Following a successful three year programme, Better Tomorrows now has five years of funding through the National Lottery Community Fund and Cumbria Community Foundation who are match funding. This will continue to encourage people within Cumbria to become accredited in youth work and substantially increase the number of young people having access to support from youth workers to help them reach their full potential.
This unique initiative will provide accredited training to more than a hundred people as well as offer grants of up to £75,000 over three years to community organisations setting up or providing new youth work opportunities for local people.
High-quality youth work has a crucial role to play supporting many young people to achieve their full potential. Through informal and non-formal educational approaches, effective youth work practice builds the capacity and resilience of young people and can change young people’s lives for the better. Through participation in youth work, young people gain confidence and competence, develop self-assurance, and have the opportunity to establish high expectations and aspirations for themselves.
Become a qualified youth worker
To find out more about our youth work qualification or to book onto the next cohort please email juan@cya.org.uk
LEVEL 2 AWARD IN YOUTH WORK PRACTICE
The Level 2 Award is suitable if you are a new Youth Work practitioner who is working in a role that provides or needs some support from a qualified practitioner.
These qualifications are designed for people who are already working in a youth work environment (public, voluntary or private sector, paid or unpaid) in an assisting or supportive role and who are supervised.
Youth workers work typically with young people aged between 11 and 25. Their work seeks to promote young people's personal and social development and enable them to have a voice, influence and place in their communities and society as a whole. The L2 Award is suitable for ages 18+ who may have limited experience of youth work and want an access route to a qualification.
Units you will cover:
- Theory of Youth Work
- Safeguarding in a Youth Work setting
- Young people's development
- Engaging and communicating with young people
Time commitment (each unit will consist of the following):
- Two seminars
- One workbook support session
- Optional one-to-one session
- Independent learning per unit (between 7-14 hours)
Running on:
- Online
- Course length: 6 months*
LEVEL 3 CERTIFICATE IN YOUTH WORK PRACTICE
The Level 3 Certificate in Youth Work Practice is the minimum qualification required for those wishing to work as a JNC qualified Youth Support Worker.
Certificate in Youth Work Practice aims to support the skills and knowledge needed to become a competent Youth Support Worker.
This qualification is designed for people who are already working in a youth work environment (public, voluntary or private sector, paid or unpaid) and who deliver operational youth work; undertake duties on their own initiative and who may carry supervisory responsibility for small projects. Workers with these responsibilities will receive leadership and operational guidance from professionally qualified youth workers.
Units you will cover:
- Theory of Youth Work
- Engaging and communicating with young people
- Young people’s development
- Safeguarding in a Youth Work setting
- Working with behaviour that challenges in Youth Work settings
- Reflective practice in a Youth Work setting
- Group work within a Youth Work setting
- Work-based practice in Youth Work
- Anti-discriminatory practice in Youth Work
Time commitment (each unit will consist of the following):
- Two seminars
- One workbook support session
- Optional one-to-one session
- Independent learning per unit (between 7-14 hours)
Running on:
- Online
- Course length: 12 months*
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Before applying to the course please check that you can fully commit to the learning journey:
- Learners must have a placement (paid or voluntary) working in a youth work setting with young people aged between 12 -18 for at least 2 hours per week if they are completing the Level 3 course.
- Learners will need to have a current DBS check and ideally have some hands-on experience of working with young people in youth work settings.
- Learners will need to deliver a project to a group of young people during the course, it is important to have access to groups of young people.
- All learners should have a supervisor who will be able to support and guide them throughout the duration of the course. The supervisor will need to be able to assess and provide evidence that relates to the learning outcomes for the course.
- Training will take place online, learners must be able to access Zoom and have an appropriate device and data.
- Learners must have time to take on independent learning, produce evidence and a portfolio of work.
- To get the most out of the course, and be able to provide the necessary evidence to meet the assessment criteria NOCN suggests that learners need:
- Sound literacy skills
- Sound communication skills
- Study skills Ability to think analytically
And be able to:
- Read and interpret given tasks
- Write answers that are clear, logical and understandable
- Organise relevant information clearly and coherently
- Apply underpinning knowledge and skills in the field through work activity or placement
FAQS
1. Do I have to attend in person?
The training will take place online, you need to be able to access video conferencing (Zoom) and have access to an appropriate device.
2. Do I have to start at Level 2?
No, you can start on the course that is most relevant to the learners current role in practice. Please see below.
3. What’s the difference between Level 2 and 3?
The Level 3 Certificate is suitable if you need minimal support and is the qualification required for those wishing to work as a JNC qualified Youth Support Worker.
The Level 2 Award is suitable if you are a new Youth Work practitioner who is working in a role that provides or needs some support from a qualified practitioner.
4. I have a number of people in my organisation who want to access the training. Are there any limits?
The Bursary funding is limited and in order to get as many people across the NW trained up we will limit the number of places that each organisation can access, priority will be given individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds or underrepresented groups in the youth sector workforce and to those organisations who haven’t benefited from previous rounds of funding or who are located in areas that haven't accessed the funding yet.
5. I don’t work in a youth centre can I still apply?
The courses are for people who are delivering Youth Work, you must be working/volunteering in a youth work setting and seeing young people on a regular basis.
6. I’m a volunteer. Can I still apply?
Yes, the bursaries are available for paid staff and volunteers.
7. Do I have to pay?
The courses are fully funded by The National Lottery Community Foundation, it is really important that you can commit to completing the course.
8. What written work is involved?
The courses are portfolio based. Each unit consists of a workbook that would be completed and supplemented by additional evidence gathered from the learners practice including, session plans, supervision notes and project reports.
9. I’ve already done my L2. Can I top up to Level 3?
Yes, Level 2 consists of the first 4 units of the Level 3 certificate. To see if this is possible, we would need a copy of your certificate and to understand when you completed the Level 2. We are happy to discuss this on an individual basis. Please contact us to discuss.
10. How will you choose who gets a place on the course?
The number of Bursary places available are limited, in order to make the process as fair as possible, we will limit the number of places organisations are allocated and will use the following points to prioritise applicants.
Priorities:
- Currently practising in a Youth Work setting
- Individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds or underrepresented groups in the youth sector workforce
- Sufficient number of face-to-face practice hours
- Wouldn’t have opportunity or access to Youth Work qualifications
- Has full support of employer/sponsor
- Areas that are underrepresented in previous bursary rounds
11. How long does the course take to complete?
The Level 2 Course takes 6 months to complete. The Level 3 course takes 12 months to complete.
Why youth work?
Youth work is an intrinsic element of youth support services, which seek to ensure that all 11 to 25-year-olds have access to activities, support, and experiences they need to achieve their potential. Locally delivered youth work programmes have long been a cornerstone in our communities, providing young people with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to speak to.
For some, they represent a fun place where they can spend time with their friends, relax and gain new skills. For others, they provide a safe space with a trusted adult who is someone they can turn to at times when they feel they have no one else and support them in their transition toward adulthood.
It has an important contribution to make in supporting young people to succeed in education, feel safe and resilient, stay healthy, play a positive role in their communities, build transferrable skills relevant to the workplace environment, and make informed life choices.
Youth workers are often the very first to spot harm to young people or the emergence of anti-social behaviour and divisive ideologies, and they can address such issues before they became social problems.
Highly qualified youth workers are a valuable asset, not only to the communities they work in but to the county as a whole. They support positive outcomes for young people but are an essential feature of the wider educational offer they need in order to succeed.
To read the full Better Tomorrow's proposal please click here