Youth work takes a holistic approach when working with young people and the relationship between young people and a youth worker is entirely voluntary.
Youth workers work with young people aged between 11 and 18 (up to 25 years) supporting them to enhance their personal and social development and to enable them to have a voice, to be able to influence the world around them and to have a positive place in their communities.
They offer young people safe spaces to explore their identity, experience decision-making, increase their confidence, develop inter-personal skills and think through the consequences of their actions. This leads to better informed choices, changes in activity and improved outcomes for young people.
If you are interested in becoming a youth worker, you can find out more by contacting one of Dudley borough’s local family hubs or visit the National Youth Agency.
The Source Youth Centre, Wordsley, Brierley Hill - 01384 813967
Meadow Rd Youth Centre, Castle and Priory, Dudley Central - 01384 818240
Youth centres provide a central network point for clubs and youth projects, enabling young people to access a wide scope of leisure and informal education activities.
Programmes include holiday provision, information advice and guidance on a number of issues such as sexual health and substance misuse, opportunities to take part in sports and other activities.
All the above is offered within a safe and welcoming environment.
Detached youth work is a valuable service and as with all youth work one fundamental principle remains constant; the young people engage on a voluntary basis, that is to say workers are there by informal invitation.
Dudley’s detached youth work aims to:
Focus on harder to reach young people with an emphasis on issue-based locations
Make services as accessible as possible
Target support to those young people facing multiple needs and disadvantage
Empower, support and enable participation as active citizens
Support young people to be heard
Support young people to develop positive relationships with others
Support young people to understand issues of social diversity and how it effects themselves and others
Encourage young people to make safer, healthier life choices
Detached youth workers, work across the borough five evenings a week and in locations identified as needing greater engagement with young people and partners. The work may take place for several weeks or several months depending on the identified need.
Find out more about youth provision and activities in Dudley borough
You can find out more about other youth provision and recreation activities available in the borough using the following resources:
Democracy and decision making is as important for young people as anyone else. It is often the case that young people struggle to have their views taken into account. The youth services work with young people to support them in having a voice in areas that concern them.
This takes place through local youth forums, authority-wide youth councils, project/unit level committees, as well as through other routes that aren’t committee based.
Dudley is part of a West Midlands-wide youth work network which seeks to share good practice, provide peer support and bring young people together to enhance youth voice delivery.
The youth council was set up in Dudley in 1997 and is supported by the youth service. DYC is a group of young people aged 11-19 (and up to 25 for those with special educational needs) who work to improve things for all young people in the borough.
DYC provides the council and other organisations with the opportunity to work with young people on borough wide policies as well as offering young people a forum to discuss issues which affect them and other young people.
Young people are supported to manage DYC through a management committee, constitution and electing to have thematic subgroups that progress identified campaigns and projects.
Members of the Youth Parliament (MYP) are elected locally and supported by their constituency. There are 359 seats across 201 constituencies.
a) Any young person aged 11-18 can stand to be an MYP b) An MYP must stand down on their 19th birthday. Persons aged 19 and over will not be able to attend national events such as the Annual Sitting and the House of Commons.
Dudley has two elected Members of Youth Parliament who stand for two years.
The role includes:
promote the positive work of UKYP
attend and participate in all BYC Conventions, Annual Siting and the UKYP House of Commons Sitting • create UKYP policy and campaigns • meet regularly with other youth councils and forums in their area • speak on behalf of their constituents • take the views of their constituents to BYC Conventions, the Annual Sitting and the House of Commons Sitting and report on local campaigns • ensure that the work of UKYP is not affiliated with any political party
The Children in Care Council in Dudley is called Make a Difference and supports young people in care to have a say on issues that matter to them.
The group members are all looked after children / young people aged 11-18 who meet every two weeks to discuss topics they feel are important, and to provide an opportunity to get their views heard by adult decision makers.
The Children in Care Council do lots of different things which include:
Writing and sending newsletters, updates and questionnaires to young people
Representing young people’s views on issues that affect their lives
Organising events for young people in care so they can have their say
Designing a website for looked after young people
Working with other organisations to make sure looked after young people’s voices are heard
Regular activities to celebrate their work
Attending events in the West Midlands and elsewhere in the country
Having FUN!!
If you are looked after or a care leaver and are interested in getting involved, get in touch with Darren Foley (Youth Participation Officer - Children Looked After/Care Leavers) on 01384 815172 or darren.foley@dudley.gov.uk
The Care Leavers Forum is open to people aged 16+ who are leaving care in Dudley borough and provides them with the chance to have a say in the way services are provided.
The project is committed to enabling care leavers to participate in decision making processes in order to inform and improve services for all care leavers.
