1. 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

2. 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
“Inspiring Services, Improving Futures”
www.chyps.org.uk