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Cllr Ursula Woolley: 'very encouraging' |
Report fuels debate over ‘kids left to roam streets’
Inspectors are critical but say enough is spent on young people
INSPECTORS have criticised the uneven quality of youth clubs in Islington.
Their criticisms come as parents complain that teenagers are being left to roam the streets because there is not enough to do.
While Ofsted inspectors said a number of the council’s youth services needed to be brought up to date, the council “offered satisfactory value for money”.
Some of their criticisms give weight to arguments that there are not enough youth clubs or activities to keep young people off the streets and out of trouble.
For example, residents living on Spring Gardens estate in Highbury have long complained about a lack of youth workers. Last summer, the axing of funding for youth workers in the area was blamed for a mini-crimewave.
The Ofsted report states: “Programmes in youth clubs and projects vary in scope, quality and effectiveness. While many programmes tackle important issues such as race and culture others do not.
“The historical location of some provision, including that commissioned through the voluntary sector is not based on a current-needs analysis. Some areas of the borough are less well served than others.”
Maria Michael, a community worker who lives on Spring Gardens estate, said: “It’s simple – there’s not enough youth clubs and that means these young people end up on the streets getting into mischief.
“There’s not enough support for them and that is caused by a lack of money in the Town Hall’s kitty.
“We need more detached youth workers here to liaise with parents.”
She added: “This lack of youth provision is letting our children roam the streets. They get bored and get into trouble.”
Islington Council’s ruling Lib Dems have repeatedly come under fire from opposition Labour councillors for cutting money for youth provision.
But inspectors found the council provides “adequate youth work that delivers satisfactory value for money”.
Their report states: “The service reaches a good proportion of teenagers. While the standards of young people’s achievements are good there is a body of work that lacks an educational focus.”
It adds that premises for youth clubs “vary greatly in quality”. The report says: “The vision for young people’s services is insufficiently defined or communicated.”
But Lib Dem councillor Ursula Woolley, Islington’s children’s chief, brushed aside the criticisms and called the report “very encouraging”.
Last year £5.69 million was spent on youth services, £5.11 million is projected to be spent this year.
She said: “Our youth work is rated as good and, more importantly, reaches a good proportion of teenagers. Where young people do behave anti-socially, and that is the exception, the council and other agencies work well together to tackle it.”
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