This sticky giving information about how you can be involved in the campaign – notice of meetings, social networking opportunities – will always be the first item on the Blog. For the latest posting of news and opinion scroll down!
Reports from the regional meetings will be put on a separate page, REGIONAL REPORTS – click on the link in the right hand column. Try to have a look as they give a real feel for how things are growing. SEE BELOW FOR THE REPORT FROM THE SEPTEMBER 21 NORTH-EAST WORKSHOP, which we’ll keep on this page for a few weeks as it raises all manner of important issues.
LATEST NEWS FROM THE IN DEFENCE OF YOUTH WORK CAMPAIGN
The first National Open Steering Group of the In Defence campaign
will take place on Friday, November 13 at the Britannia Hotel, Almond
Brook Road, Standish, Wigan WN6 ODT, starting at 12 noon. The latest
finish will be 4.00 p.m, whilst those attending the Federation of
Detached Work conference will have to leave at 2.30 p.m. We’ll put
travel information on the In Defence site – it’s very easy to get to
via the M6.
Britannia Hotel, Standish, Wigan WN6 ODT
At this moment we are expecting representatives from the North-East,
South-East, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the North-West. It is
important to underline that all individual supporters are very
welcome. We need to hear a diversity of voices.
A rough agenda for starters might be:
- Agreement to a Chair and a note-taker.
- Introductions
- A brief Overview of the Campaign thus far
- Regional reports
- Observations from individual supporters
- National Conference [viability; date; venue; structure ;theme;
speakers; costs etc...]
I’m conscious that Don and Andy from the North-East will have prepared
a pamphlet based on their meetings, which will inform our thinking
about the conference. It may be that they present this under regional
reports.
As a taster these are some of the emerging themes/areas of concern
highlighted by Don and Andy:
- Workers feeling like their principles/values are under attack
- Workers feeling like they don’t believe in what they are doing
(moral distress)
- Workers hating targeting agendas(targeted youth service ;YIP Top 50;
targeting Asian males; P.V.E agenda; anti-social behaviour/kids off
the streets; diverting money away from girls work towards challenging
males]
- Workers feeling there isn’t adequate informed training /education
for youth workers that leads them to questions/challenge.
- Volunteering being undermined and rebranded/used as cheap labour,
- Voluntary nature of youth work relationship under attack,
- the profession being turned towards case work/individualisation
- young people under attack/rights being taken away.
Suggestions/comments re the agenda appreciated. Hoping you might make
it.
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September witnessed two regional meetings, one in London, t’other in Newcastle. The South-East meeting was held in the impressive council chamber of the Deptford Town Hall, where a couple of dozen people were dwarfed by the surroundings. Indeed there were a host of apologies for absence underlining the organisers’ concern that the date fell too close to both summer activity schemes and holidays. Nevertheless the discussion led off by Tony Taylor and Bernard Davies was vibrant and the atmosphere supportive. Up in the North-East 65 people heard rousing speeches by Tony Jeffs and Jean Spence, sparking once more an animated debate. Hopefully we will be carrying on the web site fuller accounts of these events. In addition the West Midlands have held their second steering group meeting and, as will be seen later, there has been significant informal activity in other parts of the country.
Amongst the issues and areas of concern being brought up are:
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The need to clarify what the In Defence campaign hopes to achieve – what might be realistically possible? For some it has been rewarding simply to escape from isolation into a challenging and supportive atmosphere. Others are anxious to move to an agitational programme of demands.
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Does the Open Letter itself need to be revised? Do we require a shorter, snappier statement of intent?
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Of what significance is the idea of core Youth Work values? Is it a unifying or divisive concept? Tony Taylor’s input to the London meeting reflected on these questions and will shortly appear on the web site.
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How do we deal within our ranks with the tension between theory and practice, between supposed ‘thinkers and ‘doers’? Following upon Jean Spence’s throwing down of the intellectual gauntlet in Leeds there has been a rumbustious exchange of views on the site, the latest of which sees Bernard Davies owning up to being the guilty party, who used the word ‘hegemony’ a few months ago!
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Yet again the necessity of compiling our story of events echoed across our discussions. We would urge supporters to let us have their tales and analyses to counter the National ’spin’.
During the month a group of us [Don and Sarah from the North-East, Tania from the South-East, together with Tony] attended the Social Work Action Network [SWAN] conference in Bath. This allowed us time together to dwell on how things are going – a sort of tiny informal, national steering group! Some of our discussion is reflected in the issues identified above. On the final day we presented a workshop on our campaign, within which Tony sketched the backcloth, whilst Don and Tania painted in the detail via reference respectively to their experience of Integrated Support Services and of the surveillance of young people. We made some really useful contacts and were invited to take up a place on the SWAN steering group. Desiring to take up this offer we said that we would see if we could find a couple of our people to job share the position. Thus at this moment it would be great to hear from anyone, who would like to step into this role. Was this discussed at the North-East meeting? Latest news is that there will be a SWAN steering group meeting in Manchester on Saturday, October 17 or 31.
It’s heartening to report that the Northern conference of UNITE’s Youth &Community Workers and Not for Profit Sector passed a motion in support of the In Defence campaign. This resolution will now be debated at the National conference of this newly created sector on November 26. Thanks to Doug and company for their efforts.
Inspired by Jim’s suggestion in London, a number of discussions – in and out of the pub – have taken place regarding our response to the insidious culture of commissioning and tendering within the work. Given the depth of expertise and experience within our ranks we are contemplating seriously forming a collective, which could make measured and coherent bids for services, all the better to expose the internal incoherence of the whole process. If you would like to be involved in this subversive exercise, please get in touch.
Because of a looming legal challenge the workers in Coventry are having to ballot afresh. As it is the Council seem to be intent on putting the Services out to tender. As Doug indicates this bureaucratic move will allow further time within which to mobilise wider solidarity.
Looking ahead the following diary of events is taking shape:
During National Youth Work Week, November 1-7 focused on being ‘Resilient and Resourceful’, the Youth Association South Yorkshire, together with the University and Sheffield Futures, are organising an event, which will include an In Defence workshop. Date and details to follow.
Thursday, November 19, an In Defence seminar aimed at students and practitioners to be hosted by the Huddersfield University.
Please book so that the organisers have a sense of how many might be turning up!
booking form – Huddersfield Nov 19
In addition it is looking likely that there will be a South Yorkshire and Derbyshire meeting in Sheffield on November 17 or 18. To our delight supporters in Cumbria are exploring the possibility of a gathering there in the near future.
As ever your criticisms and comments welcomed.
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR NEWS OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE – HAPPENING SOMETIME, SOMEWHERE IN THE EARLY NEW YEAR
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