Leading questions

Jeni Waller is a youth worker for Somerset Youth

What does a youth worker do?

We support, empower and promote the personal, educational and social development of young people aged between 13 and 19. The way we do this is by setting up workshops where we try to meet the five Every Child Matters objectives. If there are outcomes we have missed, we will hold sessions that we feel are appropriate.

What attracted you to the job?

I had always wanted to give youth work a try as I felt that I was a good listener to my family and friends, and it was something I enjoyed. So I decided the best way to see if I liked it and to build up my experience was to do some voluntary work. I was a volunteer youth worker for the Somerset Young Carers project for two years.

What are the main issues facing the young people you work with?

Transport and rural isolation. Because Somerset has some areas of that are very isolated, it is hard for young people who are unable to drive to get to events and to services available to them.

How joined up are youth services in the south-west?

The services have been more joined up with each other since the locality teams were introduced. I feel that, within the county council, the services are very well linked, but sometimes the charities and organisations are not linked very well with the county council.

What single thing would make your job easier?

More money being put into the rural areas for transport to make it easier for the young people to access the services they are entitled to.

How could youth services be improved?

I believe that services would be improved greatly if the locality teams were to work alongside other charities and organisations that work with many of the same young people.

What is your management style?

I would describe it as relaxed. I manage volunteers, not staff, so it requires a different approach to management. I just help them with any issues they may have in their volunteering placement, and help them to keep track of the hours of volunteering work they clock up.