Letters: YOUTH SERVICES ON TELEVISION.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
It's rare I see the youth service on the telly. What a shame that Newsround recently showed a clip of a youth centre occupied only by police, social workers and a couple of kids they had dragged off the streets, on the basis of some operation to keep them safe. These were not images of a vibrant youth centre or quality detached work.
The day we see young people as the problem is the day we sold our soul. Likewise, the death of any progressive vision of the street as a place to meet, a place to learn from each other and a place to build community.
How the Youth Crime Action Plan rolls out will likely be a defining time in the history of the youth service, and certainly that of detached youth work. I wonder what I can look forward to watching on CBBC in the months to come?
- Graeme Tiffany, vice-chair, Federation for Detached Youth Work
NO REPLY FROM BRADFORD
We are three students in full-time education. We are writing about the very poor experience we have had with Bradford Youth Grantmakers, a service that provides opportunities for young people to apply for grants.
There is very little for young people in our area so we applied before the closing date in August. By November we had heard nothing. We wrote to the youth service. The following Tuesday we received an invitation by phone in school hours to be interviewed - the following day. Since then we have heard nothing more.
We feel that we are not being treated fairly and we should not have to keep contacting the Bradford Youth Grantmakers just to get a response about its decision on our application.
- Haarisah Khan, Sumera Shah and Hafza Khan
END THE POSTCODE LOTTERY
The government's response to the Bercow Review is an important step in ensuring that children who do not use speech are supported to communicate their views, wishes and feelings in a range of ways.
The focus on workforce development in the action plan is particularly welcomed.
The challenge now is to ensure the plan delivers a change in practice across agencies and geographical boundaries so that the postcode lottery of provision and resources becomes a thing of the past.
- Chris Osborne, policy adviser, The Children's Society
The editor, Children & Young People Now, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP, cypnow@haymarket.com, 020 8267 4706
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