Critical issues in the provision of youth work for young disabled people

1. Critical issues in the provision of youth work for young disabled people Discussion materials Issue 4: Youth workers and other practitioners – professional matters 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. Youth workers and other practitioners – professional matters Issue 4

9. Youth workers and other practitioners – professional matters: Survey findings (1) • The skills, training, motivation and aptitudes of such a variety of workers have a bearing on what can reasonably be expected of them. This issue was even more acute in work with disabled young people. • In open youth club settings, for example, less experienced staff, often volunteers or parents, brought enthusiasm and commitment. They knew the young people well and were sometimes in a better position to connect with their families than professional staff. • More experienced and trained workers often displayed ‘higher order’ skills, such as intervention and planning alternative programme ideas for individuals or groups, and an understanding of how young people learn best through youth work. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

10. Youth workers and other practitioners – professional matters: Survey findings (2) • Weaknesses inspectors observed included: • workers advocating that disabled young people should be challenged and free to take risks but not reflecting this stance in their own practice • a lack of understanding of links to other agencies • a lack of strategies to integrate disabled young people in mainstream sessions • not allowing young people time and space to complete tasks for themselves • weaknesses in reviewing activities with a view to improvement. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

11. Youth workers and other practitioners – professional matters: Survey findings (3) All of the areas visited were making some progress in tackling this skills deficit and the need for professional development. The greatest impact on the nature, quality and duration of activities, in particular residential events, was made when generic youth workers and specialist care staff worked in tandem. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

12. Youth workers and other practitioners – professional matters: Overview A particular feature of youth work generally is the broad cross-section of adult workers who lead projects and support young people. Volunteers and sessional workers form the backbone of youth provision, sometimes overseen by professionally qualified youth workers. The skills, training, motivation and aptitudes of such a variety of workers have a bearing on what can reasonably be expected of them. This issue was even more acute in work with disabled young people. Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

13. Youth workers and other practitioners – professional matters: Discussion points • Given the broad cross-section of adults involved in work with young disabled people, is there a clear differentiation of roles and expectations by managers? • Has there been a review or audit of the training needs of youth workers keen to extend their work with young disabled people? • Could the staffing of selected ‘open access’ provision include specialist disability workers to aid integration? Ofsted’s discussion materials: Youth work

14. Conclusion

15. 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