Colin Hay was 18 years old when he suffered a serious accident that forced him to reconsider his future. It was a pivotal conversation he had with a youth worker that changed the trajectory of his life and led him to a career in community learning and development (CLD).
“Before this point, my life was completely different, I thought I’d either be in jail or the army. I can’t tell you the impact that that this youth worker made. He had passion, he had a drive, he enabled me to see a different path. I will never, ever forget that,” Colin explains.
Colin has now been a youth worker for 27 years and has received awards recognising his outstanding efforts helping young people in Perth and Kinross to work through their own life challenges.
Colin started volunteering at a youth club while he was undergoing rehabilitation from his accident. After a few years, he got a job as a youth worker before studying for a work-based community learning degree at Dundee University.
“The volunteering was the start – it allowed me to test the water and try to be a youth worker – which was a big jump from where I was. I then realised I wanted to make it a career, and that’s when I started studying.”
Colin has run youth clubs, drop-in centres and led teams of youth workers in many different roles. He was named National Youth Worker of the Year in 2008. These days, his job is within a multidisciplinary team of social workers, education specialists, and health practitioners at Perth and Kinross Council, working with young people between 11 and 16 years old who have very intensive needs. He’s a magician of sorts, drawing on tools to engage with the young people so they’ll agree to work with him, always ensuring that the CLD values and principles are in place.
“I’ll draw, paint, I’ll fix up bikes, walk and talk, I’ll do whatever it takes to engage. I get on their level, finding neutral ground that they’re comfortable with. This is then when I can start my work,” Colin explains.
“My job is to make sure they feel listened to and supported so they then feel enabled to work alongside my colleagues in the team. It’s a great privilege when young people allow you in and allow you to speak to them, because when they let you in, you can make an impact.”
“I never share my personal story in my work, but I talk with passion and they can see and hear that ‘I get it!’. When a young person looks me in the eye, they can see that I care.”
Colin has been a member of the CLD Standards Council for many years, saying, “I’ve attended a few events over the years and I keep in touch via the newsletters and the new research that comes out. Being linked into the CLD network is invaluable for that.”
Offering his views on the future of CLD, Colin can’t speak highly enough about the benefits of working in a multidisciplinary team.
“We don’t need to stand alone as CLD practitioners, we can be part of a team. I’m a big fan of learning from other disciplines, because if we are fighting alone, then we’re not supporting the young people as best we can. Nobody has passion like us CLD workers, let’s not push others away, let’s share it and learn from each other too.”
To find out more about membership of the CLD Standards Council click here