New report highlights difference youth work makes in Scotland

Date: 12th July 2017
Category: Policies & procedures

A new interim report released by Youthlink details the progress that has been made in youth work since the launch of the National Youth Work Strategy in 2014.

The report marks three years since the launch of the National Youth Work Strategy and highlights successes that have been made in the five ambitions for improving the life chances of young people in Scotland that were originally outlined in the 2014 strategy. The ambitions are:

• Ensure Scotland is the best place to be young and grow up
• Put young people at the heart of government policy
• Recognise the value of youth work
• Build the workforce capacity
• Measure the impact of youth work
• Successes highlighted in the report include:
• Young Scot co-design unit has been established with over 3000 young people involved in consultations around policy.

- Education Governance: Next Steps - Empowering Our Teachers, Parents and Communities to Deliver Excellence and Equity for Our Children recognises the desire of children and young people to see closer engagement between their schools and community following consultation by Young Scot in partnership with Children in Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament.
- The launch of the National Youth Work Strategy in April 2014 by the Minister for Children and Young People and parliamentary debate demonstrated cross-party support.
- The youth work sector has supported and developed joint training tools and initiatives with NHS Scotland, Police Scotland, Scottish Prison Service, Scotland's Colleges, Creative Scotland, British Council and many others. This has involved many opportunities for joint-training and CPD development for youth workers and practitioners from other professions
- Youth Work Strategy Stakeholder Reference Group has begun a process of impact evaluating the National Youth Work Strategy

• Read the full interim report here.
• Read the 2014 National Youth Work Strategy here.