Sector bids to shape coalition youth policy

Children's minister Tim Loughton promised earlier this month that the youth policy document, due to be published later this year, will be developed with significant input from the sector over the summer.

Consultation on the plans is yet to begin, but key youth organisations are preparing their proposals for government.

David Wright, chief executive of the Confederation of Heads of Young People's Services, insisted that the strategy should be used to offer all young people a basic level of youth provision.

"The key thing I want to see is a policy for young people that says that during every young person's transition to adulthood they should have an entitlement to certain services," he said.

Wright added that an entitlement coupled with basic funding would protect services. "We recognise the localism agenda, but we do feel that local decision making does need to be underpinned by sufficient funding for youth services," he said. "The idea of per capita funding for youth services is worth exploring."

Fiona Blacke, chief executive of the National Youth Agency, called on ministers to use the strategy to recognise that young people need access to personal and social development through informal learning.

"It's not going to deliver a pot of resources, I know that," she said. "But I want it to lay out mechanisms and frameworks that will enable the greatest possible collaboration between organisations."

Faiza Chaudary, director of policy at the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services, argued that the policy must cut across departmental divides at central government level.

"It must address fast-rising youth unemployment, encourage a co-ordinated approach to healthy living, stop young people from being drawn into criminal activities and engage them in civil society," she said. "Ensuring sustainable solutions to these issues will be crucial - we require a new generation of partnerships that can help yield the growth needed in the youth sector marketplace."

To address the fact that young people are disillusioned with the political decision-making process, Jason Stacey, head of policy at YMCA England, said the strategy must contain a strong focus on participation across government.

"The forthcoming youth policy is not necessarily about new measures with high price tags," he explained. "It should focus on tackling the culture that exists within some government areas. In particular, those departments that talk about young people and legislate for young people, but at the same time fail to consult with or involve young people."

James Cathcart, chief executive of the British Youth Council, echoed this call, adding that the strategy should include a statutory duty to consult young people on services.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Education confirmed that the policy paper would include plans to tackle a broad range of issues affecting young people, from teenage pregnancy to unemployment.

"We're not limiting what will be in it," she said. "But it will obviously have a particular focus on youth services."

Simon Blake, chief executive of Brook, argued that the policy must go beyond addressing teenage pregnancy to look at wider sexual health issues.

"We would like to see a commitment to young people being involved as active partners in the process of developing and implementing policy; statutory sex and relationships education in schools; and dedicated young people's sexual health services in schools, further education and community settings that address the full range of health issues."

He added that workforce development for professionals working with young people and support for parents to talk about relationships and sex with their children was also needed.

Ginny Lunn, director of policy and development at The Prince's Trust, said that the paper must focus on the hardest to reach.

"Too many of these young people may have grown up without a positive role model or struggled at school, thinking that no-one cares," she explained.

"It is these vulnerable young people who need the most support. We must invest in schemes that are proven to work, and that help disadvantaged youngsters get the education and training they need to get their lives on track."

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A STRATEGY FOR YOUTH

Speaking at the Positive for Youth conference in Westminster earlier this month, children's minister Tim Loughton said the sector and young people will be consulted on what should be included in the government's forthcoming youth policy paper.

According to Loughton, it will differ from previous government strategies that he says were "high in costs but low in actual content for the people that they were intended for".

A youth action group with representatives from large youth organisations is also being set up to inform the development of government policies and their impact on young people in need.