Youth Work: Policy context

Analysis by the Commons home affairs committee published last year found that councils spent nearly £1bn less in real terms on youth services in 2018/19 than they did in 2010. Operating on dramatically reduced resources has not only seen councils slim down their youth work provision, but increasingly focus what little they have on interventions targeted at young people most in need of support. This has resulted in the amount spent on universal services – provision that is open to all young people – fall from 55 to 43 per cent of the total youth work budget since 2011 (see Bernard Davies expert view). Over the same period, spending on targeted provision has risen from 37 to 57 per cent of the overall budget (see graphics). The shift has raised concerns among some youth work experts that targeted provision is seen as a short-term fix for a range of social problems rather than investing in long-term relationships with young people through informal education (see ADCS view).