#detachedyouthwork #lancashirecountycouncil #staffdevelopment #youthwork #traininganddevelopment #ywcr #consultation #policyreview
This week provided opportunity to work across Lancashire with colleague from each detached youth work team in the county around core principles of detached youth work. The second function was to undertake a 'consult-training' pathway to deliver on essential detached youth work principles with assistant youth support workers and a leading effective detached youth work for professional staff alongside developmental consultation to inform a county wide policy review into street based youth work methods in a contemporary youth work environment.
It was a fantastic experience and privilege to hear the experiences of the unique types of detached youth work taking place and to enhance understanding whilst creating a platform for change.
To encourage staff development, the training invested time in capturing the realities of young people and therefore detached youth workers to value and understand the role in relation to positive benefits and the often challenges of working with young people within communities.
Amongst the many topics and themes raised in the discussions, there is a necessary development around equality, diversity and inclusion on the streets that has been valuable to incorporate into practice delivery. The versatility and creativity around methods in detached youth work that with developed evaluation can be presented as an evidence base and data set to align to models of pedagogical practice to support effective validation and measurement of the positive impact of detached youth work.
A key feature was the challenge of multi-agency working and commissioned/targeted focus and the value of establishing a county wide principle of targeting the issue not the young and acknowledging young people's experience within the issue as oppose to young people being the issue - the shift from deficit based analysis of young people in communities to a contextual understanding of how the social contract with young people remains a constant tension between our work and the role of other professionals. The engagement and advocacy of young people's rights, social action projects to raise the significant awareness of the value of young people and detached youth work interventions is a key role for the teams and leaders promoting the inherent value of youth work and informal education whilst not being seen as the 4th emergency service. A historic and ongoing feature it seems!
The energy and positive aspirations with each group of youth workers over the week created an enabling approach to developing core principles and values of youth work in a terrain of expectations and targets. It would seem that we are moving progressively towards an increased value in how youth work is an essential partner and important stakeholder when it comes to promoting young people's development and to enrich communities.
Get in touch to discuss your training needs and staff development aspirations to influence enhanced practice, leadership and policy and improve work with young people.
Comments