Author: Youth Worker
Date: 12 January 2012
Type: Opinion
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megaphone I have been working with young people in the North east now for around 7 years. At first all was well with funding streams easy to access and projects being valued by local government with help from central government. The youth service was able to offer activities free of charge to young people during the school holidays, and on most, if not all occasions these opportunities were taken up by the most disadvantaged young people in our communities, and was their only means of some type of summer get away for them.

Youth Clubs opened on the dictation of need, fully staffed, by people who were offered any training required to gain more qualifications. Even young people were encouraged to take up apprenticeships within the sector, many coming through schemes to steer young people away from offending.

Now many clubs have just had to close, only a few remain, none can offer much in activities thus leaving the most needy young people kicking the streets during summer – the same streets that saw rioting in August 2011. Experienced staff are being laid off, consigning many very well qualified workers to the dole. Connections ( young people’s career advice) has been all but obliterated, despite youth unemployment of over 1 million.

But it does not stop there. My partner worked in an old people’s home. Many of the 35 residents are high dependency, yet there’s only 3 staff to dress them, clean them, put them to bed, maintain the house, and do their laundry, all for only £6.20 per hour including nights.

While working with young people in care, I have also experience how the cuts are hitting the front line. Money is not available for adequate staffing, and again activities, as well as the use of more and more staff on an ad hoc basis, resulting in low morale and a desire to leave. And this has an adverse effect on staff performance and can only impact on the emotional well being of the child. Managers are working longer and longer hours, doing the job of two, because the money is no longer there to fund the appropriate management structures.

I can only project a tiny snap shot on what is going on, but in my experiences this basket case of a Government is suffocating the life out of our social service sector.