Regional youth work units defiant in the face of cuts

Despite concerns raised in 2010 about the capability of the local authority-funded units to survive, some regional youth work hubs have told CYP Now that they are doing more work than ever before.

In the South West, regional youth work adviser Gill Millar said the area's unit had maintained income levels by continuing to work with local authorities, despite many significantly reducing their youth work budgets.

"We still have good relations with all the local authorities in the region, regardless of whether or not they're directly employing youth workers," said Millar.

"When local authorities go in to a period of change, such as moving to a commissioning arrangement with the voluntary sector or significantly reducing their budget to go into co-production with voluntary organisations, they benefit from the support we give them during the transition process."

Millar said one example of this was helping Somerset County Council scope possible youth work providers in the area, and helping it to deliver a youth innovation zone project that engaged parish and town councils in supporting youth work.

The RYWU has also retained staff by winning Big Lottery contracts and offering membership to voluntary organisations.

"In the past, our only members were local authorities," said Millar. "Although the voluntary organisations provide only a small financial stream, it's a really important way of keeping the youth sector's ownership of the regional youth work unit."

In the North East, the youth work unit has involved more young people in its direct delivery work and has "thrived" as a result, says regional development officer Anna Spencer.

"Young people are much more present in the organisation now, both as project participants, members of staff and being involved in the development of a project from the outset, such as policy writing and funding bids," she said.

Spencer said hundreds of young people are involved with central governance at the North East unit. Positions are mainly voluntary, but the unit does offer some paid positions and progression through the unit to paid posts.

She said the unit had also increased its funding over the past three years by branching into other thematic areas of work, such as mental health and arts and culture.

The involvement of young people has also aided the regional youth work unit in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Miriam Jackson, chief executive of the Yorkshire and the Humber unit, said it has strengthened its youth participation work with the British Youth Council and UK Youth Parliament to stay afloat.

"A lot of organisations that buy into our services are now buying into our youth participation offer rather than things we used to do," says Jackson. "We've slimmed down on strategic support and now we have a whole range of work around youth voice."

Prior to 2010, there were nine regional youth work units in England. Now six remain, with two – including Yorkshire and the Humber – open part-time.