I'm often amazed that youth workers don't listen to the people they are serving (are you serving them? Is that an appropriate term let me know in the comments below.)i was working with a small volunteer led team recently and discovered that amongst all the other things they did and didn't do was not listening to the young people.

The reason? They were busy people and only did one session a week and didn't have time to do all that fancy stuff you paid youth workers do. (i had to sit down)

often expressed differently and with other reasons not consulting is widespread in both third sector and local authority youth work (if any still exists)however its not acceptable or good practice.

Yes I know young people will often respond with “I don't know” when asked what they want to do, but that's part of our job to find out, and we can do that in many ways from suggestion boxes, to questionnaires video booths or multiple choice. Its up to you how you get the information and what you do with it, but the more you do it the more forthcoming with ideas your young people will be. And don't worry that they will come out with seemingly impossible things, or truly inappropriate ideas, its OK. They will also come up with things that matter and are relevant.

Often while doing an activity I'm asking questions, listening, suggesting and encouraging young people and in those times they tell me what they want.

I recently took a group and used a session I've used a few times before, we took a notebook (pound shop hardback 5 in a pack)and some paints, stickers, rubber stamps, magazines and decorated them with a view to using them as a journal, during the session, we planned to do the same with larger note books, as gifts, or to match the smaller one, use some of the techniques to make a tote bag which led to modding a shirt, hat, making a curtain blind, and creative writing sessions all of those things came from sitting doing an activity and allowing the young people space to be creative. One of the books we cove rd is now there ideas journal (the volunteer led team loved the ideas and the way they came organically from a session I planned independently of the young people. Showing them that they can use there existing style to change and improve there practice, and get ideas for months ahead.