“Inspiring Services, Improving Futures”

www.chyps.org.uk

Thematic Discussion Paper

Young People and Communities

Introduction

“Locally-commissioned detached and centre-based youth work and youth workers make

a vital contribution to the lives of many young people – helping engage them in their

communities and supporting their personal and social development through informal

learning. This is particularly true for those young people who don’t get the support or

opportunities they need from their family or community.” - Extract from Positive for

Youth:

Young people are an integral part of active and sustainable communities in which

everyone is valued and can play their full part. However, we recognise that young people

and the wider community are often seen as two separate entities with specific needs and

challenges, at times seen as being in opposition to each other and creating a ‘them and us’ culture.

The challenge is to reverse this perception and promote a sense of pride in the

community and its people. Good youth and community work provides an opportunity to

contribute to developing communities where people are justifiably proud of where they

live, learn, work and play. And where the overall aim includes a commitment to create

communities where people respect and celebrate differences, their circumstances as well

as valuing each others’ contributions; with young people as part of the solution and not

the problem.

In the current economic climate, we need to ensure the delivery of services which equip

and enable communities to value young people and the contribution they can make. This

calls into the question the ability of agencies to engage with young people as members

of our communities able to grow and develop as real active contributors. We are pushing

at an open door; it is entirely possible to work with young people within a community

setting because the rationale and scope of the duty within Positive for Youth.

The Rationale and scope of the LA duty within Positive for Youth includes:

1. “With the right supportive relationships, strong ambitions and good opportunities all

young people can realise their potential and be positive and active members of society.

Most get these from and through their families and friends, their school or college and

their wider community enabling them to do well and to prepare for adult life. All young

people benefit from additional opportunities and support, but some young people and

their families, particularly the most disadvantaged and vulnerable, need specific

additional and early help to address their challenges and realise their potential.”

2. It is therefore local authorities’ duty to secure, so far is reasonably practicable,

equality of access for all young people to the positive, preventative and early help they

need to improve their well-being. This includes youth work and other services and

activities that:

a. Connect young people with their communities, including through volunteering, and

supporting them to have a voice in decisions which affect their lives;

b. Offer young people opportunities in safe environments to take part in a wide range of

activities, through which they can develop a strong sense of belonging and develop

relationships with adults they trust;

c. Support the personal and social development of young people through which they

build the capabilities they need for learning, work, and the transition to adulthood;

“Inspiring Services, Improving Futures”

www.chyps.org.uk

d. Help those young people at risk of dropping out of learning or not achieving their full

potential to engage and attain in education or training.

So what are the challenges that face us in relation to young people and

communities and what should we be striving for in youth support services?

1. To be clear about what and how we contribute to key agendas including troubled

families, worklessness, community safety, health, regeneration & skills; and to

ensure that youth & community workers have appropriate and relevant skill sets to

respond to the new agendas

2. To work in partnership with the voluntary and community sector to further develop

their abilities to respond to need including supporting them to secure commissioned

provision; including where local voluntary and community sector have a greater

understanding of their community than larger national organisations.

3. To improve how we listen to young people and communities, identify and evidence

need, and ensure quality practice and service is recognised and understood not only

by young people and communities, but by our partners including wider children’s

services, schools and education, police, health and regeneration.

4. Also raising the awareness of our contribution to communities with elected members,

mayors, police and crime commissioners, and promoting our role in community

cohesion and areas of social unrest, clear about our impact in this area of work.

5. Overall, to learn to frame youth and community work in an outcomes and impact

model to demonstrate that youth and community work is worth investing in.

In conclusion:

There are those in the profession who see themselves as youth workers and not youth &

community workers. Recent training has focussed on youth and not the wider role.

However, it is naive to think that youth and community do not go together, working with

young people within a community setting. The government has set a clear agenda

around ‘family’ and local authorities have set clear directions around integrated

approaches. If we are not clear about our role in ‘targeted work’ in a youth and

community approach, why are we here?

Recent initiatives and the Positive for Youth guidance gives youth support services an

opportunity to play a pivotal role. History informs us that the needs of young people and

communities do not go away, they are often just re-branded. The needs of young people

often stem from wider core issues that communities face. To ignore these core issues

results in short term medicine as opposed to cure. In response we need to promote our

role in enabling young people and communities in an outcomes- based framework, if we

are take the ‘bull by the horn’ and meet the challenges above.

Questions:

Is youth work in community settings carried out in your authority?

If yes, please give examples especially where you are effectively able to demonstrate

outcome and impact

If no, what areas of work in your authorities could youth work in community settings

benefit from?

Ketan Gandhi CHYPS Executive; October 2012