22.05.13 - North West Star

THE Queensland Government is beginning to recognise the social and economic impact of the youth work sector on the state, according to Young People Ahead manager Alvin Hava.

Mr Hava represented the North West recently at a three-day Communities of Practice Leadership Action Network meeting and will present the results of the conference to the local sector early next month.

He said the financial saving to the Queensland economy through youth work was reportedly worth millions of dollars, with big savings added up from early illness detection, justice system diversion and education.

"Trying to get people back on the rails is not an easy or immediate task, you have to work with individuals and families for a long period of time, and it could even be a generational change," Mr Hava said.

"We need to invest in these kids for the future, for when they're parents, giving them the skills and support to invest in their own families in the future."

Mr Hava said the financial impact of youth prevention work was often not considered, but it was something the government needed to acknowledge to benefit the sector.

"The government is certainly beginning to acknowledge our work with reviews of youth services and funded programs for youth, which brings to light the work we do because it is hard work," he said.

"You really need those people who work with the kids and families that are at the end of the tether, you can't just say 'oh, we'll let them slip', or 'oh I can't do it'."

Mr Hava said he would present the information to community services in a meeting next month before collecting ideas from the group to contribute to a report for the Youth Affairs Network of Queensland.

Young criminals could be forced to make amends to victims under planned shake-up of juvenile justice system
Courier Mail | 7 May 2013 | Renee Viellaris

THE Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie has been derided for considering laws that will send more youths to detention at the time the State Government is trying to save money.

Youth Affairs Network of Queensland director Siyavash Doostkhah said he would like to see Mr Bleijie "sitting next to the Premier (Campbell Newman) and the Treasurer (Tim Nicholls) when he flags removing the principle of detention as the last resort.

"Are we going to build more detention centres?'' Mr Doostkhah said.

"They are already full.''

The Government has been cutting services and culling public servants to save money.

Mr Doostkhah said Mr Bleijie should be more concerned that youths were more likely to be victims of crime rather than perpetrators.

Queensland Council for Civil Liberties vice-president Terry O'Gorman has challenged the Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie to provide evidence that youth crime was out of control.

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Despite being defunded by the Queensland Government in late 2012, the peak body of the Queensland youth sector, Youth Affairs Network of Queensland (YANQ), last week brought together its regional CPLAN representatives for a three day gathering in Boonah.

“The gathering clearly shows that collective action by Youth Workers in Queensland will not be sidelined or ignored by Government,” said Siyavash Doostkhah, Director of YANQ.

“CPLAN, or the Communities of Practice Leadership Action Network, has been an initiative of YANQ for the past few years.

“It is a model for a peak body to be more representative of its members across Queensland. Historically in the youth sector, all decisions were informed and made by people in the south east corner,” said Mr Doostkhah.

YANQ has invested in the CPLAN model as it puts the focus back on each region of Queensland. It ensures who-ever is most effected by a decision has the most say on that issue.

“CPLAN ensures that we don't go down the easy path of one size fits all,” said Mr Doostkhah.

“While there are similar issues across the state, young people and youth workers in each part of state have their own unique challenges as well as resources to respond to the challenges.”

For the past 2 years, YANQ has provided training to its regional workers on community/policy development and workforce planning. From this investment, each CPLAN representative is now able to lead these processes at a regional level. CPLAN also produces reports on the work the sector is and has achieved to inform youth organisations and Government.

There has been much interest in the CPLAN model within the youth sector, from other peaks and also from Government. The CPLAN is a regional infrastructure for the youth sector that complements the regionalisation strategy of Queensland Government.

The CPLAN representatives have been supported by Queensland University of Technology and the Metro South Institute of TAFE. All members of parliament have been briefed on the work of CPLAN. The benefits of operating cost effective structures such as CPLAN have been documented and communicated to government decision makers.