ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the significance of understanding social policy and in particular how it influences, either directly or indirectly, the work we do with young people. It seeks to locate the work of different organisations within a broader social policy context. All organisations that employ youth workers do so within a social policy context that can determine why and how one work with young people and what outcomes are expected from our work. Social policy responds to identified social problems and social groups that are shaped and understood within a broader context. A number of important contextual factors influence social policy development, some of which include: the ideological context, the position of young people in society, the economic context. In some senses, the policy responses to young people reflect these views. In the United Kingdom at least, people tend to base their policies around enabling young people to pass through a 'transition phase' in preparation for adulthood.
