Ofsted report shows 'rapidly improving' youth services
Charlotte Goddard
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Youth services have improved over the past three years and provision for young people is a higher priority for local authorities according to Ofsted.
A report bringing together the findings of 100 youth service inspections between 2005 and 2008 has found that the proportion of youth services judged adequate or better rose over three years, as did the proportion of services graded good for young people's achievement.
While seven services were judged inadequate in 2005 none were in 2008. However none were judged outstanding in 2008 while other years saw one outstanding youth service.
Children's minister Beverley Hughes said the report "paints a picture of rapidly improving youth services around the country".
She added: "But it is also a timely reminder that the good work needs to continue, and that we need to open up evening provision on Friday and Saturday nights if we're going to give young people a serious alternative to crime and anti-social behaviour."
The report recommends that directors of children's services should maximise opportunities to publicly celebrate young people's success, and that youth service managers should encourage the deployment of experienced youth workers in wider settings, and attend to the workforce development needs of part-time youth workers.
It calls on the Department for Children, Schools and Families to better communicate the role youth work plays in young people's education.
