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WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
Edited by Roger Harrison and Christine Wise
Published by Sage Publications
£17.99; ISBN: 1-4129-1946-0

STAR RATING: 3/5

Initially aimed at would-be youth workers, this is a collection of previously published articles and papers drawn together by the editors to support students who are studying for an Open University foundation degree, writes Joyce Lawson.  But don’t let this put you off a good read because anyone who works with children and young people will find something in these articles which confirms their already good practice or raises issues and concepts they haven’t come across before.

Having said that, the early chapters focus on ethical conduct and “what is youth work”, some of which seasoned professionals may find patronising. But this is a book that is easy to dip into and later chapters deal with more thought-provoking issues such as: are the roles of counsellor and youth worker connected?

The key words are working with young people – as a two-way process – and there are some very practical and informative chapters which should be recommended reading for anyone intending to work with children, be it as a scout leader, child minder, learning mentor or teacher.  As a trainer, I would find the book helpful.

Joyce Lawson is an independent education consultant and former head teacher