When I was first confronted with the question, he did not appear to take kindly to my retort: "It all depends on whom I am working with."
I went on to point out that rarely did I know this, or could I plan this, in advance. Young people turned up; I tailored my practice according to my reading of their character, aspirations, circumstances, wants and needs.
To the unknowing onlooker or those obsessive about outcomes, I concede this can look and sound rather "wishy washy". In these days of tight control of public resources and the prevailing requirement to demonstrate value for money by specifying results, youth work is in some difficulty. But the quest for measurable and persuasive outcomes is something akin to seeking the holy grail. We might also invoke the story of The Emperor's New Clothes for those who proclaim they have found the answer.
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