Written evidence submitted by the Youth
Work Stakeholders Group
1. The relationship between universal and
targeted services for young people
There is a strong link between universal and targeted
services. The universal offer enables young people to access the
services they need, whether in a centre based or detached setting.
It is the universal offer that often is the starting point for
a more targeted approach and is the first point of contact for
many young people who need to access youth work services the most.
2. How services for young people can meet
the Government's priorities for volunteering, including the role
of National Citizen Service?
We agree that youth work is well placed to meet the
government's priorities for volunteering and that youth work is
central to the coalition government's aspirations for young people.
3. Which young people access services, what
they want from those services and their role in shaping provision?
Young people from a range of backgrounds and communities
access services. What they access varies according to their age,
personal preferences, location and peer influence. The range is
wide and includes project based work, volunteering, and informal
education and takes place in a variety of settings—centres,
detached and with community partners.
What young people want from these services also varies
enormously, but evidence shows that the most successful services
involve young people in shaping the service, including: decision-making,
planning and evaluation.
4. The relative roles of the voluntary, community,
statutory and private sectors in providing services for young
people
We recognise that a mix of voluntary, community,
statutory and private sector organisations can each have a part
to play in providing services for young people. There are some
services that local authorities are best placed to deliver while
others are well suited to the community and voluntary sector.
It should be noted that local community and voluntary sector groups
are often dependent on local authority funding. There is also
often a strong relationship between those adults who volunteer
to work with young people, and professional youth workers who
provide them with support. The commissioning of services for young
people should be subject to a robust process to allow a range
of organisations to participate.
5. The training and workforce development
needs of the sector
We recognise the vital role that professional youth
workers play in delivering quality youth work to young people
and also in supporting volunteers working with them. We believe
that it is essential to retain the professional status of the
workforce perhaps supported by a continuing professional development
framework.
6. The impact of public sector spending cuts
on funding and commissioning of services, including how available
resources can best be maximised, and whether payment by results
is desirable and achievable
We believe that the public spending cuts have fallen
disproportionately on services for young people. A recent survey
revealed that 95% of the heads of youth services had already reduced
their budgets while 82% of charities are being forced to cut youth
projects because of funding shortages. We believe that a significant
reduction in the funding of youth provision will result in considerable
financial outlay in the long run.
7. How local government structures and statutory
frameworks impact on service provision
We agree that any changes to local government structures
should take into account the needs of the local community. Systems
must be in place to ensure the engagement of all children and
young people, particularly those hardest to reach.
8. How the value and effectiveness of services
should be assessed
We agree that there should be a mechanism for assessing
quality and effectiveness of services, but suggest different methods
of doing so—solutions include the National Youth Agency's
Quality Mark, and other self assessment tools.
December 2010
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