Youth work and youth justice in England and Wales: the history of a tense and troubled relationship

This chapter looks at developments within youth work policy and practice identifies various times which have provided opportunities for youth work to make a contribution to recent welfarist approaches emerging in youth justice settings. The chapter further explores the apparent paradox between the two settings, in that participation of youth workers in youth justice system programmes has often been seen as an unwanted and unnecessary departure from a welfarist approach. The chapter further argues that the punitive and targeted nature of youth justice settings perhaps undermines the youth work profession’s core commitment to open-access youth work, voluntary engagement and provision of universally accessible, non-stigmatising facilities.