Working with Young People
Youth work is an educational practice contributing to young people’s learning and development. Youth work engages with young people within their communities; it acknowledges the wider networks of peers, community and culture; it supports the young person to realise their potential and to address life’s challenges critically and creatively; it takes account of all strands of diversity. Youth work takes place in a variety of settings including community venues, uniformed groups, schools, youth cafés and on the street, whilst using numerous approaches such as outdoor pursuits, drama workshops, health initiatives, peer education and single issue and single gender work to engage with young people.
The purpose of youth work was well defined in Step it Up, following extensive discussion and consultation with the youth work sector, and is as follows:
- Build self-esteem and self-confidence
- Develop the ability to manage personal and social relationships
- Create learning and develop new skills
- Encourage positive group atmospheres
- Build the capacity of young people to consider risk, make reasoned decisions and take control
- Develop a ‘world view’ which widens horizons and invites social commitment
Further info...
The Glasgow Youth Work Partnership (GYWP) was established in July 2015 after consultation with city wide partners. The GYWP has 65 individual members representing 30 national, city wide and local youth organisations.
Meetings are chaired by Glasgow Life and meetings take place in April, June and November
The purpose of the group is to work together to improve opportunities and experiences of young people in Glasgow, through sharing of practice, dissemination of information, workforce development and collaborative working. The group will oversee and report on the implementation of the actions within the city’s CLD Plan in relation to young people and youth work. The group will promote links with local youth networks to ensure cohesion across the city.
The Glasgow Youth Partnership will report to Glasgow’s Learning Partnership and on occasion the Children’s Services Executive Group.
For further information or to join the GYWP e-mail: alan.dick@glasgowlife.org.uk
GNESYA meet quarterly and provide strategic direction to youth organisations within the North East and to promote and develop an ethos of strong, co-ordinated partnership working across youth organisations in the North East of the city that provides young people with the very best life chances and skills. There are four geographic ‘Hubcap’ areas that report to the Alliance and are chaired by a Glasgow City HSCP Health Improvement Officer and supported by a local Alliance youth representative. The Hubcaps arrange their meetings to follow the Alliance schedule.
The Alliance of NE Glasgow youth providers collaborate to support the development of services for young people. The four hub caps (North East; Shettleston & Baillieston; Springburn; East Centre, Calton & Dennistoun) provide the opportunity to;
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Exchange information and practice
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Find out more about funding opportunities
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Develop new partnership operations based on the relationships formed with fellow practitioners
The representative for the Alliance at Glasgow Youth Partnership meetings is Linda McGlynn, from YoMo.
North West Youth Networks
The North West of the City operate with two Youth Networks both chaired by Bobby Smith (GCC HSCP): Chair@nw-yp.co.uk
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North Locality Group
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West Locality Group
South Youth Partnership
The South operates two Youth Networks, the South East and South West.
The SE is chaired by Claire Robertson (GL): Clare.Robertson@glasgowlife.org.uk
SW is chaired by Jackie Chalmers (GCC Health Improvement Team): Jacqueline.Chalmers2@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
The South operates two Youth Networks, the South East and South West.
The SE is chaired by Claire Robertson (GL): Clare.Robertson@glasgowlife.org.uk
SW is chaired by Jackie Chalmers (GCC Health Improvement Team): Jacqueline.Chalmers2@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
YouthLink Scotland aims to be the collective voice of the youth work sector and to represent the policy and practice needs and interests of the youth work sector to government and other stakeholders.
Youthlink Scotland are committed to developing policy and research for the benefit of the youth work sector.
