THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT … The Future of the Youth Service Karen Witherspoon Shaping the Future of the Youth Service 18 March 2010

THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …

The Future of the Youth Service

Karen WitherspoonShaping the Future of the Youth Service

18 March 2010

THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT … The Future of the Youth Service

1. The Challenges

2. Youth Policy

3. What is Youth Work?

4. Distinctiveness of Youth Work

5. Characteristics and Skills of Youth Work

6. Youth Work – Complementary and Alternative

7. Participative Democracy and Social Justice

8. Planning Framework for Youth Work: A Youth Service Delivery Model


1. Challenges for Youth Work


• Need to get the right Policy to enable us to do the work

• Gain (more) Recognition from Government, Partners and “new” employer for what youth work does, how it does it and why it is done that way

• Influence key players to ensure there is the right Structure within which youth work can flourish

• Ensure that Resources follow to enable us to do the Work


2. Youth Policy


Its Purpose

• articulate a vision of the social contract between government, children and young people

• identify needs and goals that underpin that social contract

• assure there is a co-ordinated approach to tackling youth issues


Overall Aims of a Youth Policy

• Support young people’s active citizenship IN A DYNAMIC SOCIETY

• Support an empowering practice approach to enable young people to grow personally, socially, economically and politically

• Improve the quality of life for ALL young people

• Develop a youth service fit for such purposes


A LEAD FROM EUROPE

Agenda 2020 – Three Grand themes (Forum 21. 2009) that European Youth Policy should address over next 12 years:

- Human Rights and Democracy

- Promotion of cultural diversity

- Social inclusion


We are looking for a Youth Policy Framework that aims to

• create those conditions necessary for learning, opportunity and experience

• that ensures and enables young people to be

- SOCIAL ACTORS OF DEMOCRACY

- FEEL INTEGRATED INTO AND PART OF SOCIETY

- PLAYING AN ACTIVE PART IN BOTH CIVIL SOCIETY AND LABOUR MARKET


In the end we want a POLICY that is

• PRACTICAL• ACTIONABLE

That has

• CLEARLY ARTICULATED GOALS• DESIRED MEASURABLE OUTCOMES


3. Youth Work: What is it?


The Youth Work Act, Ireland (2001 s3) defines youth work as:

“A planned programme of education designed for thepurpose of aiding and enhancing personal and social development of young persons through their voluntary involvement…which is

(a) complementary to their formal, academic and vocational education and training; and

(b) provided primarily by voluntary organisations”


Lifelong Learning UK in its National Occupational Standards publication stated that the key purpose of youth work is to…

“Enable young people to develop holistically, working with them to facilitate their personal, social and educational development, to enable them to develop their voice, influence and place in society and to reach their full potential.”


IT IS EDUCATIONAL AND CONCERNED

WITH PERSONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT


4. The Distinctiveness of the Youth Work approach


• The non compulsory and voluntary involvement of young people who have chosen to engage

• Youth workers value young people for who they are (now)

• A starting point in the relationship with young people that respects that they have the/some power in that relationship

• An approach that prioritises young people as equal citizens


• It has a focus on young people as an individual who functions within a peer network and is set within a wider community and cultural identities

• A view that sees young people as a resource/asset for society

• It is founded on, and wedded to, a trust of relational and associational ways of working with young people

• Youth Work is process and process driven


5. Key characteristics and skills of Youth Work


a. The ability to go into a young person’s environment, their communities, their neighbourhoods with sensitivity, awareness and focus

b. Engage in a critical, relational driven encounter with intentions towards constructive learning and development

c. Use of consensual and voluntaristic mechanisms to achieve objectives - dialogue, bargaining and persuasion instead of enforced compliance

d. Listening and interpreting words and behaviour of young people as individuals and groups

e. Being there

f. Providing a place of sanctuary

g. Appreciation of young people’s value and worth


6. Youth Work: Complementary and Alternative


• Education • School Curriculum• Investing in Health/Health Impacts on

education• Children and Young Person’s Strategy• Cohesion, Sharing and Integration (CSI)• Youth Justice• Regenerating Communities• Arts and Culture• Sports


Education

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PROVIDES A RANGE OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

A contribution to young people becoming skilled and enthusiastic lifelong learners


• NI Schools Curriculum (2007) cites three key goals

- to empower young people to achieve and to make informed and responsible decisions

throughout their lives

- to develop a young person as a contributor to society

- to develop the young person as a contributor to the economy and environment


• Education (Other Skills) Order August 2007

All our children and young people have learning experiences that further develop their skills in

- Thinking- Problem solving- Decision Making- Self Management- Working with Others- Managing Information- Being Creative


• Department of Education – Teacher Education Partnership Handbook

At the heart of becoming a teacher is, above all else, becoming a learner – a lifelong learner. To learn one has to ask questions, of oneself and of others and to know that this process is valued and shared across the school.


