As you already know, last month, we commissioned some independent research into opportunities for innovation in the two fields. We have been interviewing practitioners, commissioners and investors working in the area of excluded young people. We want you to contribute to this research before the final version of the research is published. Below are some of the key emerging questions that have come out of the research at this stage.
“Focusing on preventative work to raise young people’s sights and give them higher aspirations is the most important issue to be addressed” (interviewee)
Do you agree? If not, what other focus would you suggest?
Do you think focusing efforts on whole families rather than individual young people would help address the problem of excluded young people? Why do you think this? If not, why not?
What is the most significant barrier to your organisation being able to develop and sustain better responses to the challenge of meeting the needs of excluded young people?
Can you suggest a single change in policy which would be likely to encourage development of better ways of meeting unmet needs relating to excluded young people?
Let us know your thoughts in response to these questions. This is your chance to shape our work. You can comment here or drop me an email.
1. I disagree - not on the principle so much as the angle. The focus should be on ‘positive’ work rather than ‘preventative’ (otherwise it implies only to work with young people that have some indication of becoming ‘negative’ and working in isolation with these young people is one of the issues in my opinion. I also disagree with the ‘aspirations’ - despite the picture sometimes given I rarely meet young people with low aspirations - the issue tends to be that the aspirations they have may be inappropriate or unrealistic. Therefore I believe in an approach that is more concerned with the development of personal skills and talents so that they can realise ambitions and be productive in society.
2. Without question - for good or bad, families (or lack of) have a much more significant impact on young people than youth work - its ridiculous to be working with young people in isolation (and working with families means more than saying hello to the parents)
3. Besides funding - Youth Workers! Often not through their own choosing, however we very often find that Youth Workers have failed to continue a project with young people for all sorts of reasons - its not their priority, they’ve changes jobs, theres not enough funding for them to work on a project. Also at the starting point often Youth Workers have not put in sufficient planning or efforts to build relationships with young people they bring on our courses and so are incapable of having an effective working relationship with the young people to the detriment of other young people who could have.
4. Work with young people should not be in isolation - they should be viewed as central tro community development and work done with them should be with a clear understanding of how young people function within the wider community. Helping young people participate positively within communities and alongside other community members will translate into many of the individual developments that are sought through the current focus on the individual.
[…] People.This week, programme co-ordinator Raj Cheema has thrown that exploration wider - and is asking for comment and input on ideas that could make a real change for excluded young people. Raj asks: Can you suggest a single change in policy which would be likely to encourage development […]
I have to agree with the previous comment on the issue of raising aspirations. I think on the majority of occasions young people do have high aspirations but these are not always realistic or easily achievable. What is needed is a variety of options to enable young people to make their skill sets with the range of opportunities that are available. It is the approach which needs to be re-addressed, not the lack of aspiration.
I think without a doubt the family is key in helping excluded young people. Often these young people have a breakdown in communication and relationships with their families, and including them on the focus could help repair them. If you include the family then it becomes a team effort and the young person has a variety of skills and knowledge to draw on, as well as a close social support network. This is key when looking at clinical problems in psychology - so why should this be any different?
[…] thoughts in response to the key emerging questions that were coming out of the research – please click here for a […]