topics such as anger management, self harm or self respect, racial issues and bullying. Health workshops take place at Electric Palace and at any youth club or school that would benefit from them. Outreach work is also undertaken with the Youth Workers, meeting with young people on the streets, in parks and cafe's to talk about whatever issues may be affecting them and offer advice, information and guidance on sexual and general health.
The e2e (entry to employment) initiative at Electric Palace provides 16 - 18 year olds not currently in employment or training, with basic skills, social skills and employability skills aimed at getting them into full time work, apprenticeships, training or into education. E2e is a full time course and each young person receives an allowance. the aim of e2e is to give each person taking part some work experience to help them decide in which direction they wish to go. The Cyber Cafe is fully equipped with games machines and computers.
There are more than 200 members most of which fall into the 10 - 16 yrs age group although ages of member range from 8 to 25. As well has having all the usual Office packages, software on the pc's allows design of industry standard websites, image manipulation and video editing. Workshops are run in Adobe Photoshop, making short movies and setting up websites. Staff can work on a 1:1 basis or within groups helping members learn new skills, gain in confidence and self esteem, as well as offering support on any issues that anyone may have. Both Junior and Senior youth clubs run a full range of activities including outdoor activities and arts and crafts workshops and youth achievement awards.
The 'Baby think it Over' Project lends out newborn baby dolls that cry, need feeding and changing and that will wake up just like a new born baby. A computer chip inside the doll registers all the activities the doll has been through and whether it has been fed and changed and looked after properly. It's used as a way of getting young people to think about the realities of having a baby and to allow them to see how they would cope - without them actually having to go and produce their own first!
Participatory Appraisal Training is a way of local communities coming together to solve problems that exist within their own communities. They learn how to work together to share information and ideas, to identify problems and to do something about changing them once they work out what needs to be done. The course is run over 5 days and uses techniques such as Spider Diagrams, Cause & Effect, Ranking, Mapping, Timeline and Impact & Implementation. The scheme has worked with over 40 organisations and is seen as an effective way of getting people together to discuss and improve their local community. | | Objectives | | The Electric Palace adopts an holistic approach when working with young people, aiming to provide them with skills and the confidence to make the most of their lives. | | Staff Profile | | 1 manager, 1 assistant manager and PA Co-ordinator, 1 cyber café co-ordinator, 1 Health information worker, 1 e2e co-ordinator + a team of 4, I administrator, 1 Baby think it over co-ordinator, 2 receptionists, 4 youth workers + extra youth staff and volunteers. Only 5 of the staff are full time workers. | | Linked Organisations | | Electric Palace is part of the Bloxwich Community Partnership and has links with Connexions , Social Services, the Learning Skills Council, Schools in Walsall and Walsall Pregnancy Health. |
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