PALYCW (Professional Association of Lecturers in Youth and Community Work) is a network for academic and practitioner support and education providing high standard training, mentoring and support for youth and community work practitioners from all four nations of the UK. By sharing good practice and an awareness of issues which effect young people we collectively and individually undertake extensive social research and publish academic articles and texts. We work directly with students on a variety of youth related programmes from apprenticeships to undergraduate degree programmes, to MA and PhD level.

As ardent advocates of youth and community work, we acknowledge the much-needed work of youth workers in hospitals, youth clubs, schools, care homes, intervention programmes, charities, local authorities and all other areas. We welcome the new Government’s commitment to democracy for young people, the development of social conscience and awareness and to addressing anti-social behaviour, reducing crime, improving mental health and opportunities for young people in the UK. We look forward to seeing these areas developed and would welcome the chance to be part of the discussion and dissemination of policies and practice as they emerge.