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THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
Maurice Devlin
(NUI Maynooth)
The Purpose and Outcomes of Youth Work
25 November 2009
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
• Starting point: purpose and outcomes
inextricably linked – or should be!
• (Intended) outcomes an expression/enactment of
purpose
• The purpose of youth work is above all else
educational and developmental
• “Youth work’s primary concern is with the
education of young people in non-formal
settings, and education is by definition a planned,
purposeful and conscious process (whereas
“learning” may or may not be planned and
purposeful, and may or may not be conscious).”
(National Youth Work Development Plan, 2003)
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
• Definition from Youth Work Act (RoI) 2001
• Youth work is…a planned programme of
education designed for the purpose of aiding and
enhancing the 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.’ [s. 3]
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
• Youth Work: A Model for Effective Practice (2003)
• “Personal and social development is concerned
with the young person gaining knowledge,
understanding and awareness of him/herself as
an individual and as an active participant in
relationships with others…..Personal and social
development is an expansive term which must be
adapted to the constantly changing
circumstances of young people. Cultural,
economic and political changes challenge youth
workers to respond with skilled interventions and
carefully planned programmes…”
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
• Youth Work in RoI recently integrated within the Office of
the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA)
• Work of OMCYA in general guided by An Agenda for
Children’s Services (2007):
• Agenda aims for every child to be:
– Healthy, both physically and mentally;
– Supported in active learning;
– Safe from accidental and intentional harm;
– Economically secure;
– Secure in the immediate and wider physical
environment;
– Part of positive networks of family, friends, neighbours
and the community;
– Included and participating in society.
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
• In youth work, lead on standards has been taken by the
Assessor of Youth Work (formally in Department of
Education, now within OMCYA)
• Quality Standards Framework (QSF) piloted 2007-2009
with Vocational Education Committees, local groups and
projects and national organisations
• Developed in consultation with the sector; overseen by
steering group comprising members of National Youth Work
Advisory Committee (NYWAC) and external experts
• Structure: 5 overarching principles; and 18 statements
(“standards”) to be achieved (or worked towards), grouped
under 3 headings (see next slide).
• Pilot was independently evaluated while in train; and
consideration now being given to how to “roll out” the QSF
as an assessment framework throughout the sector.
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
Quality Standards Framework (QSF) Pilot 2007-2009
Practice
People & Relationships
Organisation Management
& Development
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
5 CORE PRINCIPLES:
All youth work programmes, practice,
and policy should:
• be young person centred and
predicated upon voluntary
participation
• ensure the safety and wellbeing of
young people
• be ethical and uphold the rights of
children and young people
• be both educational and
developmental
• recognise and promote equality,
diversity and interculturalism
Essential evidence of
application
of the core principles
Desirable evidence of
application of
the core principles
Child Protection Policy
Youth Work Policy and
Practice
Appropriate Insurance
Cover
Equality, Anti-racism &
Diversity Policy
Health & Safety Policy
Charter of Rights for
Young People
Compliance with
Employment & Equality
Legislation
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
•
QSF (Pilot) Sections &
Standards
• Practice• Organisational
Management &
Development-
• People & Relationships-
Policy
Governance
Young People
Planning
Operational Management Recruitment & Selection
of Volunteers
Education
Strategy
Leadership
Assessment &
Evaluation
Sustainability &
Accountability
Workforce Development
Participation
Culture & Learning
Partnership &
Networking
Progression
Quality Assurance
Equality & Inclusiveness
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
Sample Page from QSF Manual
QSF
Practice
Practice
1.3- Education
Scale of Attainment
Absent
Acquiring
Achieved
Advanced
Comment
All youth work practice should be an educational and developmental
process, employing a variety of effective models and methodologies that
result in identifiable personal and social development outcomes.
Indicators of attainment of the above standard may include:
Existing quality assurance systems
Operational & strategic planning
Organisational mission/vision/ethos
Evidence of detailed needs assessment and consultation
Identified position of the programme/service/intervention within the overall organisation
Clear definition of rationale and remit
Clear theoretical and practical underpinning
Education informed by good practice principles
Education appropriate to the needs, abilities and aspirations of stakeholders
Clear educational aims & objectives
Defined personal & social outcomes
Examples of appropriate, flexible and accessible practices
Credible, challenging and relevant tasks
Rationale for universal and targeted practices
Examples of practice having regard to both task and process
Opportunities for both critical reflection and action
Education responsive to diverse styles of learning
Examples of work/material produced/records of achievement
Evidence of progression and referral routes, where appropriate
Periodic monitoring, review and evaluation
Required Actions
Evidence
Personnel
Responsible
Time frame
Comment
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
• Parallel to QSF, five major youth organisations (four
voluntary and one statutory) took the initiative to explore
the “purpose and outcomes of youth work” from the
perspective of youth workers and young people in their own
groups and projects.
• Organisations: Catholic Youth Care; City of Dublin Youth
Service Board; Foróige; Ógra Chorcaigh; Youth Work
Ireland.
• Decided to focus specifically on examples of good practice;
five “sites” purposefully selected across the country –
different types of project/group/service but all long
established and highly regarded.
• Combination of qualitative and quantitative methods
(interview/focus group/short questionnaires), informed &
contextualised by literature review.
• Report: The Purpose and Outcomes of Youth Work, M.
