25 Apr 2022
Youth services across the United Kingdom are not delivered uniformly or consistently. Organisations in the public, private, and voluntary sector who are involved in the commissioning or delivery of youth work services are missing opportunities for partnership and collaborative working, leading to a disjointed provision of services. Pockets of good practice exist, and these should be lauded and used as an exemplar for best practice, but this is not the norm; leading to a ‘post-code lottery’ of youth service accessibility. The provision of youth services frequently does not take into account individual need or circumstances, leading to a disconnect between young people and youth organisations. Funding pressures, the result of a decade of austerity and swingeing cuts to funding for vital public services, has made it increasingly more difficult for organisations to deliver sufficient and consistent provision