29 February 2012
The promise, which is essentially a new customer charter, sets out four fundamental elements young people can expect from the service.
Those elements are:
- opportunities – that include a range of activities, events, courses, support, and information
- places – that are welcoming, safe, well equipped and well staffed
- a voice – so that they can have a say, get involved, be heard and make a difference
- equality – to be treated fairly and valued as an individual
In return, young people are expected to ‘respect themselves and others and respect the venue and equipment’.
The promise updates the Youth Service Pledge, which has been in place since 2005. Principal Youth Officer Mark Capern said “Youth work really is a 2-way relationship and the promise has been a tool to help us refresh and refocus what we do. We want to make sure young people are firmly at the forefront of everything we do and understand what we offer.
“The promise takes the concepts in the pledge but simplifies them and makes it much clearer what youth workers and young people can expect of each other. The 4 headings will now be used as the basis of the service’s business plan, staff training and quality monitoring to assist long-term accountability,” Mr Capern added.
The promise will form the basis of workshops at the conference this weekend, which will be attended by nearly 120 staff and volunteers, including 21 young workers. The annual event is an opportunity for staff to share experiences, learn new skills and discuss good practice.
This year the conference will also include the presentation of awards to young people by the Minister for Education, Sport & Culture Deputy Patrick Ryan for outstanding contributions to their own youth project.
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