29 July 2005
A legal obligation forcing councils to increase their youth services would be unnecessary and confusing, local government leaders warned this week.
The green paper Youth matters, published on July 18, proposed placing a statutory duty on local authorities, requiring them to secure 'positive activities for all young people'. But Les Lawrence, lead member for youth issues on the Local Government Association's children and young people board, questioned the move.
'Local authorities should take the lead in delivering youth services, but to put a statutory provision on them would be a step too far,' he told Public Finance.
'There is also a real concern that confusion could emerge in shire counties, where responsibilities are split between district and county councils.'
Lawrence added that councils would benefit more from government guidance than a statutory duty. But they could find themselves on a collision course with unions, which are pushing for tighter legislation to compel councils to spend more on youth services.
Doug Nicholls, the Community and Youth Workers Union's general secretary, said the law in England was the weakest in Europe.
'Last year £513m was allocated but only £300m spent on youth services. The rest was splashing around in the general pot,' Nicholls said.
He also criticised the green paper's lack of commitment to workforce development, adding that 4,000 more youth workers were needed if government targets are to be met.
The green paper set out a couple of headline-grabbing initiatives, by which the government intends to give young people more direct power over the services available to them.
'Opportunity cards' will provide discounts on a range of activities, from sports to music lessons. Ministers are proposing that each young person would start out with £12 of credit, which they could then top up. Teenagers from low-income families would get an additional monthly allowance of £12.
The Department for Education and Skills is looking for local authorities to pilot the scheme.
It is also proposing giving young people in each council control of an 'opportunity fund' – worth up to £30,000 – to be spent on local projects.
Children's minister Beverley Hughes said: 'Our proposals recognise that having more for young people to do in their local area is a key issue for teenagers, their parents and also for local communities.'
She added: 'We also know that engaging in the right kind of activities in their spare time can make a big difference to young people's prospects – it can increase their motivation, improve their health and help them develop new skills.'
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