fbpx Have your say on Labour's Building a Statutory Youth Service - London Youth

03 August 2018

The Labour Party have announced an open consultation on their new policy to build a statutory youth service, closing on 12th November.


The consultation

The Labour Party is consulting on a new policy commitment to place universal youth provision on a statutory basis if they were in government.

Their draft policy would mandate every local authority to establish a local youth service partnership to provide strategic leadership, assess local provision, and publish a local youth strategy.

These local youth service partnerships would be supported by a national body with dedicated ring-fenced funding. The national body would work with all local youth service partnerships and voluntary organisations, review local youth strategies, monitor and distribute funding, and advise on professional and service standards.

Under the policy, all young people would be entitled to inclusive, open access youth services, which would have the following aims:

  • Ensure the personal and social development of young people
  • Secure active involvement by young people in relevant activities and local decision-making
  • Assist young people to realise their full potential and play a full part in the community
  • Enable young people to live successfully in a modern digitally connected global community

Questions for our members

The key questions for London Youth members and the youth sector are:

  • Do you agree with the policy of statutory youth provision?
  • What role should the voluntary sector, community and faith groups, businesses, commissioning, and national programmes play?
  • At what age should youth provision be available to young people?
  • What should the balance be between open access and targeted youth work?
  • How should young people’s voices be represented?
  • What support does the youth sector require to re-establish its workforce capacity?
  • Should ‘youth worker’ be a legally protected title?
  • Should there be a national register for youth workers?
  • What should be the role of the Joint Negotiating Committee and other nationally agreed pay scales and conditions?
  • What is the most effective way to show the impact of youth work?

Have your say

If you would like or have your views or evidence included in London Youth’s response, please get in touch using the link below.

Samuel Howell, Policy Officer

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