Youth and community workers

We act as the Secretariat for the Employers' Side of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) for Youth and Community Workers (YCW).


This was established in 1951 to provide voluntary collective bargaining machinery for youth and community workers in local government.

It covers approximately 7,102 staff in the statutory sector – as of August 2021 – including those on the:

  • youth and community support workers range
  • professional range.

March 2024

The JNC has updated the JNC Agreement - ‘The Pink Book’.

December 2023

Joint Education Services Circular (JESC) NO 230 - Youth and community workers' pay agreement 2023

The JNC for Youth and Community Workers has reached an agreement on a pay award for 2023 which is as follows:

  • an increase of £1925 on all other spinal column points on the Youth and Community Support Worker Range and the Professional Range from 1 September 2023
  • an increase of 3.88 per cent on the London Area Allowances and Sleeping-In-Duty Allowance from 1 September 2023.

October 2023

Following a consultation process, the Employers’ Side has made a final pay offer to the Staff Side.

JNC YCW Employers' Side - Pay offer 2023 

August 2023

The JNC Staff Side has submitted the following pay and conditions claim for 2023:

  • an increase of RPI plus two per cent across all grades
  • a recruitment and retention payment for all JNC staff of £1,000 per year in place until the completion of the grading matrix review
  • address work-life balance and time off in lieu – by making the current guidance on work-life balance mandatory, to ensure compensatory leave (TOIL) is always accrued for extra hours worked. Each working week should contain two consecutive days that are designated as nonworking days. Any TOIL for residential work will be completely separate from these designated non-working days.
  • move to a 35-hour working week without loss of pay - with sufficient time for planning and admin, with a further commitment to work towards a four-day week, without loss of pay, going forward. Further work and completion of the race and gender pay gaps in youth work review.
  • amend the agreement to include youth work employers covered by contracts, grant aid and any other local authority funding arrangements.
  • joint working to promote the JNC in the voluntary sector.

March 2022

The JNC for Youth and Community Workers has conducted a pay and workforce survey. This final Pay and Workforce survey report provides information and analysis on the current youth and community workforce and sector.

Pink Book

The 'Pink Book' is the terms and conditions handbook for youth and community workers. The JNC updated the JNC Agreement (The Pink Book) in March 2024:

The  JNC agreement - 'The Pink Book'

Please note an accessible version of this PDF will be added shortly.

Please note that Appendix 1 - JNC endorsed professional qualifications is available as a web page, and is not in the below PDF.

The JNC determines pay for youth and community workers - previous settlements as follows:



Contact

Email: Youth&[email protected]

Highlighted pages

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