, Cabinet Secretary for
Education: Today I am launching a consultation on new
Directions: The Youth Support Services (Provision of Youth Work)
(Wales) Directions 2025 and new statutory guidance for youth
work.
These proposals collectively provide a new statutory framework
for youth work and represent the culmination of a number of
milestones dating back to the Children, Young People and
Education Committee's inquiry into youth work, which I chaired in
2016.
In the intervening years, with the support of the Interim Youth
Work Board and its successor, the incumbent Implementation Board,
we have consolidated our understanding of the key issues. I want
to thank all the members of both Boards for their work. The
proposals in this consultation are built around our understanding
of what needs to be done to strengthen the position of youth work
in Wales.
For the first time within a Welsh legislative context, the new
statutory framework includes a clear definition of youth work.
This is a key feature designed to ensure that local authorities,
working with their partners, provide a distinct youth work
service within the wider youth support services they make
available to young people.
The proposals require local authorities to work collaboratively
with their partners, taking a ‘one sector' approach, informed by
evidence of the needs of young people to deliver a rich and
relevant youth work offer.
The views of young people will continue to be central to the
decisions made regarding the design and delivery of youth work in
their area. Robust accountability mechanisms will ensure the
voices of young people are reflected and provision is attuned to
their ever-changing needs.
Making sure our young people are supported and have the very best
chance in life is always my driving motivation. Access to youth
support services is fundamental to this. Youth work provides
supportive, expressive and empowering opportunities for young
people, built on strong relationships with trusted adults. We
know from young people that these opportunities enable them to
maximise their potential and give them the confidence to navigate
the challenges they face in their lives.
These proposals are built on our ambition to ensure youth work
delivers for young people.
I want to thank those who have shaped our proposals. I look
forward to hearing the views and perspectives of a wide range of
interested parties, especially young people, during the formal
consultation period.
