Listen to thisOfsted highlights value of youth work in social care
Ofsted has stressed the value of local authority children's services departments utilising youth workers in social work, suggesting that councils should consider the approach to improve outcomes.
The watchdog has highlighted the work of youth workers placed in “social work pods” in Windsor and Maidenhead as having a positive impact on the engagement and outcomes of young people.
It said part of the reason for the initiative's success is that young people it has spoken with said they enjoy stronger relationships with youth workers than with social workers.
"Young people feel youth workers are more relaxed and ‘bubbly’ than social workers," a good practice report on the initiative states.
"One young person described a powerful example of a youth worker helping her to find a school place after being out of education for two years.
"[Another] young person described a youth worker as ‘basically being a best friend for me’."
Under the arrangement, youth workers approach young people who are in contact with social workers and arrange an initial meeting at which they agree a short plan. Their work with young people is recorded on the children’s social care system, so social workers have ready access to it. Cases are discussed in weekly meetings involving social workers and youth workers.
The report recommends that local authorities considering the set-up must ensure it is properly introduced.
"Social workers will need training and support to be able to make appropriate use of youth workers’ skills," the report states. "Similarly, youth workers will require support to fully understand their role in the context of a statutory social work service; for many this will be a new experience. The government is currently trying to support councils to find new ways of delivering youth work."
The Cabinet Office has set aside a further £200,000 of funding to support up to five more local areas in 2015/16 as part of the DDYP programme.
Government statistics show that youth services have faced cuts of nearly £500m since 2010. Spending on youth services stood at £1.2bn in 2010/11 but had dropped to £712m by 2013/14.
Neil Puffet
9 November 2015
