The past decade was largely one of decline for youth work. A huge reduction in funding for councils led to deep cuts in services, staff and facilities resulting in some parts of the country relying on a skeleton service.
Thousands of young people have lost valuable youth clubs; venues where they could hang out with friends and talk to skilled workers about life’s challenges – while at the other end of the spectrum, the loss of provision has been highlighted by campaigners and criminal justice experts as a key factor in the recent rise in serious youth violence.
Last year, the upsurge in violent and gang-related offending prompted action by policymakers to recognise the valuable role youth work plays in supporting development in adolescents. Significant additional government funding to invest in new and existing youth service infrastructure – including the workforce – suggests the tide is turning for the sector.
A government review of statutory guidance will clarify what services local authorities must provide when findings are published later this year, while a review of youth work qualifications will set out new routes into the profession and the skills for youth workers in the future.
A rejuvenated sector will need to help young people through emerging challenges such as use of social media, the threat of gangs and mental health problems. Some youth workers will be doing this from mutual organisations they own a stake in, while the battle to retain open-access provision – in addition to that targeted at those most in need – will remain.
CYP Now’s special report on youth work identifies latest research, summarises key developments in policy and highlights three examples of innovative youth work provision.
Click on the links below for more:
Research Evidence
- Introduction by Leigh Middleton, chief executive, National Youth Agency
- ‘It’s a no-win scenario, either the police or a gang will get you’ Young People and Organised Crime – Vulnerable or Criminal?
- Youth Work in Schools in Wales – full report
- Evaluation of Right Here: A Young People’s Mental Health Initiative of the Paul Hamlyn and Mental Health Foundations
Practice Examples
