Merger must signal era of united youth work voice

The merger of the Confederation of Heads of Young People's Services (Chyps) with youth charity Ambition very much encapsulates the seismic changes that have taken place in youth services over the past four years.

Youth work has taken the brunt of cuts imposed on local authority children's services due to the public spending austerity drive, to the point where many councils' ability to fund and deliver a comprehensive range of services for young people has become untenable considering the pressures elsewhere in the system. Faced with the dilemma of having to cut youth services and jobs while ensuring they meet their statutory duty to ensure a local youth offer exists, authorities have looked at alternative ways for provision to be delivered. This has seen an increasing number turn to the voluntary and community sector (VCS) to deliver support programmes targeted at specific vulnerable groups to supplement – and in some cases totally replace – their own provision.