5th Annual Conference held at New Connaught Rooms, London

Never before have youth services and youth work been given such a pivotal role in meeting local outcomes. The Government’s 10 Year Youth Strategy committed public services to ensure that young people are empowered to shape, and have access to, positive activities and high quality youth support services. With potential for new funding, local authorities in partnership with health, youth justice and the third sector have new PSA targets to meet which will ensure young people have every opportunity to aim high. This conference brought together Government Ministers, local decision makers, senior managers and young people to look at how to work together to provide young people with the services they need and want for a bright future – everyone’s future. Andrew McCully OBE, Director, Supporting Children and Young People Group, Department for Children, Schools, and Families, told delegates that the levels of young people currently in employment, training and education are at their highest ever and that there has been the most significamt drop in young people not engaged in these positive activities since 1999. He said that, unlike more headline grabbing statistics on abortion and crime levels, these figures had hardly made a mention in the media.