NYA warns integrated services could see youth work diminish

Fiona Blacke said youth work could disappear as local authorities move towards more integrated working in children and young people's services.

"In the last few years local authorities have become strategic drivers," said Blacke.

"Connexions has gone, the Learning and Skills Council will go. Local authorities will be drivers and commissioners of all nought-to-19 provision. If we're not clear about youth work and what it can do then youth work will disappear as a distinct profession. We have to articulate what youth work brings to the integrated services agenda."

Blacke warned local authorities against a blurring of provision between childhood and adolescence.

"I hope there is a recognition of youth and young people in their own right," she said.

She also warned against criminalising young people through raising the age of compulsory participation in education, employment or training to 18, saying in conversations with senior civil servants it had been recognised there was nothing in the youth offer that would address young people in this situation. "It is the system that can fail young people," she said.

"But the people we punish for failing to thrive in education is not the system, it's the young people. What we don't want to see is an additional 210,000 criminalised young people."

Blacke said she saw the role of The NYA as a champion for youth work wherever it is delivered - not just for youth workers or local authority youth services.

"The NYA has to campaign but it has to do it on the right issues and not all the time. I don't think our role is to constantly moan. I'm going to choose battlegrounds carefully and fight them, but also support government when it's trying hard."