OXFORDSHIRE YOUTH
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Mission Statement
A future in which every young person has the skills, support and connections to thrive. Through the power of youth work we transform young people’s lives, unite communities and tackle inequality of opportunity.
About This Cause
Inequity in Oxfordshire spans rural, economic and social deprivation. Young people living in rural communities experience a lack of local services and limited transport options, creating barriers to accessing existing provision. Additionally, young people are enduring a post pandemic, cost of living crisis at the same time as NHS data shows that there is a youth mental health emergency, with one in six 6-to-16-year-olds having a probable mental disorder. We believe that youth work is for all. We also recognise that there are many barriers placed on young people depending on their intersections of race, gender, sexuality, class, family dynamics, economic status and geographical location, amongst other things. Young carers need access to support that takes into account the constraints on their time and resources. Young people with protected characteristics (care leavers, LGBTQIA+, minority groups) need access to services that target their specific needs, as well as to broader open access youth services. We will not stop until every young person has the skills, support and connections they need to thrive, and this means that we will target some of our work to provide more equitable opportunities for young people. Why youth work matters Young people possess a freedom of imagination and a desire to challenge the status quo. When offered the space and opportunity to receive support and gain skills, they flourish. Young people operate in a world where they have little power to influence the way things are. At school, the focus is on the curriculum and educational achievement, but education is more than this. Young people are diverse. They have diverse learning styles, individual lived experience and huge amounts of untapped potential that may not be recognised in a formal setting. Youth work is based on dialogue and relationship building. Through group work and relationship building over sustained periods of contact, youth work seeks to enhance the best in every young person in a unique way. Youth work has traditionally been a partnership with young people. From their origins, voluntary youth organisations have stressed their role in equipping young people to take on responsibility and develop leadership skills. Youth work places young people at the centre of the practice, and youth workers aim to empower young people to overcome the challenges, disadvantages or obstacles that stand in the way of achieving their maximum potential. There has been an increase in understanding of the risk that school exclusions in the UK pose and an increase in mental health challenges. It is clear that formal education alone cannot meet the diverse needs of many young people. Through youth work, the youth sector offers informal and non-formal learning in safe learning environments. Through experiential learning, young people can gain essential life skills, build on individual strengths, and explore difficult topics to overcome challenges. The youth sector is a dynamic, flexible and collaborative space. Youth work can take place in schools, on the street, or at the youth club or project, wherever young people are. A recent survey into the impact of youth work on young people showed that for two-thirds of respondents, youth work had made a considerable difference to their lives. The benefits included increased confidence, learning new skills, making decisions for themselves, and feeling more confident about asking for help and information. It also helped them understand people who are different from themselves and it improved their prospects of securing employment. At the Door Revisited, a longitudinal study by Bob Holman showed that people still reported positive effects 20 years after their involvement in youth work, from moving away from crime and anti-social behaviours to sharing values and practices with others. Other research suggests that youth provision has positive outcomes related to developing skills and competencies (including a range of social, emotional and intellectual capabilities), strengthening networks and social capital, and challenging behaviour perceived as risky. These outcomes support young people in the transition to adulthood, and in the longer term are linked to the social building blocks of health such as good education, employment and housing. Effective youth work changes lives! STRATEGIC GOAL 1 Young people are benefiting from access to high quality youth work and youth work practices Programme Goal 1 Qualified and knowledgeable youth sector, trained in youth work and youth work practices Train and develop volunteers and youth workers in Oxfordshire. Review and launch a new offer of tiered support to youth organisations. Improve the retention of youth workers through cross-sector wellbeing support. Work together with young people in the development and innovation of youth work practices and services, to keep youth work responsive to the needs and interests of young people. Role model best practice youth work through the roll out of the youth competencies framework. Review and improve communication platforms for the youth sector in Oxfordshire, including Sector Insider. Secure Youth Work Apprenticeships working in Oxfordshire Youth. Programme Goal 2 Youth work available in a range of settings for at-risk and under-represented communities, meeting diverse needs Integrate youth work into the delivery of supported accommodation for young people at risk of homelessness. Provide targeted youth work support to typically at-risk and under-served young people. Deliver tailored support for organisations working with at-risk and under-served communities, including children in care, care leavers, young caregivers, young people living with a disability, black and ethnically diverse young people and LGBTQIA+ , or those located in rural and economically deprived locations. Assess diverse needs and barriers to youth work caused by inequalities among different communities and among young people in Oxfordshire, and disseminate a youth work and diversity report among key partners. Review OY’s existing training and workshops to incorporate EDI practices and principles. Programme Goal 3 Access to resources and spaces improving the reach of youth work among communities across Oxfordshire Establish Centres for Youth Innovation in Oxford and Banbury and potentially beyond. Publish and distribute the Oxfordshire Youth in Mind guide biennially. Support fundraising for the sector. Offer a strengthened back office function to sector partners in Oxfordshire. Administer youth work accreditations and qualifications for the sector. Develop and integrate ‘digital’ into youth work practice and programmes. STRATEGIC GOAL 2: Outcomes for young people improved through strategic and cross-sector partnerships Programme Goal 4 Youth work recognised as a vital contributor to young people’s personal and social development Maintain and strengthen partnerships with cross-sector partners. Disseminate annual Impact and Power of Youth Work reports, showcasing the work and impact of Oxfordshire Youth and its partners. Increase the attendance and participation of key leaders from the sector in our events (Youth in Mind, Youth Awards, Youth Work conference) raising the profile of youth work and young people. Create and initiate a long-term campaign about the power of youth work as prevention, including a plan for educating press, government, corporates, key leaders in the community. Develop and implement a new social media strategy that showcases the reach and impact of the youth sector. Deliver annual celebration of Youth Work during National Youth Work Week - Monday 6th to Sunday 12th November 2023. Programme Goal 5 Increased diversity of opportunities for young people as a result of cross-sector partnerships Cultivate partnerships with local and national businesses to promote opportunities for young people. Galvanise business support for Oxfordshire Youth and youth work in the county. Initiate annual events and opportunities for educators and youth workers to understand each other’s practices. Integrate youth work practices into professional development in related sectors such as teacher training. Increase opportunities to lead, present, meet and facilitate small events across the voluntary, private and public sectors to raise the profile of youth work. Programme Goal 6 Changes in systems and practices across public and voluntary sectors resulting in better long-term outcomes for young people Identify and address key systems and practices requiring change in our core areas of youth voice, mental health, homelessness prevention, sector support and education, employment and training. Promote the role of youth work in supported accommodation and the prevention of homelessness, building relationships across public and voluntary sectors and establishing a leading role. Create a new youth network for the sector led by youth voice, with young people and adults engaged and influencing change. Continue to strengthen C&YP’s Forum and co-create a sector strategy for children and young people in Oxfordshire to strengthen the voice of the voluntary and community youth sector. Advocate for the vital role that the not-for-profit sector plays in tackling the mental health crisis affecting children and young people. STRATEGIC GOAL 3 - Young people actively engaged with their communities Programme Goal 7 Enhanced opportunities for young people to lead in their communities and to be recognised for their contribution to society Support the Youth Voice Network to develop skills, confidence and self-esteem. Support young people to share their views in different contexts and through different platforms on key topics affecting them. Host biennial, youth-led events that display and celebrate the contributions and talents of young people across the county. Host biennial, youth-led events connecting young people with statutory, voluntary and business leaders in their communities to build local as well as county level connections and communication channels.