YLS produce regular policy briefings on key topics of interest to the youth work sector:
https://www.youthlinkscotland.org/news/?category=policy
Youth work in Glasgow is impacted by, and impacted on by a wide range of national, city wide and local policies, strategies and legislation. These include:
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National Performance Framework:
https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/
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National Youth Work Strategy:
www.youthlinkscotland.org/media/1111/national-youth-work-strategy-2014-15.pdf
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GCC Community Plan: www.glasgowcpp.org.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=39367&p=0
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Glasgow Economic Strategy: www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=36137&p=0
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Glasgow City Development Plan: www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=35882&p=0
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Resilient City Strategy: www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=35134&p=0
Family Activity Budget (FAB) is a new initiative supported by the Life Changes Trust to encourage and support care experienced young people to participate in local arts, sports and cultural activities. We know that our young people have a wealth of talent and potential and this scheme is designed to help them unlock it.
All details are on the website https://young.scot/glasgow-fab-project
The FAB fund will cover the costs for arts, sports and cultural activities for care experienced young people. They’ll be asked to use their Young Scot card to track attendance.
The project is aimed at young people aged 14-26, care experienced and living in the South of the city or where their family is in the south of Glasgow.
The benefits of the scheme include;
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Costs covered for the young person’s participation
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Access to a web page on Young Scot with details of what’s on offer
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The opportunity to register through Young Scot to gather reward points
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All the existing benefits of the Young Scot card
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The opportunity to engage with Glasgow Life to help us understand the impact
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The opportunity for achievement and recognition
To refer a young person or for further information, contact: andrea.mcmillan@glasgowlife.org.uk
Y-POD (Youth Providers On-line Directory)
Network of youth providers and services in the North West of Glasgow City
Young People
Are you a young person living in the North West of Glasgow? If so, this website provides information about what’s on, when, where and how to get involved. You’ll be able to check out youth services, learning & employability opportunities and much more.
Professionals
This website contains information for professionals who work with young people in the North West of Glasgow. You will find information on training opportunities, services and more.
Young Scot
Young Scot is the national information and citizenship organisation supported by the Scottish Government for young people aged 11-26 in Scotland. The declared aim of the organization is to make young people informed, incentivised and active citizens through the information they provide.
The Young Scot National Entitlement Card is available free of charge to everyone aged 11-26 living in Scotland. Use it for money off the things you love, exclusive Rewards, Proof-of-Age and much more.
Awards and Accreditation
Produced by the Awards Network, Amazing Things highlights opportunities and potential of youth awards to support and recognise the achievements of young people. Contributions from Government, education and employers demonstrate growing recognition of the role and value of youth awards to development of life skills and learner journeys towards further learning and employment. The impact of youth awards is ably illustrated through stories and views from young people.
Amazing Things features 48 award programmes, many providing multiple levels of progression and almost half delivering formal qualifications. Find out about key award elements, age ranges, distinctive features, skills and competences and links to other awards.
https://www.youthscotland.org.uk/media/1247/at4_final_web.pdf
The Glasgow CLD Plan 2018-22 has a set of 9 high-level outcomes with corresponding objectives and targets contained in the Working with Young People Implementation plan, with partners responsible for reporting progress against the plan.
The 9 outcomes are:
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More young people are receiving youth literacies support in the community and more young people are reading, particularly those from known literacy hotspot areas.
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Partners work together to evidence clear entry and progression pathways in programmes that prepare young people, particularly those from a disadvantaged background, for work experience, placements, volunteering and apprenticeships.
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The youth voice in the city is strengthened through partnership working with youth providers and Glasgow Youth Council resulting in increased representation, activism and leadership opportunities for young people, including Thriving Places
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Partners delivering CLD have contributed positively to the expansion of the Youth Health Service in Glasgow. This is ensuring there are pathways for young people to receive assistance. Resilience work with young people in CLD provision is helping to make them feel more able to cope.
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Partners are able to demonstrate the impact of youth work on young people through the use of the National Youth Work Outcomes and corresponding indicators
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Young people are supported to progress and achieve through improved skills and knowledge of youth work staff and volunteers
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Partners work together to evidence clear entry and progression pathways in programmes that prepare young people, particularly those from a disadvantaged background, for work experience, placements, volunteering and apprenticeships.