• Chief Inspector’s Report (2009) NI Executive

At the centre of all our efforts must be the raising of achievements and standards for children, young people and adult learners, at both PERSONAL and academic levels


As we emerge from conflict and plan for the future, the need to be a learning society is ever more important… and reduce the gap between those who benefit most… and those whose educational achievements are constrained by the poverty of social deprivation, of low aspirations and by challenges of coping with modern society


• DE Strategic Plan 2008/09

Main strategic priorities

- Enable learners to fulfil their potential

(Raising standards, equality of access & tackling the barriers to children’s learning)

- Prepare every learner for life

(Motivating and empowering our young people to contribute positively to society, now and in the future


• Every School a Good School (April 2009)

(Every Youth Setting a Good Setting)

(Every Community a safe and learning community)

• Priorities for Youth Work as part of Education (2009)

- Committed to strengthening the position of

youth work within Education

- More effective links between youth work and formal education


• Our Children and Young People - Our Pledge: A ten year Strategy for Children and Young People 2006-16

“We recognise there are no quick fixes and that meaningful and sustained change will take time… Change in many cases will not always be immediately realisable and will take time to effect.” (Maria Eagle 2006: Foreword)


There are 8 pledges governing the whole strategy and these resonate with the historic core aims andobjectives of the Youth Service

• Whole child approach

• Working in partnership with other adult colleagues

• Emphasis on preventative and early intervention practice

• Involves children and young people in decisions which affect their lives

• Respects the progression of the rights of the child or young person


7. Participative Democracy and Social Justice


• Participative Democracy and Youth Work

Participative democracy is understood to mean the involvement of young people in public decision making, about institutions’ policies and programmes


“Participation and active citizenship is about having the right, the means, the space, the opportunity and the support to participate in and influence decisions and engage in actions and activities so as to contribute to building a better society.”

(Council of Europe 2003)


For youth workers this means we will work to:

- assert the right of young people to participate

- create the means by which they can participate

- create the space and the opportunity and support to participate and influence decisions and engage in actions and activities to make for a better and more dynamic society


It is about encouraging young people to develop critiques of structures, social justice and social change

It is about their POLITICAL LITERACY =Compound of “knowledge, skills and attitudes” Crick (1998)


“The level of frequency of face to face interaction between youth workers and young people means the incentives for trusting and co-operative behaviour are likely to get stronger.” (Michael Edwards 2004)


• Social Justice

“Social Justice is the fair distribution of opportunities, rewards and responsibilities in society. Principles and institutions for the distribution of meaningful social goods – income, shelter, food, health, education, and freedom to pursue individual goals.”

(McLaughlin and Muncie 2001)


- Linked to the equality agenda

- Provides a rights based framework for youth work that

“…indicates that this approach can changeboth how young people are viewed, and in terms of how they view themselves within power relations in society”


The Educational nature of youth work is characterised by a specific value system relating to social justice and this is what distinguishes us from other approaches to learning.

The Youth Work focus is on LEARNING FOR ACTION


8. Planning Framework and Model of Delivery



• Personal and social development of young people in their social contextWhat is important for the youth worker is to see the young person in their social context at the heart of the work

It is our task to ensure

- Young people are heard- Young people participate- Young people can help build/ rebuild their communities


• Universal Services – opportunities for leisure and non-formal educational experiences for all young people

Children and Young People Ten-year Strategy (Forward) – ‘Our Children and Young People Our Pledge’

“to produce improved outcomes for ALL children and young people… this will mean the provision of high quality universal services, supported by more targeted responses for those who fare worst… (so that all our children and young people can be helped) to make positive contributions to their local communities and to society generally.”


In the report “A Good Childhood: Searching for Values in a Competitive Age (Children’s Society 2009) there are a number of recommendations

“A high quality youth centre for every 5,000 young people”


Characteristics of this work include

• quality activities• self programming groups• community development• civic participation• local forums• active peace and reconciliation groups• participating young people• young people having fun


Outcomes

- development of ‘thinking skills’ and personal capabilities

- increased understanding for health and well being- enhanced employability- motivated, skilled, flexible young people- contributing young people- enhanced civic development


• Early Intervention

Support for young people who may not involvethemselves in or connect with the universal services


Characterised by

• Localised problem solving• Civic dialogue• Overcoming barriers to training• Education• Employment• Advocacy• Cultural exchanges• Collective action• Locating self• Self help


Outcomes

- ability to reflect on, and respond to, their developing concept of self (including managing emotions and reactions to ongoing life experiences)

- skills development

- enhanced personal responsibility

- consideration of others


• Prevention/Specialist - planned interventions services

Represents support to individuals, groups of young people, families where there are more serious problems being presented or young people who cannot be reached through previous levels.

The youth work intervention is planned and needs driven


Characteristics

• creating safe environment• sign posting• befriending• counselling• inter-agency working


Outcomes

- skills development

- increased self esteem

- awareness of others

- decision making skills

- recognise, assess and manage risk in a range of real- life contexts

- respond to the specific challenges and opportunities which diversity and inclusion present


• Targeted Intervention Services – interventions into the lives of young people who require help at a time of acute need


Characterised by

• counselling

• mentoring

• engagement

• personal and social development processes

• support

• inter-agency collaboration


Outcomes

- Evaluate their own performance and that of others

- recognise and manage risk and apply safe principles

- reduced level of crisis

- self help skills

- Developing skills of self awareness, coping and learning skills


“To encourage personal development, social and political education, shaped in partnership with young people, based on learning from experience in safe and enjoyable environments and driven by the desire for social justice and a participative democracy.”

(Youth Service Sectoral Partnership Group 2009)



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THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT … The Future of the Youth Service Karen Witherspoon Shaping the Future of the Youth Service 18 March 2010