Introduction

The LGIU Action Learning Set on Youth Participation and Social Network Sites aims to create and collate a range of resources.

Below is an index of some of the resources we've found, created and shared so far. If you spot any omissions, please do edit and add to this page.

We need to be able to make a clear business case for Youth Participation using SNS.

• What is Social Networking (Louise Piper)

An overview of Social Network Sites for Kent County Council concluding that “There are currently great opportunities for reaching people on SNS in new and innovative ways.”

• Research from Leicester (Davey Ivens)

Available from June 2009. Identifying how young people are using SNS in the local area. (See the brief here)

• Hear by Right (Bill Badham)

Available for £10 or free download. Hear by Right is a participation standards framework - and includes elements on the importance of a wide variety of participation approaches.

We need tools for creating a baseline survey of SNS use in local authorities.

• Suggested Questions

For a survey. From the Participation Toolbox group.

• Youth Work & Social Networking Interim Report (Davies & Cranston)

Includes details of a National Survey of youth workers in December 2007/January 2008.

• SNS Survey of London Boroughs (Denise Drake)

Denise shares her baseline survey of SNS use in London Boroughs.

We are seeking to create model policies on safe and effective use of Social Network Sites for participation and engagement. In the long run - we hope that safe social networking and online engagement will be integrated across local authority policies.

• Draft Guidance on Effective Engagement with SNS for Youth Work Professionals (Tim Davies)

A summary of practical learning from the Youth Work & Social Networking research.

(Action Learning Set members are welcome to adapt this into their own draft policies).

• Policy Elements from Norfolk (Tom Gaskin)

To be uploaded/shared soon.

• Digital Outreach Procedures and Guidance (Katie Bacon)

Shared learning and documents by Katie Bacon, online engagement worker in Devon.

• Risk Assessment Responses (Joy Jenkins)

Documenting objections that may be raised to using SNS, and establishing possible responses.

We have identified a need for really practical skills training and resources.

• One Page Guides (Tim Davies)

A series of practical guides on a range of different Social Media tools.

• MySpace & Bebo Getting Started Guides (Kallum Taylor)

Practical notes and walk-through details on getting started with Bebo and Myspace.

We have identified a need for guides which outline how to use SNS for participation.

• Ning Briefing Paper

• SNS Comparisons

We have identified a need for resources that support practitioners to support young people in using SNS.

• E-Synergy - See the links at the bottom of Katie Bacon's E-Synergy website for possible resources

• From restrictions to Critical Questions - a blog post with discussion on 'critical questions' approaches to supporting young people, and a 'Question Bank'. I'll shortly be sharing the full strategy and project plans on which this 'Question Bank' is based.

We are exploring the development of a Social Network Site Application.