Current Climate/Context
Developments over recent years have enhanced the opportunities for the Youth Work sector to engage in, and contribute to the delivery of a number of national priority areas.
In January 2004 the Scottish Executive published Working and Learning Together to Build Stronger Communities the policy guidance for Community Learning and Development.
The guidance sets the three national priorities developed for community learning and development which includes: Achievement through learning for young people: Engaging with young people to facilitate their personal, social and educational development and enable them to gain a voice, influence and a place in society.
In 2007 the Scottish Executive launched Moving Forward, the National Youth Work Strategy. The Strategy articulates the importance of Youth Work's contribution to wider policy agendas, such as A Curriculum for Excellence, Getting it Right for Every Child ( GIRFEC) and More Choices, More Chances in ensuring the achievement of young people.
Moving Forward identifies the need to provide the Youth Work sector with advice and training on self-evaluation. 'a significant number of respondents indicated they would welcome more support with self-evaluation and identifying and measuring outcomes and impacts.'
Skills for Scotland: a lifelong strategy (2007); reinforces the importance of Youth Work's contribution through equipping Scotland's young people with the skills, expertise and knowledge necessary to build a wealthier, fairer, healthier, safer, stronger and greener Scotland. The strategy also emphasises the cost of failure, with young people not in education, employment or training.
In February 2008 the Scottish Government and COSLA established a Concordat setting out the terms of a new relationship between local authorities and Scottish Government. A central proposal was the creation of a Single Outcome Agreement ( SOA) between each Council and the Scottish Government, based on 15 key national outcomes agreed in the Concordat. The national outcomes reflect the Scottish Government's National Performance Framework. One of the 15 national outcomes is 'Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.' This outcome relates directly to young people and presents an opportunity for developing youth work outcomes in response.