All resources

In this edition of The Link, it's all about youth work and the arts, both using creativity in our youth work approach as well as our contribution to the arts nurturing future musicians, artists, film stars and producers.

#Arts and Culture

The Link Spring 2015: Equality

Giving all young people an equal chance in life is right at the core of a truly great society. In this edition, read how the youth work sector is challenging the exclusion of young people.

#Equalities

The Link Autumn 2014: Digital youth work

The focus for this edition is digital youth work. We highlight how the sector is embracing social media channels and digital technology, and give practical examples of how digital can be used to enhance the quality of youth work.

#Youth Work

The Link Summer 2014: Youth work and sport

Sport and youth work need to begin to rearticulate our mutual relationships and we hope that the examples created as part of the Commonwealth Games legacy will begin that renewal and expansion of work involving sport and youth work.

The Link Spring 2014: Outdoor learning

In this edition of The Link, we explore how outdoor learning has been an integral part of youth work practice for more than 100 years.

#Active youth work

Learning through Lockdown – the impact of youth work summer 2020

Our new report captures the breadth and depth of opportunities provided by the youth work sector during this most extraordinary of schools summer holidays.

#Active youth work

New document

Youth work and employability position paper

This youth work and employability position paper outlines the crucial role of the youth work sector in Scotland's social and economic renewal in the aftermath of Covid-19 - by developing young people's skills and providing them with a solid, lasting foundation from which to build a brighter future.

#Employability and Skills

New document

Reopening of Indoor Youth Work Toolkit

Youth Scotland's toolkit is designed to be a practical resource for community-based youth groups who are planning to return to indoor youth work in accordance with the national Youth Work Guidance.

Detached Youth Work Guidelines

These guidelines aim to provide a structure for refreshing/revisiting detached and outreach youth work in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

#Active youth work

Outdoor Learning and Education Recovery

This document provides information on opportunities to collaborate with outdoor learning organisations in the Covid-19 recovery phase. It is intended to support local authorities and school leaders, reflecting Scottish Government guidance on working with partners, to plan and deliver Curriculum for Excellence in the Recovery Phase and ensure continuity of learning.

#Learning and Attainment

COVID-19 Education Recovery: Youth work – A Guide for Schools

Developed with the Youth Work COVID-19 Recovery Group, this document explains how youth work can help schools to close the poverty-related attainment gap and improve outcomes for all children and young people.

Youth work: Supporting young people through and out of lockdown: A statement on behalf of the youth work sector in Scotland

Developed with the Youth Work COVID-19 Recovery Group, this document outlines the planned approach to the delivery of youth work with children and young people through and out of each phase of lockdown.

#Active youth work

#Power of Youth Hear It Guide

Want to harness the #PowerOfYouth through a listening and engagement exercise? Download the 'Hear It Guide' for top tips on: Co-design, representation, facilitation and safeguarding.

#PowerOfYouth

Scotland's #IWill ambassadors have created youth social action challenges that young people can do from home during Volunteers' Week.

#Volunteering

Youth Work Strategy Progress Report Final

Covid-19 Youth Work Sector Leaders Survey Report

YouthLink Scotland surveyed Scotland's youth work sector leaders in the immediate aftermath of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions coming into force. This report outlines both the response of the sector as well as the primary concerns about how the sector moves forward.

Lockdown Lowdown Full Analysis

A full analysis of the Lockdown Lowdown survey, including breakdowns of key demographics to fully explore how young people are being impacted by Covid-19.

Lockdown Lowdown Key Findings Report

#LockdownLowdown surveyed over 2500 young people from every community in Scotland to share their concerns about COVID-19. The results will help to identify what young people in Scotland are worried about in relation to COVID-19 – and the wider impact it’s having on their lives.

Safeguarding checklist for online youth work

Our safeguarding checklist is here to support you as you navigate safety in your digital youth work – a guide to help you think it through for yourself and your organisation.

#Youth Work

Impact of Community-Based Universal Youth Work in Dumfries and Galloway

This report details the finding of a research study in Dumfries and Galloway. The study explored the impact of community-based universal youth work on young people who participated in these services.

#Youth Work

YouthLink Scotland Annual Report 2019-20

Download our latest Annual Report to discover how we've been supporting the sector to deliver youth work that changes lives across Scotland.

#Youth Work

Toolkit - Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse Animation Film

A marketing toolkit for Police Scotland’s animation film ‘Information for Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse’ .

#InvestInYouthWork Campaign Toolkit

This toolkit suggests ways in which you can tie in your current plans for Youth Work Week to the campaign on securing investment in all youth work.