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Young people involved in offending or anti-social behaviour are connected with high quality, tailored services that support their learning and development needs
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Museums formal learning schools programme is widening curricular learning opportunities for young people and improving young people's access to Museums
National Youth Work Outcomes:
The Youth Work Outcomes articulate the difference that youth works makes with, and for, young people in Scotland. The seven outcomes can be achieved in a range of youth work contexts and practices. Each outcome has a set of indicators that help youth workers and young people to understand the difference youth work is making and how well young people are progressing towards the outcome:
https://www.youthlinkscotland.org/policy/youth-work-outcomes/
Youth Work National Occupational Standards
CLD YW 24: Monitor and evaluate the quality of youth work strategy and delivery
You need to know;
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legal, regulatory and ethical requirements relevant to youth work and their impact in your own area of work
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the importance of monitoring and evaluating the impact of youth work activities, and how to do this, including the evidence required
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the importance of involving young people, colleagues, stakeholders and other relevant organisations involved in the activities, and methods for achieving their involvement
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the indicators, evidence and criteria which is effective for evaluating the outcomes and success of youth work activities
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sources of evidence and information appropriate to monitoring youth work activities, how to access these and methods of verifying and corroborating the information
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your organisation's objectives relating to youth work provision and the related activities
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the importance of promoting the success of youth work, and methods of achieving this, including the dissemination of effective youth work practice
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your role and responsibilities, and from whom assistance and advice can be sought
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the values and principles underpinning youth work in relation to the requirements of this standard
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“…means young people having a shared role in decision making, beyond simply having a say in the final outcome…Youth voice means having an important role in determining the question or problem, not just in determining the answer or solution”
Ref: www.earthforce.org
Youth Voice includes citizenship, participation & democracy activities, and will include Glasgow Youth Council, Scottish Youth Parliament, community budgeting and all support mechanism to empower young people to participate in their clubs, their schools and their communities.
Glasgow Youth Council
Glasgow Youth Council is a youth lead organisation directly supported by Glasgow Life.
Membership is open to any young person aged 12-25 who lives, studies or works in Glasgow, There are currently 60 members of GYC from representing young people from across the city.
For further information visit: https://www.glasgowyc.org/
Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP’s)
The Scottish Youth Parliament is the democratically elected voice of Scotland’s young people. The Scottish Youth Parliament’s vision is of a stronger, more inclusive Scotland that empowers young people by truly involving them in the decision making process. This is accomplished through SYP’s members (MSYPs), who are elected young people aged between 14-25 representing different areas and voluntary organisations from across the whole of Scotland.
Role of an MSYP
The main areas that MSYP work concentrates on is consulting with young people about the issues important to them. They also attend 3 National Sittings a year, meet with officials and organisations, and promote SYP and young people’s issues through social media or by delivering sessions to other young people.
Constituencies
Glasgow has the largest number of MSYP’s across the whole of Scotland with a total of 16 MSYP’s, 2 in each of the 8 constituency areas.
For further information on either the GYC or MSYP’s e-mail: Alan Dick (Learning Services Coordinator): alan.dick@glasgowlife.org.uk
Statutory Background
The following pieces of legislation place requirements on public authorities in Scotland to account for the views of young people:
Children and Young People (Scotland) Act:
Part one places a new requirement on public authorities to take account of the views of young people. It states:
Public authorities must report on the steps taken to implement the UNCRC (every three years)
www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2014/8/contents
Local Government in Scotland Act 2003
Part 2, Community Planning, which includes a duty for local authorities to consult “with such community bodies and other bodies as is appropriate” on how public services are planned or provided.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2003/1/pdfs/asp_20030001_en.pdf
United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon announced on 4th September that the principles of the UNCRC are now to be fully incorporated into Scottish Domestic Law with particular emphasis to Article 12, Respect for the views of the child:
“Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their view considered and taken seriously”