THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY: Measuring personal development throughyouth work

The Framework for the Development of Young People has been developed and piloted within The NYA's Neighbourhood Support Fund (NYA-NSF) programme and is the result of collaboration with the Young Adult Learners Partnership.

The focus of NSF is the re-integration of disengaged young people with education, training and employment and the framework, therefore, is targeted at some of the hardest to reach young people.

"Youth work has long been effective in helping these young people to make and recognise progression but we have been less good at recording and evidencing that progress - personal and social development has proved notoriously difficult to identify and quantify," said Hazel Malcolm, NSF team manager at The NYA.

The Agency is seeking nominations from projects interested in working to develop the tool further. Those involved in the trial will receive a free copy of the Framework and will be included in information networks about future developments. They will be expected to trial the approach with at least two young people and to complete and return a Review Sheet by the end of July 2003. An introductory half-day event will be held for participating projects if there is sufficient demand, although the materials aim to be self-explanatory.

The trial will also encompass a number of other settings in which developmental work with young people takes place, such as schools, probation services, hostels and social services.

- Further details including an 'Expression of Interest' form are available from NYA development officers Wendy Flint (email: wendyf@nya.org.uk) or Carol Jackson (email: carolj@nya.org.uk) on 0116 285 3700.