OPINION: Editorial - A proper role for faith-based workers

It isn't a coincidence. Youth workers employed by Christian organisations are now much more likely to be professionally qualified than they were 10 years ago, with the same JNC endorsement as their public sector counterparts.

This rapprochement between two worlds that have traditionally regarded each other with suspicion has led to calls for more joint work and even closer partnerships. The Church, along with other faiths, is as much a part of the fabric of our society as the publicly funded agencies that undertake and support work with young people. And if we are truly to overcome the disengagement that blights the life chances of so many young people, then faith organisations have to have a role. The manpower and commitment that they can bring to bear is too great a resource to pass up.