“What the Parties Say...” Political leaders talk to CHYPS about services for young people
News Date: 1 Nov 2011
CHYPS hosted policy roundtables at each of the three main party conferences this autumn, with leading politicians answering questions and discussing ways forward in local services. With many local authorities now setting one or three year budgets, CHYPS put our members’ questions and concerns directly to each party’s respective policy lead in youth services at the party conferences. Their answers might be a useful guide to support local negotiations where that the relevant party runs a particular local authority.
Liberal Democrat policies include a call for a statutory youth service. With the youth service function shrinking in many local authorities, others are picking up those issues and functions, from schools to leisure. These are not well joined up. One of the strengths of Sure Start has been universal access, where people in need would not otherwise meet or benefit from the service. Such open access is important also in services for young people. A minimum entitlement for young people – what is needed, rather than how it is delivered – is a good way forward, to help assess what elements are being delivered, where and how, to make sure that services are fully considered in budget-setting to meet local needs.
Labour Party policy development has turned to youth policy against the backdrop of the previous Government’s record in office. There is regret from some that the lack of a statutory basis for youth work has left those services a ‘soft target’ for cuts. There is recognition that there has never been a truly universal youth service, but that open access is important in particular in areas of disadvantage. With the advent of “Every Child Matters” in 2004 there was an increasing move to an integration of services for young people. This accompanied significant investment in initiatives such as New Start; Connexions; Youth Opportunity and Youth Capital Funds; Myplace. With funding severely restricted, an entitlement to wellbeing, or successful transition to adulthood, should be the starting point of any young people’s policy and provision.
Conservative Party policies are rooted in Localism and Big Society.In answer to a recent parliamentary question the Minister Tim Loughton MP said: "The government believes that the assessment of local priorities and decisions on levels of spend on services for young people are best left to local people.” The Government will only act if there has been significant and longstanding failure. However, at Conservative Party conference the Minister and leading councillors said that youth services had been a ‘soft target’ for cuts in many areas, although the national picture was mixed. There remains a clear role for local authorities in early intervention and targeted services for young people, sympathetic to CHYPS’ call for a senior officer in each local authority with responsibility for young people’s services. A suite of detailed discussion papers can be found on the Department for Education website, including a new paper on “A narrative for youth work today” – http://www.education.gov.uk/
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