November EC Meeting 2019

Only Young Once

National pay scales and conditions The JNC represents and provides tangible recognition of the professional identity of qualified workers. The findings from the APPG for Youth Affairs make clear that the JNC terms and conditions are fit for purpose and supported widely across the sector, including by employers from statutory and voluntary sector youth work providers.

Under Labour, the JNC through the national body for youth work will:

Safeguarding In addition to training and qualifications in youth work practice, youth workers need to be aware of and confident in implementing safeguarding processes relating to young people. They should understand risks young people face and be familiar with and able to use local protocols for assessing and referring young people for specialist support. Local authorities will have important roles to play in this, as do individual youth sector employers, who should ensure that their workforce is fully competent in working collaboratively with other professions and agencies involved in young people’s lives. • Undertake the professional validation of training and qualification programmes, approved by both the Education Training Standards Committee (ETS) and the national body for youth work • Be directly incorporated into any protection of title or youth work registered through ETS and the national body for youth work • Validate and scrutinise training across the spectrum, from volunteer levels to higher education programmes, this would ensure a greater consistency in the training offer and that there is a clear pathway and staged learning process

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