Close NCS to fund local youth work, say campaigners
Nina Jacobs
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
The government's flagship National Citizen Service (NCS) social action programme should be closed or curtailed and its funding used to revive local youth services, a campaign group has said.
In Defence of Youth Work (IDYW) said funding for the scheme, which sees 15- to 17-year-olds take part in a four-week project over the summer holidays or during the spring and autumn school terms, would be better spent developing year-round provision. However, it said the summertime activities could still have a role in year-round provision.
The proposal is one of a 16-point pledge published by the group which is being used in its discussions over developing a future vision for youth services in the UK.
Speaking on behalf of IDYW, academic and youth work consultant Bernard Davies said it was important to recognise anecdotal evidence from young people about the positive experiences NCS had provided them with such as building new friendships.
"It's not a matter of saying this is a useless experience," he said.
However, Davies added that NCS does not provide a wide enough reach for younger age groups in the way that traditional youth services do.
He also criticised a shortfall in places provided under the scheme.
"This is a scheme which has promised a lot more than it's been able to deliver," he said.
Davies also reiterated calls IDYW made in October 2017 for the government to reduce the NCS budget in line with its reduced participation targets.
Davies said research carried out by Unison for the period 2010 to 2016 had calculated that around £380m to £400m was taken out of local authority youth services resulting in youth centre closures and thousands of places lost for young people.
"The government has actually reduced targets for NCS as they are unrealistic but we've not yet heard anything about the budget being reduced appropriately," he said.
"If they reduced the budget by the same percentage you would get almost exactly the amount of money that's been taken out of the youth service," he added.
The government has pledged funding worth £1.2bn for the NCS up to 2020.
An evaluation of the programme published in December found it delivered short-term benefits for participants.
Other proposals in IDYW's 16-point plan include moving the youth work portfolio from the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport back to the Department for Education, reflecting its "integral" role in education.
It also called for the rejuvenation of a "distinctive, state-supported, open-access" youth work provision, and for the JNC pay agreement for local authority youth workers to be "defended and extended".
