By far the biggest bone of contention is the proposal to establish opportunity cards. Most green paper responses seen by Young People Now have expressed major doubts about the viability of the scheme. The Community and Youth Workers' Union (CYWU) has been particularly critical of the proposal, and especially of the plan to suspend or withdraw cards for young people whose behaviour is deemed "unacceptable". "We are unable to support the potentially hugely costly and ineffective proposal for an opportunity card with sanctions attached," it says in its response. "A card linked to sanctions ... is a costly disaster waiting to happen."
Question marks
The National Youth Agency believes many questions remain over how the cards will work in practice and is keen to see further evidence of what the scheme is trying to achieve. It also casts doubts over the proposal to withdraw cards for bad behaviour.
Many youth workers and young people share these concerns. Marty Togher, youth development worker at Activities for Health in Newcastle, says: "Opportunity cards might be tangible to the media and culturally friendly but they won't do anything for the young people we work with. Fear of losing their card won't prevent them striking out at someone or breaching an antisocial behaviour order, or even getting one in the first place."
Youth cabinet members of Make Space, an after-school initiative run by 4Children, have fears about the cards including their addresses and potentially being used as a monitoring tool. Many were concerned about whether some families would be able to afford to top up the cards. Sapphire, 16, a youth cabinet member, says: "If you have to pay to top it up, it's no good. It's like they're a trick by the Government to keep a closer eye on us."
The issue of funding, and in particular the lack of it, features highly in the responses seen by Young People Now. Although Youth Matters talks about providing extra money through initiatives such as the opportunity fund and by handing further responsibility for budgets to local authorities, there are few firm commitments on funding.
This is something that has not gone unnoticed in Hampshire County Youth Service's provisional green paper response. "There is a credibility gap between the green paper's aspirations for what might be achieved for young people and the funding available," it notes.
Tom Wylie, chief executive of The National Youth Agency, adds that while the promised capital investment in the paper is welcome, the figures are small. He says: "Substantial investment is needed in the next spending review."
While questions remain over funding, the proposed changes to information, advice and guidance have been well received and many consultations have supported the decision to look at new ways to deliver such services. One online survey carried out by the British Youth Council found that only 46 per cent of young people said Connexions was the ideal place for information, advice and guidance services, compared with 60 per cent who said the internet and 47 per cent who said school (see survey, top right).
The National Association of Connexions Partnerships, however, has doubts about separating out universal information, advice and guidance from targeted support. "Support services are often stigmatising for young people, many of whom need personal support to use their information, advice and guidance well," the association says in its response. "Loss of impartiality, as well as inconsistency, seems inevitable if some schools and colleges commission information, advice and guidance."
Plans to change information, advice and guidance have also won the backing of specialist agencies. Sexual health charity fpa believes Youth Matters provides a "significantly improved framework" for sex and relationship education and sexual health services for young people. It specifically welcomes pledges made in the section Supporting Choices: Information, Advice and Guidance that say young people will be supported to negotiate issues around sexual relationships and sexual health. But it adds: "We are keen to hear more detail about how these plans will be implemented."
Support in principle
On the issue of health, drug information service DrugScope believes that the proposal to introduce so-called health MOTs for young people needs to be fleshed out. It is particularly keen to find out how often these MOTs will be followed up, how those carrying out the assessments will be trained and how issues such as confidentiality will be addressed in the light of information sharing between agencies.
But the charity is disappointed that the paper contains no mention of young carers. "Young people whose parents use illegal drugs often become carers for siblings and parents," the charity says in its response. "Their access to leisure and positive activities is even more curtailed than some other vulnerable groups."
The youth justice field has also expressed fears about the interests of vulnerable young people being overlooked. Crime-reduction charity Nacro believes the green paper does not adequately address the needs of young people who have already offended and groups such as young refugees who are at greater risk of getting into trouble with the police. It goes on to say much of the activity described in the green paper "may not be accessible by those young people who are hardest to reach".
But the charity does welcome the emphasis in the paper on empowering young people to shape local services.
Providing young people with things to do and giving them a say in the running of services are two of the key messages in YMCA England's response.
It argues that more investment is needed to ensure facilities are high quality and accessible to all young people. "There is a pressing need for substantial investment in safe places to go," the charity says. "While it is envisaged many positive activities will take place in extended schools, the Government must ensure the provision of space for those young people who would rather not access activities in schools."
It will also argue that participation work must become the norm, not the exception: "All young people must be involved in decision-making and should be given real responsibility for planning and management of services."
Young People Now has produced a manifesto based on the responses it has received and plans to send the comments through to Beverley Hughes, minister for children, young people and families (see above). Just how the Government intends to use this feedback and the many thousands of comments it has received remains to be seen.
YOUTH SECTOR
To: Beverley Hughes
Subject: Youth Matters consultation
Cc: Maria Eagle, Richard Caborn, Hazel Blears
Dear Beverley, Young People Now has put together the following manifesto based on the youth sector's response to Youth Matters
- Sufficient funding should be allocated to support the aims of Youth Matters
- Significant research should be conducted into the financial and practical viability of opportunity cards
- Sanctions should not be attached to opportunity cards
- Youth services must be allowed to continue to offer places to go for young people and provide a safe and supportive environment
- Local authorities should have a clear duty to provide sufficient opportunities for young people
- The Secretary of State for Education should use the power to intervene if a local authority fails in its duty
- Ring-fenced money for the voluntary sector must be retained under children's trusts
- Young people should play a truly active role in all levels of decision-making about services that affect them
- A workforce development strategy tailored to the needs of the sector should be established to address staff shortages
- Providers of information, advice and guidance services must continue to be held clearly accountable
BRITISH YOUTH COUNCIL ONLINE SURVEY
38% said the youth club was the most popular place for meeting their friends, compared with 61 per cent who said cafes and 48 per cent who said local parks
55% said friends were the best place for advice on issues such as sex and health, compared with 48 per cent who said the internet and 41 per cent who said local youth groups or councils
60% said web sites or email was the most popular way to tell councils what they think about activities, compared with 55 per cent who said youth groups and 53 per cent who said attend a meeting
46% said Connexions was the ideal place for information, advice and guidance services, compared with 47 per cent who said schools and 60 per cent who said the internet
- The results are based on 165 responses to the British Youth Council's online survey. All the young people who responded were 13- to 26-year-olds. The responses came from across the UK.
