Post-graduate strategic research project which examines, though both literature and analysis of existing partnership systems and practice, how collaborative working, leadership, shared governance and innovation at a local level can reduce the numbers of young people who become NEET. Recommendations are also made as to how local authorities and related partnerships can work together to lower the number of NEET young people in their area.

Extract from MA thesis looking at the challenges for college leaders and staff for implementing government policy

The report gives an overview of the Youth Work and Schools Partnership programme from its inception in 1998 to its conclusion in 2003 with recommendations and implication for youth work practice.

Howard Williamson, Wales Youth Agency 2004

This paper contains the results of part of a questionnaire survey carried out to determine if the maintained youth service in Wales is able to meet the requirements of government policy and the needs of young people while maintaining its specific organisational identity. Information obtained through the questionnaire was gathered and analysed between 2000 and 2002 a period of time affected in a number of significant ways by devolved government and the setting up of the National Assembly for Wales (1999). From this time the youth service has become subject to greater levels of scrutiny within a political agenda that gives significant attention to improving the contribution of all young people to the economic and social well being of Wales. This was a position reinforced by the conclusions and recommendations of Extending Entitlement (NafW 2000) which became the government’s flagship document for the promotion of services to young people.

This booklet is written for people in communities who are interested in setting up a local youth group. It assumes that they will normally be volunteers, that is, people who are not paid for their time. This booklet is not designed to be a comprehensive document, but rather a framework outlining how to get something off the ground.

The youth service and other organisations working with young people have a key role to play in their personal, social and health education. A needs assessment, however, carried out in Wales found that most youth organisations from both the maintained and voluntary sector have not formulated policies and practice to develop this work. Reasons for this are varied but include lack of clarity surrounding the role of the youth service and the legal implications of providing sexual health information and advice. The following pages contain ideas and suggestions for developing a sexual health policy and programme and factual information relating to the legal context for work in this complex area.

This paper will establish the case that an adequately resourced youth service, able to adopt a range of approaches, is of inherent benefit to society.  Youth work is able to offer positive experiences which address the needs and aspirations of young people and enable them to develop as responsible citizens, able to make positive contributions to their communities.

Whilst the primary purpose of youth work has never been crime prevention it has an important contribution to make to this process.  This paper will refer to recent report from the Princes Trust, based on research undertaken by Coopers and Lybrand, which demonstrates the relationship between youth work and youth crime prevention. (Coopers and Lybrand: ‘Preventative Strategy for Young People in Trouble’ 1994)