Big Interview: No apologies for change

Connexions is one of the most high-profile embodiments of Tony Blairs much-vaunted joined-up government. Yet it is the subject of much cynicism in the youth work sector. So Roger King, chief executive of Connexions London West, which went live last September, is well aware that a lot now hangs on him and his counterparts around the country being able to give some reality to the rhetoric.We are trying to link up lots of different organisations that were quite isolated from each other, says King, who spent his early career in the probation service and left his most recent job as managing director of community interventions at the Youth Justice Board to take up the Connexions post. We are investing in services for young people in a way that they never have been before, and that is a real challenge.The main criterion for the success of Connexions is a reduction in the numbers of 16 to 19-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training. However, Connexions has its roots in an agenda of social inclusion and a reduction in levels of crime, substance misuse, teenage pregnancy and other results of disaffection. Every 13 to 19-year-old in England is supposed to have access to a Connexions personal advisor (PA), who can offer advice and guidance not just on careers and training, but everything from housing to drug and alcohol issues.The privatised Careers Service is one of the main legs of Connexions, with careers advisers being retrained to take on the role of PAs. However, if that was all there was to it then Connexions would fall far short of the goal. The PAs coordinate help from schools, health education, drug action teams, youth justice and other local authority services. It will also involve the private sector and voluntary organisations. Given the task, the planned 220 PAs for the estimated 110,000 teenagers in west London hardly seems enough. We will only get extra cash once weve been able to demonstrate results, King states. However, the issue of demonstrating results is at the root of many of the criticisms of Connexions. With a big emphasis on targets, monitoring and measurement, many youth workers fear the work they do with young people is in danger of sliding down the priority ladder as they become saddled with filing reports. King is unapologetic. Collecting and filing data every week on the young people PAs deal with will form a major part of their role, he says. We need to have good working data.He feels Connexions represents a big opportunity for youth services. There is new investment, but there are also requirements. I think there has been a reluctance among some youth workers to grasp that. They have been doing good work, but they have been relatively autonomous and now they will have to meet targets, says King. It is hard, but the majority of people are coming on board. Some will call it a day. But we have to move forward.Even if King realises his goal of having 220 PAs for west London in post by the end of January, that does not mean services for young people will instantly work perfectly together. When you ask people to do different work, theres training to do and a change in the culture. So were asking for patience, he says.We have got 12 million and I am determined it will make a difference. On its own it is not a lot. But if you add that to all the other spending on young people the figure is enormous. If we can get that working then we can achieve something positive. There is a real danger in saying Connexions is going to provide everything. Were only the cement in the wall, not the bricks.www.connexions.gov.ukwww.connexions-londonwest.comFYI- Connexions London West launched in Sept 2002 - It covers the London boroughs of Hillingdon, Harrow, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Brent and Hounslow - The budget for 2003/04 is 12 million-It will fund 220 personal advisors to serve the esti-mated 110,000 13 to 19-year-olds in the area.Local authorities will provide 90, 12 will come from the voluntary sector, the rest from the Careers Service