Shaping the Future of Youth Work in Northern Ireland
The Department of Education has launched a significant public consultation on its draft policy statement, Stronger Futures: A Northern Ireland Youth Work Policy Statement. This is an important opportunity to help shape the future of youth services and ensure children and young people aged 4–25 continue to benefit from meaningful, accessible and high-quality support.
The policy sets out a strategic direction for youth work over the coming years, focusing on six key themes: improving services, strengthening evidence-based outcomes, supporting the youth workforce, making the best use of funding and facilities, refining organisational structures, and building stronger partnerships.
With an emphasis on prevention, collaboration and effective use of resources, Stronger Futures has the potential to strengthen youth work and deliver lasting benefits for young people, local communities and public services.
The deadline for the public consultation has been extended to 30 October 2026, giving youth workers, volunteers, parents, young people and community organisations further opportunity to contribute their views and help shape the final policy.
You can access the consultation and find out how to respond here:
Youth Initiatives Responds to the Consultation
Youth Initiatives has welcomed the ambition and overall direction of Stronger Futures, particularly its commitment to enabling the Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS) to take a leading role in the delivery of youth services.
In our response, we have highlighted several opportunities to strengthen the policy and support a successful transition towards this vision. We believe that recognising the expertise, experience and existing capacity of the Community and Voluntary Sector will be essential to building a strong, sustainable and effective youth work service across Northern Ireland.
Our response focuses on four key recommendations:
Clarify what “stepping back” means. Establish a transparent five-part decision-making framework, supported by practical examples for both local youth work delivery and regional support services.
Strengthen engagement with the Community and Voluntary Sector. Create a formal channel for communication between the CVS and the Department of Education, operating independently of Education Authority processes. This could take the form of a Youth Service Liaison Forum or a similar mechanism.
Recognise the strength of the existing sector. Position the CVS as an established and capable partner, acknowledging the skills, experience and infrastructure already in place to support young people and communities.
Provide clarity on recurrent funding. Confirm that ongoing funding will follow the delivery of youth services, supporting both local provision and regional support services and helping organisations plan confidently for the future.
We believe these recommendations build on the commitments already set out in Stronger Futures. They are intended to help translate the policy’s ambitions into practical action, without extending its scope or requiring additional funding allocations. By addressing key structural barriers, they can help create the conditions needed for a positive and sustainable transition.
Working Together for a Stronger Future
Youth Initiatives believes this consultation is a valuable opportunity to work collaboratively towards a youth work service that recognises the contribution of all partners and puts the needs, voices and potential of young people at its heart.
We encourage everyone with an interest in youth work to consider responding to the consultation before 30 October 2026.
If you would like to discuss this article, explore the recommendations in our response, or receive support in preparing your own consultation response, please get in touch with us at office@youthinitiatives.com.
Together, we can help shape a stronger future for youth work in Northern Ireland.
