The National Youth Agency - Youth Sector Support Arrangements

Youth Sector Support Arrangements

The government has published its findings on youth sector support arrangements.

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The Department for Children, Schools and Families has published its findings from the call for evidence on youth sector support arrangements. Key messages include the lack of consensus for a single agency, and a recognition that current arrangements overlap and are confusing.

The consultation, launched on 12 January 2008 was designed to seek advice on how to improve the capacity, coherence and quality of support arrangements for youth sector professionals, volunteers and organisations.

Context

Through ‘Aiming high for young people: a ten year strategy for positive activities’ the government identified overlap between organisations delivering services for young people, and consequently suggested that there was a case for rationalisation, and for creating a single clear lead to support delivery in particular around:

Accessing guidance on frontline practice;
Shaping and facilitating a more diverse market of providers;
Securing young people’s influence on national policy making; and
Attracting private investment and support to third sector organisations.

The responses

There is no clear consensus for a rationalisation which would leave only one, sector leading agency. However the current arrangements are confusing and respondents call for greater coordination of activity and clearer delineation of responsibility between departments and partners.
Respondents were very keen to see young people fully empowered to influence policy at all levels and thought more should be done to achieve this.
Central government should promote successful initiatives across government and as a champion for young people; support celebration and positive press aspects of Aiming High; and ensure polices are joined up across government.
There is a consensus that national and regional youth sector organisations should provide solutions to supplying information, advice and guidance on issues such as training, good practice, quality assurance, commissioning and safeguarding. This could be in the shape of a single, local point of contact.
There is real concern about the difficulties third sector organisations face in accessing commissioning arrangements, and concerns about local authorities commissioning skills.
Commissioning processes should be: transparent; sustainable; allow third sector organisations to receive full-cost recovery or core funding; and allow for new entrants to the market.
There is a strong call for action to assure the quality of provision across the sector, together with a role for young people in challenging underperformance and improving quality.

What next

The government intends to carry out further work with key partners to understand the issues behind the findings and communicate their public response in the autumn.