Ms Fiona Kearney:

In terms of the recognition of the sector, there are a couple of things from our perspective. That was the original question, although we have moved into consideration of another piece. As everybody mentioned, the fundamental point is that youth work is based on the relationships between young people and youth workers. Everything we do is based on that. It is why the way we run services and do things is so different. It is about the people and the relationships that are built. The sector is losing experienced and good quality youth workers. At a basic level, the terms and conditions for youth workers need to be reviewed. We need to recognise that the starting point is that relationship. We want to retain good people in the sector.

We must also consider change when talking about the recognition of the sector. We talked about centre-based models, street work and all of that. Things have changed for young people because of Covid-19. Things have changed in our statutory services and in respect of societal issues. As those things change, they change the situation for young people. Things are worse for young people on the ground. We are trying to deal with the day-to-day issues that young people face. We want to run groups and drop-ins. That is all the stuff we are encouraged to do. We are sometimes asked why we work with all the bold kids. We are actually asked that question. That is who we are supposed to work with.

We need to think about adding to youth services and not waiting until young people interact with the justice system. We need a case management model to allow us to free youth workers so they can be responsive on a day-to-day basis. Consider young people who come to us because there has been violence in their homes. They are in bits. Perhaps they brought their little sisters to school but are not going into school themselves. Those young people need assistance from their youth workers there and then. They cannot be told they need to go into a group now because it does not work like that. We need to be able to be responsive to young people in the contexts they are currently in. We need to recognise that. The statutory services are not working for young people. The child and adolescent mental health service, CAMHS, does not work for our young people. It is a centre-based model and it does not work. It did not work even before the situation in respect of waiting lists arose. We are trying to drag young people to appointments. We are spending hours going out to their homes to get them. They are then being discharged because they are being told they are not engaging with medication even though there are no reviews or therapeutic services in place. We need to recognise that youth workers are doing all of these things, connecting young people with these statutory services that do not work. We need the time on the ground to do this. We hope the politicians will sort out all the biggest statutory and societal issues and let us do the work on the ground. However, we need to be resourced to do that. We need to be able to be responsive as youth workers or case workers, whatever we are, alongside all the other stuff. The other stuff, including drop-ins, groups and all the issues-based stuff, is great. We will meet all the outcomes of the UBU model through that but we may not meet them through this. We need to think about crisis management and day-to-day services. Ultimately, that work, if we are allowed to do it, gets young people to a certain point, whether it takes place at the Canal Communities Regional Service, the house in Cherry Orchard or in the streets by the shops in Ballyfermot. Wherever we need to do it, we will, but we need time, space, resources and the ability to be responsive. The sector needs to change in response to the current issues we are facing. The first step is to recognise the value of youth work and pay youth workers properly.