Colin Smith

Colin Smith's profile

 

Colin enjoys working with young people and youth services. His main youth work experience includes clubs and projects, detached, outdoor education, information and advice, residential, 1:1, group work, sports, and youth centre management.

He has worked with young people in Lancashire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and elsewhere; and in youth service management in Oxfordshire and Hampshire.

As a consultant, he has been seconded to the Government Office for the South East, for the Department for Education and Skills, and has been employed independently, working closely with Connexions Partnerships and Youth Services in the south east and other regions. With the DfES he has also worked closely with a wide range of voluntary organisations.

Colin is also an Additional Inspector with Ofsted, having been a member of teams inspecting local authority youth services, Connexions Partnerships, and a national voluntary youth organisation.

In addition to youth work and management skills, Colin offers expertise on:

  • Self-assessment; observation and evaluation; quality assurance;
  • Organisation development -- strategic and operational
  • Management development
  • Project and bid evaluation
  • Preparation and assessment of strategic and operational plans
  • Internal and external inspection of Youth Services and Connexions Partnerships, with assessment, evaluation and feedback
  • Partnership development

Colin brings to consultancy work:

  • An outcome focused approach
  • Clarity of purpose and a good understanding of boundaries
  • An ability to listen and be creative
  • A sense of humour and fun
  • A good understanding of teams
  • Youth work and management skills

In addition to professional development training, Colin has the following qualifications:

  • Certificate of Education, Applied Social Studies (Lancaster University)
  • Graduate Diploma in Community Education (Leicester Polytechnic)
  • MA (Ed) in Education Management and Professional Studies (Southampton University).

When not involved in work, amongst many other activities, Colin enjoys family time and has two children at school/college; he also enjoys trying to play cricket; and succeeding with some gardening!





Young Researcher Network website
Youth Work 4 Health
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Youth Information