Council launches new Youth Work Strategy

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Cabinet has approved the new Youth Work Strategy for 2021 – 2024 to enable the Council to continue to deliver high quality targeted youth services across Cheshire West and Chester.

The strategy which will come into force from January 2022, sets out how the Council will work with partners and stakeholders to provide young people with the opportunities and experiences to help them fulfil their potential.

An eight-week consultation took place in early 2021 with the opportunity for both young people and adults to share their views in a variety of ways including via a survey and online focus groups. Key findings from the consultation formed the basis of the new strategy, reaffirming the Council’s commitment to young people.

The latest vision set out in the new strategy has been co-produced with the Council’s Youth Senate. To ensure this vision is met in line with the key asks from the consultation, the Council will focus on a number of priorities including working with partners to explore new and effective ways to improve the engagement and participation of young people, to ensure the voices of all young people are heard, listened too, and consulted with.

The Council’s Youth Service continues to evolve and develop to meet the changing needs of young people and helps to keep them safe from harm.

Councillor Robert Cernik, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said: “Our Youth Service is an extremely important asset to have as a council. The Council has a commitment to delivering high quality targeted youth work which is underpinned by this new strategy.

“The new Strategy builds upon the previous Youth Work Strategy and supports a number of council priorities including tackling the poverty emergency, growing the local economy, supporting children and young people to get the best start in life and achieve their full potential, and making our neighbourhoods even better places to call home.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic a number of changes to the service were made to ensure support for young people who need it the most. Youth work offers our young people somewhere to go and someone to talk to on their own terms and with their peer groups, or on a one-to-one level. These principles developed over the last 18 months are an important part of our new Strategy, with a continued offer of one-to-one support.”