Youth (Services and Provisions) Bill (HC Bill 221)

1 Duty to promote and secure youth services

(1) It shall be a duty of the Secretary of State to promote and secure youth services
and provision.

(2) In connection with that duty the Secretary of State shall appoint a National
5Youth Board.

(3) The National Youth Board shall include representatives of—

(a) organisations that represent young people and youth workers,

(b) youth work providers, and

(c) local authorities.

(4) 10The responsibilities of the National Youth Board are—

(a) to advise the Secretary of State on the development of professional and
service standards for youth services in England;

(b) to receive reports from local youth partnerships;

(c) to advise the Secretary of State on the adequacy of resources available
15for local youth partnerships and for the provision of relevant youth
activities in England.

2 Youth services and local youth partnerships

(1) Each relevant local authority shall—

(a) establish a local youth partnership, and

(b) 20ensure that youth services and youth facilities are provided in
accordance with the youth strategy set by that local youth partnership.

(2) The purposes of youth services and youth facilities shall be to—

(a) improve the personal and social development of young people,

(b) increase the involvement of young people in relevant youth activities
and local decision-making, and

(c) 5help young people realise their full potential and play a full part in the
community.

(3) Youth services and youth facilities may be provided by—

(a) a local authority;

(b) a voluntary organisation;

(c) 10a community organisation;

(d) any other person or organisation.

(4) For the purposes of this Act, organisations in subsection (3) that provide youth
service and youth facilities within the area of a relevant local authority are
“providers”.

(5) 15A local youth partnership shall include—

(a) young people resident within the area of the local authority,

(b) parents and guardians of those young people,

(c) youth councils and other groups representing young people,

(d) providers, and

(e) 20local councillors or other representatives of the local authority.

3 Youth strategies

(1) A youth strategy shall include—

(a) a description of relevant youth activities for the purposes of achieving
the objectives of the youth strategy,

(b) 25analysis of youth services and youth facilities in the area and steps to
be taken to increase such provision where appropriate,

(c) steps to be taken to increase the participation in youth activities of
young people who would be least likely to so participate but for the
provisions of this Act,

(d) 30steps to be taken to increase the availability and use of youth services
and youth facilities, and

(e) steps to ensure that due account is taken of best practice of other local
authorities and voluntary bodies wherever practicable.

(2) In preparing a youth strategy a local youth partnership shall have regard for
35the desirability of—

(a) young people participating in the specification, governance, delivery
and scrutiny of youth services;

(b) enabling and encouraging young people to set up and run their own
activities and organisations;

(c) 40ensuring young people have access to appropriate information, advice
and counselling;

(d) enabling and encouraging young people to increase their active
community involvement, including in community service and projects
to promote active citizenship;

(e) 45assisting young people to maximise education and employment
opportunities;

(f) promoting equal opportunities and a greater understanding of cultural
diversity;

(g) encouraging international visits by young people;

(h) promoting creativity and participation in cultural activities and the
5arts;

(i) promoting participation in sport;

(j) co-operating with other public bodies in the interests of young people.

(3) A local youth partnership shall revise its youth strategy at least every three
years.

(4) 10In revising its youth strategy, a local youth partnership shall have regard to—

(a) its monitoring and evaluation work,

(b) reports published by other local youth partnerships, and

(c) the views of young people.

(5) A local youth partnership shall publish each youth strategy in a manner it
15considers appropriate to bring it to the attention of interested persons and
organisations.

4 Monitoring and evaluation

(NONE) A local youth partnership shall—

(a) monitor and evaluate the performance of youth services and youth
20facilities with regards to its youth strategy and the provisions of this
Act,

(b) incorporate the views of young people in that monitoring and
evaluation,

(c) prepare an annual monitoring and evaluation report,

(d) 25submit each such report to the National Youth Board, and

(e) publish each such report in a manner it considers appropriate to bring
it to the attention of interested persons and organisations.

5 Youth service workers

(1) A relevant local authority shall take reasonable steps to ensure—

(a) 30a sufficient number of persons are available to work in youth services,

(b) those persons are suitably qualified, and

(c) appropriate training is provided for those persons .

(2) The Secretary of State may by regulations prescribe the meaning of “suitably
qualified” for the purposes of this section.

(3) 35Regulations under this section may make different provision for different
purposes.

(4) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section is subject to
annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(5) The Secretary of State shall, from time to time, review the exercise of his or her
40powers under this section.

6 Interpretation

(NONE) In this Act—

• a “relevant local authority” is —

  (a)

  in England , and

  (b)

  5a county council or a unitary authority;

• “unitary authority” has the same meaning as in section 105 of the Anti-
  social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014;

• “young people” means—

  (a)

  any person aged at least 13 years but less than 19 years, and

  (b)

  10any person aged at least 11 years but less than 26 years who in
  the opinion of the local youth partnership requires the support
  of youth services.

7 Financial provisions

(NONE) There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament—

(a) 15any expenditure incurred by the Secretary of State by virtue of this Act, and

(b) any increase attributable to this Act in the sums payable by virtue of any other
Act out of money so provided.

8 Short title, commencement and extent

(1) This Act may be cited as the Youth (Services and Provisions) Act 2018.

(2) 20This Act (other than this section) comes into force on such day as the Secretary
of State may by regulations appoint.

(3) The power to make regulations under this section is exercisable by statutory
instrument.

(4) This Act extends to England and Wales only.