#Youth Work

Hear.EU Report: Brexit and Youth Work in Scotland

This report presents the findings of a project to explore the impact of leaving the EU on the youth work sector and the experience of youth workers in discussing political issues with young people. This project has been funded by the Scottish Government Brexit Stakeholder Engagement Fund.

#Youth Work

The Impact of Leaving the EU on the Youth Work Sector in Scotland (1)

Briefing paper prepared by the University of the West of Scotland and the University of Glasgow looking at the impact of leaving the EU on the youth work sector.

#Youth Work

Annual Report 17 - 18

Take a look at what YouthLink Scotland achieved in 2017 - 18 year in our latest annual report.

#Youth Work

Children in Scotland 25 Calls | Call 20: Deliver a workforce that works for children

We've been working with Children in Scotland on their #25Calls campaign which shares Scotland’s hopes and ambitions for future generations and achieving real change. Take a look at our joint call.

#Employability and Skills

Children in Scotland and YouthLink Scotland: Work with us

Children in Scotland and YouthLink Scotland aim to make the Year of Young People 2018 a catalyst for ALL children and young people to have a voice in decisions that affect them.

#Youth Work

Rural Youth Project 2018 Survey Report

Outward migration of young people is a challenge for rural areas all over the world and is pertinent in Scotland which has a significant rural landscape. The Rural Youth Project was initiated by agricultural and rural communication specialists Jane Craigie Marketing (JCM) in early 2018 to find out more about young people living rurally and their challenges, aspirations and needs, in order to support the future of participating countries’ rural youth.

#Youth Work

Activity Agreements Sustainability research 2018.pdf

This research considers what young people need to keep them in employment, education or training beyond the duration of their Activity Agreement.

#Employability and Skills

Unlocking the Potential of Erasmus+ 2017

YouthLink Scotland Annual Report 2016-17

How we delivered outcomes that change lives.

#National

Reach: Advice for young people needing support with their education

#Learning and Attainment

PLAIN TEXT Young people and inclusive youth work: a guide to social reporting

*Plain text version* Produced as part of the ALL IN project, this guide will support practitioners to run social reporting with young people.

Young people and inclusive youth work: a guide to social reporting

Produced as part of the ALL IN project, this guide will support practitioners to run social reporting with young people.

Playing Together: a Post-Symposium Report 2016

Delivering the Participative Democracy Certificate guidance notes

This guide outlines how YouthLink Scotland members can deliver and award the PDC.

Participative Democracy Certificate portfolio templates

Participative Democracy Certificate proposal form

Use this form to propose your youth work group or project for the PDC.

Research Priorities Leaflet Final.pdf

On Your Marks: a Games legacy for Scotland

This plan sets out the Scottish Government's aspirations before, during and after the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Guidance on the Development of the Participative Democracy Certificate

This report demonstrates how YouthLink Scotland developed the Participative Democracy Certificate and highlights its potential use across youth work, adult learning and community capacity building.

#Participation and Rights

Mosaics of Meaning: Partnerships with black and minority ethnic communities to promote mental health

This handbook for health improvement practitioners describes how a series of interventions delivered by the NHS, voluntary sector and user-led organisations in Glasgow sought to tackle stigma in mental health with BME communities.

#Health and Wellbeing

Complying with the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers

This toolkit has been prepared to help agencies understand and evidence how the advice service they provide complies with the Scottish National Standard for Information and Advice Providers.

#Participation and Rights

Making an Impact: CLD case studies

These case studies illustrate why local authorities and their community planning partners must reflect on how they can maximise the contribution that CLD makes to achieving agreed national and local outcomes.

#Evaluation

Let's Prove It: providing evidence on outcomes of community learning and development activities

All providers of services to the public face the challenge of showing how their activities help to achieve desirable social and economic outcomes. This guide will help you say more about the difference you make in the lives of individuals, groups and communities.

#Evaluation

Bridging the Generation Gap

A report on intergenerational practice within the youth work sector.

#Youth Work

Allegations against Residential Workers: guidance on how agencies should Respond

This guidance is for all providers of residential child care services, child protection personnel in local authorities, and youth workers who work with young people cared for by local authorities or other contracted organisations.

#National

Mentoring Works

This YMCA Scotland report highlights the positive results of their PlusOne Mentoring scheme.

Young people and Curriculum for Excellence – building capacities through youth work

This publication highlights practice examples of how youth work is delivering the Curriculum for Excellence related to the four capacities, experiences and outcomes.

