He maintained that, if he moved more firmly into the coercive camp, there would be no space for young people to engage voluntarily with youth workers.
He described his relationship with the local youth offending team. Yes, he would take referrals from them, but on his professional terms. In essence, this meant he wasn't prepared to report to them should the young people referred to him fail to attend and therefore, in youth offending terms, be in breach of their community sentence conditions. These were conditions set within the youth justice system; they were not part of my colleague's youth work practice. I countered that at least he was prepared to engage with the youth offending team, something other colleagues are often reticent to do.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
