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.
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