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
• Widespread agreement between youth workers and adults
that youth work results in a range of “soft” and “hard”
outcomes:
– enhanced personal qualities and feelings - confidence,
self-esteem, personal and social awareness, amicability
and sociability;
– opportunities for association in positive contexts,
strengthening friendships and establishing new ones;
– new and more diverse experiences and opportunities
(which are more likely with longer periods of
involvement);
– enhanced positive and pro-social behaviour;
– practical skills (e.g. making decisions, planning and
organising, budgeting, cooking, teamwork, group work,
communications, arts and creativity, various sports,
games and activities);
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
•
Outcomes (continued):
– information, advice and advocacy (e.g. health, relationships,
sexuality, the law, careers and formal education);
– practical support for formal education; and in some cases
direct provision of (and support for) alternative routes to
qualifications;
– support for young people’s families by youth workers,
integration of family members within the work of the youth
group/project, more positive approaches to parenting (and to
young people in general) by adults involved in youth work;
– improved communications and relationships between young
people and adults within communities; opportunities for
practical intergenerational cooperation at local level;
– improvement in local conditions and amenities, providing local
leadership (both young people and adults), cooperation and
coordination with other local services.
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
• Examples of qualitative responses
• “One example, a parent who is a leader as well, said prior
to becoming a leader herself if there was a phone call to be
made on behalf of their child, they
would be running
out to do it, whereas now she’d be saying, go over there
now and ring up and get the number and do all that
yourself. Prior to that, she said she would have done all of
that for them. There is a big tendency with parents
to do
too much for their children. She said because she had the
experience of the club she would be much more aware of
getting them to do what they can for themselves, rather
than do it for them.” [Volunteer youth worker, rural club]
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
• “I have a friend who moved down from Dublin a
year or so ago and he didn’t really know anyone,
so I brought him here one day and it’s great here
because the atmosphere here is like the first day,
whenever I walked in it was, hey what’s up and
the first day he came in, ten minutes later he was
having a laugh with everyone. So he was up by
twenty friends that day anyway.” [Young man,
regional youth service]
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
•
Carol
…You don’t even know it [learning] is happening, it’s just,
you know we learned how to cook and we didn’t realise it, I
just remembered how to do it and rowing and orienteering
and aerobics, and all about the environment, they
teach like how important, when all the trees and everything
are getting cut down, they teach you that’s bad and they
tell you why it’s bad and all.
•
Anna
But you could learn that in school too. What’s different
about how you learn it here?
•
Carol
It’s more relaxed. In school you have to learn it because
you’ll be tested on it and if you don’t know it you’re in
trouble but in this place they’re not going to give out to you.
•
Ben
It’s more enjoyable that way.
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
•
Anna
Do you think that if two years ago or four years ago or
whatever, if you hadn’t joined the youth club, I know
it’s kind of a hard thing to ask…
•
Kevin
Ah, we’d run riot.
•
Anna
Do you reckon your life would be different?
•
Kevin
We’d run riot.
•
Paul
I’d say we would, you just don’t know.
•
Kevin
If there were not youth clubs or youth workers around,
there would be total chaos.
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
• Some examples of quantitative findings (or
qualitative findings rendered into quantitative
form) follow:
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
New activities by duration of involvement
120
Percentage of respondents
100
17
80
36
47
28
29
50
Have you taken part in new
activities? No
60
Have you taken part in new
activities? Yes
83
40
64
53
71
72
1-2
years
2-3
years
50
20
0
<3
months
3-6
6 months
months - 1 year
Duration of involvement
> 3 years
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
Perceived change in self by duration of involvement:
120
Percentage of respondents
100
21
25
80
23
37
40
Have you seen a change in
yourself? No
60
60
Have you seen a change in
yourself? Yes
40
79
75
60
20
77
63
40
0
<3
months
3-6
months
6 months
- 1 year
1-2
years
Duration of involvement
2-3
years
> 3 years
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
Type of change in self by duration of involvement:
80
Percentage of respondents
70
60
Positive behaviour change
50
More educated/Skillful
Positive personal development
40
More active and healthy
More social skills
30
Negative change to self
20
10
0
<3
months
3-6
months
6 months - 2 - 3 years 3 years +
1 year
Response categories
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
• Some pervasive themes:
– The value base of youth work is key to its
positive outcomes
– The voluntary participation of young people is
vital
– Positive relationships are the heart of youth
work – both its processes and outcomes
– Youth work can potentially benefit all young
people
– Youth work takes time
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
•
Regarding outcomes…
•
“Broadly the consensus appeared to be that it is very important to be able
to name the successful outcomes of youth work - for young people, for
adults, communities and for society as a whole – but it is not always
possible to number them, in other words to express them in quantitative
or numerical terms. There may be possibilities for quantifying more of
youth work’s outcomes than is the case at present and this is something
which workers thought merits further discussion, perhaps in the context of
the Quality Standards Framework. The main thing is that any system
recognises the distinctive nature of the youth work relationship and how it
differs from other forms of practice and provision.” (Purpose & Outcomes of Youth
Work, p. 26)
•
A focus on outcomes can and should be compatible with the existing
emphasis in youth (and community) work on “conscious practice” and
“reflective/reflexive” practice.
THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT …
The Future of the Youth Service
Conclusion: reasons for moving toward
greater clarity regarding quality standards
and outcomes include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Recognition
Ratification
Rewarding excellence
Rectifying problems
(Re)assuring quality
Raising standards
Regulation
but…..
Need for reciprocity between stakeholders/partners