Youth work's role in improving employment

A useful resource that sumarises how youth work can help improve youth employment.

#Employability and Skills

The benefits of youth work for employability skills

A useful resource that summaries the benefits of youth work for employability skills.

#Employability and Skills

Youth work and the Curriculum for Excellence

A useful resource that summarises how youth work helps to deliver on the key outcomes of Curriculum for Excellence.

The Golden Rules for Participation

The Golden Rules for Participation are a set of principles designed to help anyone working with, and for, children and young people. Their purpose is to remind adults of what participation means from the point of view of children and young people, and to encourage children and young people to think about what they need from adults to support them to participate.

#Participation and Rights

YouthLink Scotland Strategic Plan 2013-18

Whatever the future of Scotland holds for its young people, this document describes high level priorities for YouthLink Scotland, the national agency for youth work.

Action on Sectarianism Annual Report 2014-15

How Action on Sectarianism delivered its key outcomes for 2014-15.

YouthLink Scotland Annual Report 2014-15

How we delivered outcomes that change lives.

How good is the learning and development in our community?

This refreshed resource support community learning and development professionals to self-evaluate for improvement.

#Evaluation

How Good is Our Third Sector Organisation?

This publication was developed by Education Scotland to support third sector organisations to better self-evaluate for improvement.

The National Improvement Framework for Scotland

This Scottish Government publication sets out their vision and priorities for Scotland's children's progress in learning.

#Learning and Attainment

Delivering excellence and equity in Scottish education

This Scottish Government publication outlines the steps the Governemnt will take to achieve the improvements needed to close the gap in attainment between the least and most disadvantaged young people in Scotland.

#Learning and Attainment

YouthLink Scotland Annual Report 2015-16

How we delivered outcomes that change lives.

Looking Forward Not Back: what contribution can youth work make to tackling sectarianism?

The Looking Forward Not Back (LFNB) project was developed and delivered by YouthLink Scotland in partnership with young people and youth workers from five youth work organisations across Scotland. This report explains what we did in LFNB, why we did it, how we did it and what we found.

Declaration of the 2nd European youth work convention

This Declaration, prepared within the framework of the Belgian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, is addressed to the Member States of the Council of Europe, the multilateral organisations (the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations), other European institutions, and political structures concerned with young people at national, regional and local level, the youth work field and young people themselves.

Youth work in Scotland

Understand what youth work is, what youth work does and evidence to support the case for youth work.

Growing better youth work: a guide to strengthening your volunteer team

This guide provides an overall picture of how volunteering works for different youth groups and organisations in Scotland.

#Volunteering

No Limits: volunteering as a model of youth development

No Limits is for youth work providers who want to support young people as volunteers – as peer educators, junior leaders, activists, or simply as part of their overall youth work programme.

#Volunteering

The Activity Agreement Model

How the Activity Agreement approach can support flexibility and choice in the development of Curriculum for Excellence senior phase learning and pathways

#Employability and Skills

YouthLink Scotland Westminster manifesto

Impact of Community-Based Universal Youth Work in Dumfries and Galloway

The impacts of Community Based Youth Work in Dumfries & Galloway was carried out in partnership with Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Youth Work Service, YouthLink Scotland, Northern Star and the University of Edinburgh. The study used a Transformative Evaluation Methodology.

CashBack for Communities External Evaluation Report 2018/19

This is the second evaluation report in the fourth round of CashBack for Communities funding - 'Round 4' which runs for three years from 2017 to 2020.

#Evaluation

The Impact of Community-based Universal Youth Work in Scotland

This report describes the findings from a piece of qualitative research undertaken with three organisations in Scotland who deliver community-based universal youth work.

#Youth Work

Scottish Youth Work Research Group - Briefing October 2017.pdf

Universal Youth Work - A Critical Review of the Literature (Summary).pdf

Scotswummin: Youth work's contribution to the women's movement

What does youth work have to do with feminism? Our Scotswummin report explores how the two are inter-related, both historically and presently.

Youth Work Research Overview - July 2017

Being Young, Being Heard: the impact of the recession on young people in Scotland

Social and Economic Value of Youth Work in Scotland

Includes the findings from a YouGov survey of adults about their historic experiences of youth work; a review of research into the Social Return on Investment of youth work; a survey of volunteer youth workers; desk-based research; and modelling of potential impacts using robust published data.

The Impact of Leaving the EU on the Youth Work Sector in Scotland

Academics from the University of Glasgow and the University of the West of Scotland find that Brexit could have a detrimental impact on the youth work sector and young people’s opportunities.

