Current status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that delegating the delivery of youth work to local authorities does not compromise the quality or consistency of services.
The Scottish Government recognises the valuable support provided to young people through high quality youth work. This work contributes to the Scottish Government’s priority to eradicate child poverty and tackle inequality.
The Scottish Government recognise the crucial role councils and their employees play in communities across Scotland. That is why the Scottish Government has made available over £14 billion to local authorities in 2024-25, a real terms increase of 4.3 percent, with a record £15 billion for 2025-26 set out in the Scottish Budget, a further real terms increase of 5.5 percent.
In line with the Verity House Agreement, local authorities have the autonomy to deliver services to meet the needs of young people in their areas.
In addition to block grant funding for local authorities, the Scottish Government funds a range of youth work initiatives, projects and programmes which aim to support diverse youth work models, promote partnership working and enhance the quality of youth work, supporting the best possible outcomes for young people.
Furthermore, HM Inspectors of Education review and report on the quality of CLD provision across Scotland and evaluate the progress local authorities and their CLD partners are making to improve the quality of provision and services in their areas.