Youth Work Benefits for Disabled Youth

1. Critical issues in the provision of youth work for young disabled people Discussion materials Issue 2: The benefits of youth work Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

2. About this resource • This resource is based on a thematic survey of the provision of youth work for young disabled people carried out in 2012.* It contains summary findings of each of the four critical issues identified in the survey. • Each of the four packs suggests specific questions for discussion. These are of course not exhaustive, but it is hoped that youth work commissioners and their partners will use the questions as prompts to evaluate the services they currently provide for young disabled people. This may lead to identifying and sharing good practice, as well as priorities for improvement. • You can take the issues in any order and spend as long as you like on each one. However, we suggest that at some stage you find time to look at all four. • Link to the key findings of the survey: www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/130018. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

3. Overview of the discussion materials These materials look at the scope, reach and nature of the provision and the four issues considered in the survey: Issue 1:Enjoyment and learning – curriculum structure and design Issue 2:The benefits of youth work Issue 3: Managing disabled young people’s engagement and achievement Issue 4: Youth workers and other practitioners – professional matters Link for the materials on the other three issues: www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/130018. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

4. Scope of the survey • HMI carried out visits to 18 providers of youth work that were specifically selected because they worked with young disabled people. • Providers included: local authorities; charities; voluntary and community sector organisations. • These comprised: • projects with a specialist focus working primarily with • young people with a particular disability • clubs that targeted a broader non-specific range of • disabled young people • integrated provision where disabled and non-disabled • young people met together. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

5. Survey findings

6. Survey findings (1) • Inspectors identified some very effective youth work for disabled young people. However, the quality of this work varied too much across the sample of local authorities visited. • Inspectors found that the youth work offer for disabled young people was inconsistent across the sample of local authorities visited. • The pattern of provision seen was largely historical, often including a portfolio of inherited clubs, centres and programmes originally founded by parents, support groups or youth workers. • Overall participation rates were low and those young people not known to services, and who would benefit from the opportunities and support that youth work affords, were clearly less well served. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

7. Survey findings (2) • There are no national data to show the extent to which disabled young people participate in youth work. A lack of regional or national comparative data inhibits planning. • Disabled minority ethnic young people and their families accessed youth work provision less frequently than White British groups. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

8. Issue 2 Raising the challenge: issues for consideration by practitioners and managers The benefits of youth work

9. The benefits of youth work: Survey findings – personal development (1) • Young disabled people who spoke to inspectors stressed the importance of • ‘having space’ to be themselves. • Other key findings: • Parents noted that the emotional and physical safety provided in such informal settings had a stabilising effect. • Young people valued the sessions/programmes targeted at specific disabled groups as these could accommodate particular behavioural traits without the young people worrying about how they may be perceived by their peers. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

10. The benefits of youth work: Survey findings – personal development (2) • More key findings: • The best programmes developed ambition and motivation and young people were able to practise and apply relationship and communication skills in a protected setting. • There were notable instances in such settings where young disabled people, often with very advanced skills, supported their peers in areas such as social networking, thinking through plans and ideas or simply by applying patience and an understanding ear. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

11. The benefits of youth work: Survey findings – social development (1) • Inspectors found strong and convincing evidence that the best youth work seen also provided a sound platform for young people’s social development. • The strong emphasis on working with others helped some young people gain confidence in themselves, and better understand their strengths and weaknesses. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

12. The benefits of youth work: Survey findings – social development (2) • Further key findings: • First-class examples were seen where young people gained confidence through opportunities to socialise with their peers and supportive adults. In this way, young people became more skilled, empathetic and sensitive in their dealings with others. They learnt to read social cues and non-verbal behaviour. • In group problem-solving tasks, young people learnt to develop their communication and listening skills and to take turns. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

13. The benefits of youth work: Survey findings – skills for life and independence (1) • A large proportion of the programmes visited by inspectors sought to impart the skills which could contribute to young people’s independence. • Key findings and examples: • Convincing examples were seen of young people managing their time and travel arrangements to attend a specific venue. With a view to instilling healthy habits, cooking and diet featured often. • Effective work was taking place, formally and informally, on personal issues such as touch, hygiene and healthy relationships. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

14. The benefits of youth work: Survey findings – skills for life and independence (2) • Further key findings and examples: • Residential opportunities were used highly effectively; young people tried new things and became less reliant on others. • Young people often reported that their parents 'sheltered' them but that the challenge of residential activities allowed them to take calculated risks and develop skills in a new but safe environment. They achieved much in terms of their self-esteem through outdoor challenges such as climbing and abseiling. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

15. The benefits of youth work: Survey findings – vocationally related skills (1) Although the complex nature of young people’s disabilities was such that the majority seen by inspectors would be unlikely to progress to traditional forms of employment, a good number of projects develop work-related habits and attitudes, and an ability to accept responsibility and take initiatives. The survey found typical examples where disabled young people had been supported to take on volunteer and leadership roles within centres. They enjoyed real responsibility, were punctual and keen to work as a team. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

16. The benefits of youth work: Survey findings – vocationally related skills (2) • Further key findings and examples included: • Where the nature of the disability limited young people, they often learnt to make choices for themselves and exercise fine motor skills, often through arts and craft, cookery and gardening. • Supported work placements undertaken in collaboration with local partners enabled young people to gain experience of work and helped them become much more prepared for the eventual transition to the world of work. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

17. The benefits of youth work: Survey findings – political education and exerting influence (1) Most projects aimed to develop young disabled people’s civic and political skills, usually in very practical and applicable ways. Generally, young people’s involvement in such work had helped them to develop a keen interest in representation and social action as active, not dependent citizens. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

18. The benefits of youth work: Survey findings – political education and exerting influence (2) • Examples included: young people helping to organise a regional conference on disability hate-crime, providing training for professional staff on disability and bullying and undertaking various public transport campaigns. Stemming from their positions of responsibility, some learnt about governance, employment and finance. • At their best, these young people were learning to act individually, rejecting the dependency culture which they state pervades many services for disabled young people. They quickly learnt the skills of diplomacy and how to devise strategies to raise the profile of disabled young people well. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

19. Benefits of youth work: Overview Commonly, young people were benefiting from their involvement in youth work; indeed its informal setting and often relaxed approach proved highly conducive to their enjoyment and learning. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

20. Benefits of youth work: Discussion points • Do workers have appropriately high expectations of what young disabled people can achieve? How would they know? • How do you know the extent to which your youth work is beneficial to the young people with disabilities who attend? How would the young people themselves know? Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

21. Conclusion

22. Conclusion We hope you have found this resource helpful in promoting improvement in youth work for young disabled people. Good practice case studies We welcome comments on this training resource. Please write to enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk and ensure that you put ‘Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work’ in the subject box of your email. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work