Youth Work Policy review - Youth practitioners survey
Department of Education Youth Work
The Department of Education (DE) invests circa £36m per annum in youth work to support and encourage children and young people to mature and reach their full potential as valued individuals and responsible citizens. Youth work is valued for its contribution to personal and social development and to encourage engagement or re-engagement in positive learning.
The 'Priorities for Youth – Improving young people’s lives through Youth Work’ policy was published in October 2013 and has continued to be implemented working alongside key stakeholders. The policy is currently under review with a view to publishing a new policy in late 2026.
Youth Work Policy Review and Development
The aim of the Priorities for Youth Policy Review is to:
- Develop and agree a forward-looking youth policy for consideration and approval by the Education Minister which delivers the best outcomes for children and young people and contributes to achieving their full education potential.
The objectives of the Youth Policy Review are to:
- Consider the effectiveness of the policy in achieving planned benefits and outcomes for children and young people; and
- Explore options for improvement.
The Department has committed to a co-design with young people, youth sector representatives (Statutory, Regional Voluntary & Local Voluntary) and academia.
Youth Practitioner Engagement
As part of the policy review process, the Department is engaging those involved in delivering youth work on a paid or volunteer basis in relation to the development of a new youth work policy. The engagement will take the form of a survey https://forms.office.com/r/9XsME0zCbW?origin=lprLink and a number of focus groups (details to follow).
The survey will close on 17/02/2025. Those completing the survey should read the background and GDPR prior to completing. Any queries in relation to the survey should be sent to youth.services@education-ni.gov.uk
Youth Work Practitioner Survey
This survey is part of the Department of Education’s (DE’s) consultation with youth work practitioners, to inform the review and development of youth work policy and subsequent DE funded youth work.
The survey is to be completed by youth work volunteers, leaders and/or part- or full-time staff, across Northern Ireland and should take around 10 minutes to complete. Please answer all the questions as fully as you can. A link to the survey can be found here.
Your responses to the survey questions will be treated in the strictest confidence by DE and no individual will be identified or identifiable in any report of the survey.
The survey complies with the Data Protection Act 2018 including The UK GDPR | ICO.
The Privacy Notice – Youth Practitioner Survey explains the legislative basis for the survey and your data protection rights.