Policy in practice: Wise up on... lead professionals

It was the Youth Matters green paper in 2005 that introduced the youth work world to the concept of the "lead professional". The proposal was included under the Reforming Targeted Support section of the document and followed mentions in the Every Child Matters proposals in 2003. But all has gone relatively quiet about this since then, suggesting that few youth workers have embraced the concept in quite the way the government had hoped.

The concept of the lead professional itself is quite straightforward. When a young person comes into contact with multiple services, one professional is supposed to take charge and make sure their individual needs are being met. They act as a single point of contact, helping to prevent the young person being pushed from pillar to post and having to deal with all manner of professionals from different disciplines.