Youth services are in such a “dire” situation, there is an increasing chance they “won’t exist for much longer”, the head of a local youth organisation has claimed.
Dave Brunton, Project Manager at Senghenydd Youth Drop-In Centre (SYDIC), has spoken of his worry at the demise of youth services, after a National Assembly for Wales inquiry reported an “alarming downward trend” in the number of registered services across the country.
The Welsh Assembly’s Children, Young People and Education Committee found that council funding for youth services had fallen by almost a quarter since 2012, and that 30% of voluntary youth services do not anticipate being able to exist beyond the next financial year.
That is a fear shared by Mr Brunton, who added: “If the Welsh Government doesn’t do something soon, there won’t be youth work.
“The situation is dire, in threat, and when the next funding round starts in April, there will be more cuts and closures.”
He said: “I’m really worried about the future. Our funding ends in March, and it’s increasingly hard to apply for lottery and other big funding.
“Since last April, we’ve helped 191 youngsters, and are regularly seeing more with mental health and care issues. Who will support them if services go? This is not about jobs, it’s about young people.”
Young people in Wales aged between 11 and 25 can access local youth services, clubs and advice centres, but the committee found that almost 150 full-time youth workers’ jobs were cut between March 2015 and 2016 – nearly 20% of the 800-strong workforce.
In the inquiry, the committee heard from more than 1,500 young people, and were told of the “considerable impact” the removal of youth services had on their lives.
The committee concluded that ensuring young people had access to youth services was “crucial” for them to achieve their full potential, and that involvement in a project or a relationship with a particular youth worker could be the catalyst in improving a young person’s skills and confidence.
Mr Brunton added: “Youth services are more important and more urgently needed than ever.
“I’m really glad this inquiry has gone ahead, but we need to focus on long-term changes. Money is getting tighter and tighter, and it’s simply not a level playing field.
“Holistic services are overlooked in favour of targeted services, simply because the benefits of what we do aren’t as easily quantified, but we’ll have groups of disaffected youngsters if SYDIC goes.”
Addressing concerns about the Welsh Government’s “lack of engagement”, the committee called on the minister responsible, Alun Davies, to hold “urgent discussions” with young people and the relevant organisations about available services.
Caerphilly AM, Hefin David, who was part of the cross-party committee, said: “The Welsh Government is facing a considerable challenge to deliver a universal, open access, youth work provision, which is a direct consequence of UK-wide cuts. I would like to see the Welsh Government explain in more detail how they will adapt to these funding challenges.
“With this in mind, I have written to Julie James AM, the Minister for Skills, to request more detail on measures to address issues such as isolation, loneliness and social exclusion/inclusion, all of which youth work helps resolve.
“I am also in ongoing discussions with the Senghenydd Youth Drop-In Centre to try and help them to continue. I will keep constituents updated on this issue.”