The Radical Community Work Journal is offering a space for academics, practitioners, and students to contribute to the discussion about how we, ‘build back better’ for its Summer 2021 issue. There is an open invitation for thinking and writing which is challenging, thought provoking, inspirational and rooted in real life.

The Association is pleased to announce a collaborative research inquiry to be facilitated through a partnership between the Association, the Open University, University of Glasgow and the University of Hull. The inquiry launches this month (February) and the project will run until June 2022

This article introduces an Erasmus Plus project entitled SymfoS (Symbols for Success). The project focuses on the use of physical symbols to assist young people, particularly those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).

New national restrictions aimed at reducing Covid-19 infections begin in England from 5 November. This second lockdown is different from the first as schools, colleges and universities are remaining open. This also means the youth sector can remain partially active during this period within adherence to NYA guidance for the RED readiness level available via this link

The National Youth Agency (NYA) has launched a refresh of the National Curriculum for Youth Work. The NYA intends for the new National Youth Work Curriculum to enable a greater understanding of youth work practice, provide an educational framework and act as a reference tool to be used by decision makers, policy makers, commissioners, youth workers and young people.

In this Blog, Janet Batsleer reflects on the future for youth and community work and identifies three challenges for our community of practice. She writes as she draws towards the end of her ‘working’ life as an academic at Manchester Metropolitan University and reminds us: ‘no one does any of this work alone and that most of our strength is in the fact that what we do, we do collectively.’ Please read the full article here:

We held our fourth ‘members connect’ online conversation on 19th May and convened to discuss the status of research in youth and community work and the role of the academic community. A summary of key points from the discussion are included here for members interests and response:

The Centre for Youth Impact have launched the first version of a national data standard for the youth sector in the UK. This is a set of standard questions designed specifically for organisations working with and for young people.

Following the restrictions on travel and gatherings that have been issued by the British Government in response to COVID-19, please see the updated advice from the National Youth Agency’s Education and Training Standards Committee for England [as of 30.03.2020]:

The DCMS review of the guidance for local authorities, which sets out how local authorities should secure activities and services for young people, is open until 1st December 2019.

Doug Nicholls, Chair of Chooseyouth and General Secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions, argues that it is acutely undemocratic to continue to refuse to invest in the Youth Service and make it statutory and welcomes the recent Labour Party plans for statutory youth service provision.

The debate took place in the House of Commons on Wednesday 24th July on ‘The role and sufficiency of youth services’.

A review of the guidance for local authorities which sets out how they should secure activities and services for young people has been launched by Civil Society Minister Mims Davies at the DCMS.

Sarah Barley-McMullen, Association Member and Senior Lecturer at the University of Derby, reports on the ‘Local MP Ambassadors Scheme’ adopted by the Youth and Community Work course team in Derby that resulted in a meeting in Westminster with Mims Davies MP, Minister for Civil Society with responsibility for Youth Policy in the week the APPG Youth Affairs Final Report was published.

The statement, by the NYA, welcomes the recent ADCS paper on workforce development across the children and young people’s workforce, and comments on its ambition and recommendations.

The NYA has launched a new 'Research Hub' aimed at improving youth work understanding and practice development through research collaborations.