#International

CashBack for Communities: youth work and anti-violence funds

This report outlines the background to the CashBack for Communities initiative and the policy context, including current themes and issues facing the youth work sector.

#National

Developing the Curriculum for Excellence

Summary findings of research undertaken by Dr Mark Priestly and Sarah Minty of the University of Stirling.

#Learning and Attainment

Follow up survey of leavers from Scottish schools

This Statistics Publication Notice presents national information on the destination status of young people approximately 9 months after they left school, from the 2008/09 school year.

#Learning and Attainment

Low pay and income inequality in Scotland

This paper examines the impact that raising the minimum level of public sector pay in Scotland would have on the poorest in Scotland in terms of the impact it would have on the share of national income they receive.

Public sector employment in Scotland

The statistics in this release are based on administrative records and surveys of individual public sector bodies carried out by the Scottish Government and the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The publication includes information on public sector employment in Scotland with distinctions made for employment in devolved bodies and reserved bodies located in Scotland.

#National

The role of role models in youth work

This literature review, presented at Strathclyde University's International Youth Work Conference in September 2010, discusses the various ways youth workers can utilise role models and role modelling in informal education. It also introduces some of the benefits and risks that such practice can bring.

#Youth Work

Scottish health behaviour in school-aged children

This report presents data on adolescent health from the World Health Organization (WHO) collaborative cross-national Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study in Scotland.

#Health and Wellbeing

Single Outcome Agreements (2009/10)

This paper provides an overview of the second round of Single Outcomes Agreements. The Single Outcome Agreements for 2009/10 were signed off by the Scottish Government and Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) in June 2009.

Staff of Scottish Local Authority social work services

This publication contains statistics obtained from the staffing census held across all local authorities on 5 October 2009.

#National

Youth work and the recession

This report presents the results of a online survey by YouthLink Scotland in December 2009, and existing research and discussions on the impact of the economic recession on the public and third sector in Scotland.

#National

Activity Agreements 2017/18 data summary

Activity Agreements data across Scotland for 2017/18

#Employability and Skills

Activity Agreement follow-up study of leavers

This research explores young people's views of Activity Agreements, to better understand how best to reach and support young people furthest from the labour market.

#Employability and Skills

Activity Agreement Guidance for 2018/19

This Guidance sets out the key principles for the continued development and delivery of Activity Agreements in Scotland. It explains what an Activity Agreement is, the context for delivering Activity Agreements, the principles that should be applied, and sets out some key operational guidelines.

#Employability and Skills

Evaluation of Activity Agreements Pilots

The Scottish Government commissioned an evaluation of Activity Agreement pilots operating in ten areas across Scotland between May 2009 and March 2011.

#Employability and Skills

Sustaining progression post-Activity Agreement: impact and learning from the Aftercare pilot projects

The Scottish Government funded five pilot projects to test models of support which would address the issues and barriers that prevent young people from sustaining progressions after an Activity Agreement. This report demonstrates the outcomes delivered by the pilot projects and identifies from each learning which could inform future delivery of services.

#Employability and Skills

Universal Youth Work: a critical review of the literature

A joint research project by the University of Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Youth Work Consortium, examining the influences shaping contemporary youth work.

Developing the Young Workforce: Scotland’s youth employment strategy

Implementing the recommendations of the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce.

#Employability and Skills

A Guide to Implementing 'Getting it right for every child'

This implementation guide shows what needs to be done by people at every level across all agencies and sectors to bring about the changes that are necessary to implement Getting it Right for Every Child.

#Employability and Skills

More Choices, More Chances: a strategy to reduce the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training in Scotland

The starting point for this strategy is that, for young people, being NEET represents an unacceptable waste of potential. It demands action from a range of agencies in every local authority area in Scotland.

#Employability and Skills

Opportunities for All: supporting all young people to participate in post-16 learning, training or work

Opportunities for All brings together a range of existing national and local policies and strategies as a single focus to improve young people’s participation in post-16 learning or training

#Employability and Skills

Skills for Scotland: Accelerating the Recovery and Increasing Sustainable Economic Growth

This strategy establishes high-level targets for the National Training Programmes.

#Employability and Skills

Skills for Scotland: a lifelong skills strategy

This Strategy is a framework to show how all of the constituent parts of our education and learning systems can contribute to giving Scotland a skills base that is world class.

#Employability and Skills

YouthLink Scotland Consultation Process

Developing clear and transparent processes for producing manifestos and responses to major consultations affecting the youth work sector.