Effective Youth Services (OFSTED)
- Young people are involved in planning, executing and evaluating the activities
- Opportunities for accreditation are supported and encouraged
- There is a sense of fun and enjoyment in the work
- There are opportunities for young people to work independently, use their initiative and acquire a sense of responsibility towards themselves and their community
- There is a wide range of activities, including recreational, artistic and creative, sporting and intellectual
- Activities are inclusive and encourage regular, high levels of participation
Youth Work Practice
- Sessions are well prepared and planned within the framework of an overall service curriculum
- Experienced, skilled workers know their areas and the young people well
- Workers make good use of specialist staff and partnership working
- Good relationships are based on mutual respect, with boundaries set and observed
- Thoroughly evaluated sessions are linked to good forward planning
- There is strong support and guidance from service managers
- Resources and accommodation are sufficient and of good quality
Project Work is effective when:
- There is a disciplined focus on methodology and assessment
- Focus on specific topic or targeted group of young people
- Programmes are based on identified needs of the young people involved
- Young people are involved in determining and reviewing the programmed
- Young people can articulate the benefits of involvement in the project
- Leading to some form of accreditation
- Workers are well qualified and experienced in the activities used in the project, and specialists are used appropriately
Centre Based Work works best when:
- Workers are imaginative and ambitious
- Planned work goes beyond providing routine, recreational activities
- Gives young people a safe place where they can meet friends, relax, have fun and enjoy a range of stimulating and challenging recreational and other activities
- Young people’s needs are thoroughly identified and met and youth workers make efforts to measure the progress young people are making
- Youth workers challenge as well as support young people
- Youth workers ensure that young people have the opportunity to discuss issues that affect them
- Young people are actively involved in running their centre and planning and evaluating the work
- Young people are encouraged to gain accreditation
Detached Youth Work is effective when:
- Effective systems to record evidence of young people’s achievement and measure their progress are in place
- The best work is usually seen when youth workers have worked with the young people for some time to establish continuity and build up trust
- Young people have gained knowledge, skills and confidence through their contact with youth workers
- Youth workers establish boundaries with young people but remain flexible and allow themselves to be challenged
- Youth workers give young people good advice and information, and act as advocates for them in the local community
- Young people play an active part in determining the content of the work
Information, Advice and Counselling work best when:
- Young people can describe how the workers have helped them to acquire knowledge, skills and confidence
- Workers have built trusting relationships with young people over a period of time
- Workers use open-ended questions effectively
- Workers have good understanding of young people’s needs
- Workers check that young people understand the information given and any agreements made
- Workers keep appropriate records of all interventions
EVIDENCE, EVIDENCE, EVIDENCE!!
- Youth Service Curriculum: do workers understand and use it?
- Does it inform work plans (long term and session planning)?
- Are there written plans for all units?
- Is youth work recorded effectively?
- Does the service have accurate data about the young people with whom it works?
- Are recorded and accredited outcomes recorded and monitored?
- Is young people’s [progress assessed?
- Is youth work practice observed?
- Is young people’s feedback and evaluation of programmes recorded and acted upon?
- Can workers and young people articulate the benefits of youth work programme.
Learning South West, Regional Youth work Unit – Helping Youth Work Work