Youth work plunged into crisis

More than 2,000 youth workers have been axed and 350 youth centres closed since 2012 because of government cuts, research by the UNISON public services union has found.

The research was based on Freedom of Information data from 168 local authorities across the UK, and a survey of UNISON members working in youth services. It also shows that 41,000 youth service places for young people have been cut, and 35,000 hours of outreach work by youth workers have been removed.

Local authorities have been forced to scale back youth service spending because of cuts in central government funding.

Youth services lost at least £60 million of funding between 2012 and 2014, following cuts of £62 million in 2010-11 and £137 million in 2011-12. According to UNISON, the cuts are particularly damaging, given the important work of youth services in areas such as helping young people into work, improving education take-up, preventing crime and improving community cohesion. 

UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield, said: “Cuts to youth services lead to increased poverty, crime, higher youth unemployment and an increase in teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. These factors will have major knock-on effects on communities, the criminal justice system, the health service and the economy.”

The union is calling for the government to restore funding for youth services and introduce legislation to ensure every local authority provides some form of youth service.

www.unison.org.uk/upload/sharepoint/On%20line%20Catalogue/22532.pdf

www.unison.org.uk/news/government-cuts-plunge-youth-work-into-crisis-warns-unison-report