“The Confused Practitioner”: A critical reflection of the professional identity of a youth worker

Youth work has historically responded to societal failings, where children were left without adequate housing, food, or access to education (Bright, 2015). Youth work is deeply rooted in community life and supported by grassroots activity (Jeffs & Smith, 2010; Wood et al., 2014; De St Croix 2016). Responding to this, youth work has experienced ebbs and flows as the profession has found its place within diverse contexts from uniformed organisations to street corners and competing policy contexts. The youth work professional context is ever-changing, and youth workers are found where young people are, possibly leading to a muddying of the sector’s identity in recent decades (Young, 2006; Services for young people report, House of Commons Education Committee 2010-12; Holmes, 2021). Youth workers can be found in the places of other professionals (such as schools or hospitals), but youth workers are not engaging in that location’s professional identity ). The diversifying nature of environments as well as the ever-changing context of young people can lead practitioners to find themselves confused in their professional identity. Thus, youth workers often debate “what is youth work”, stating professional values, skills, and training to support their professional identity.