Youth Matters

On 18 July 2005 the Government published the Youth Green Paper, Youth Matters. It addresses key issues relating to how we support and challenge our teenagers:
We want young people to have more things to do and places to go in their local area
Better information
Advice and guidance about issues that matter to them, delivered in the way they want to receive it
Better support for those who have more serious problems
Building on the ambition of Every Child Matters, which promotes the idea that all young people should achieve five key outcomes (being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being)

Youth Matters aims to radically re-shape services for young people

Follow this link to find out more http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/youth/

NCVYS Policy Briefing

For an overview of the Green Paper read the NCVYS Policy Briefing

Putting spending power into the hands of young people –Youth Matters

Seen on the ukPlayworkers e-group At first glance this may seem empowering, but hang on, young people don't need to pay anything or only a nominal sum for youth clubs and adventure playgrounds. It means that commercial provision, such as sports and leisure centres will get the tax payers money, instead of it being invested in youth and play services. Are the government reinventing the discredited voucher schemes the Tories would have introduced for U5's provision if they had won the 97 election? Other right wing ideas have been to give people vouchers equivalent to the cost of other public services, such as health care and primary and secondary education, to be spent on "private" provision, in an attempt to dismantle state provision, free at point of access. Will we risk turning our work into a commercial beauty contest, with swipe card entry to parks and play areas debiting a child's "activity account"? There will be a consultation period lasting until the autumn, I think we need to ensure the play sector argues for play provision properly funded by local authorities. Is there a youth work equivalent to UK Playworkers to cross-post this on? Alan Sutton 'Playing Up'

Region's response to Youth Matters

Read the attached document to find out how youth workers from around the region responded to Youth Matters at the Regional Consultation Event on 17 October .