Editorial: Time for some youth work ground rules

Former youth worker Tony Taylor began the discussion in his open letter In Defence of Youth Work, which essentially argues that youth work has lost its way under Labour (see p24). This was shortly followed by De Montfort University professors Bernard Davies and Bryan Merton expressing their concerns in the inquiry document Squaring the Circle that youth work's core principles are in danger of being eroded.

At the heart of both arguments lie the questions: what precisely is youth work and who should be able to call themselves youth workers? Many youth work academics have grappled with the characteristics that make youth work separate from professions such as teaching. At the core of many of these arguments are young people engaging in activities voluntarily and the workers having the freedom to enter into friendships with young people. But there's never been an agreed set description of what constitutes youth work. The same is true of the role of the worker.