Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education
Today I am launching a consultation on new Directions: The Youth Support Services (Provision of Youth Work) (Wales) Directions 2025 and new statutory guidance for youth work.
These proposals collectively provide a new statutory framework for youth work and represent the culmination of a number of milestones dating back to the Children, Young People and Education Committee’s inquiry into youth work, which I chaired in 2016.
In the intervening years, with the support of the Interim Youth Work Board and its successor, the incumbent Implementation Board, we have consolidated our understanding of the key issues. I want to thank all the members of both Boards for their work. The proposals in this consultation are built around our understanding of what needs to be done to strengthen the position of youth work in Wales.
For the first time within a Welsh legislative context, the new statutory framework includes a clear definition of youth work. This is a key feature designed to ensure that local authorities, working with their partners, provide a distinct youth work service within the wider youth support services they make available to young people.
The proposals require local authorities to work collaboratively with their partners, taking a ‘one sector’ approach, informed by evidence of the needs of young people to deliver a rich and relevant youth work offer.
The views of young people will continue to be central to the decisions made regarding the design and delivery of youth work in their area. Robust accountability mechanisms will ensure the voices of young people are reflected and provision is attuned to their ever-changing needs.
Making sure our young people are supported and have the very best chance in life is always my driving motivation. Access to youth support services is fundamental to this. Youth work provides supportive, expressive and empowering opportunities for young people, built on strong relationships with trusted adults. We know from young people that these opportunities enable them to maximise their potential and give them the confidence to navigate the challenges they face in their lives.
These proposals are built on our ambition to ensure youth work delivers for young people.
I want to thank those who have shaped our proposals. I look forward to hearing the views and perspectives of a wide range of interested parties, especially young people, during the formal consultation period.