A report highlighted the important role that intensive one-to-one support could play in helping homeless young people address a range of issues, and filling the 'void' that family breakdown and homelessness could create.
Source: The Changing Face of Youth Homelessness: Trends in homeless young people's support needs, Centrepoint
Links: Report | Centrepoint press release
Date: 2010-Dec
An article examined smoking prevalence before and after the rise in legal age of sale of cigarettes in England and Wales from age 16 to age 18 in October 2007. There was a greater fall in prevalence in those aged 16-17 following an increase in age of sale than in older age groups.
Source: Jennifer Fidler and Robert West, 'Changes in smoking prevalence in 16-17-year-old versus older adults following a rise in legal age of sale: findings from an English population study', Addiction, Volume 105 Issue 11
Links: Abstract | Cancer Research UK press release | UCL press release | BBC report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Nov
An article examined the impact of well-being on alcohol use, and on sexual activity, among schoolchildren aged 11-14. Children with positive school well-being had lower odds of ever drinking alcohol, drinking often, engaging in any sexual activity, and of having sex.
Source: Penelope Phillips-Howard et al., 'Wellbeing, alcohol use and sexual activity in young teenagers: findings from a cross-sectional survey in school children in North West England', Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, Volume 5
Links: Article | Abstract | BBC report
Date: 2010-Nov
An article said that poor planning was causing young people with mental health problems to miss out on adult mental health support when they left the care of child mental health services.
Source: Swaran Singh et al., 'Process, outcome and experience of transition from child to adult mental healthcare: multiperspective study', British Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 197 Issue 4
Links: Abstract | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Oct
A study found that the needs of young people aged 11-17 were not always met by child protection processes, which were more geared to protecting younger children. Policymakers should consider a review of alternative approaches to determine what worked best for young people, and attempt to bring more consistency to service provision.
Source: Safeguarding Young People: Responding to young people aged 11 to 17 who are maltreated, Children s Society
Links: Report | Children's Society press release | York University press release | Guardian report | Children & Young People Now report | BBC report
Date: 2010-Jul
An audit report reviewed the data systems used to support delivery of the Labour government's public service agreement 14 – to 'increase the number of children and young people on the path to success' – over the period from 2008.
Source: Review of the Data Systems for Public Service Agreement 14, National Audit Office
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Jun
An audit report reviewed the data systems used to support delivery of the Labour government's public service agreement 12 – to 'improve the health and well-being of children and young people' – over the period from 2008.
Source: Review of the Data Systems for Public Service Agreement 12, National Audit Office
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Jun
An audit report reviewed the data systems used to support delivery of the Labour government's public service agreement 13 – to 'improve children and young people's safety' – over the period from 2008.
Source: Review of the Data Systems for Public Service Agreement 13, National Audit Office
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Jun
A report said that key services aimed at young people needed to enable them to build their social and emotional skills, so that they had the opportunity to make positive life choices and contribute to society.
Source: Louise Bazalgette, Life in All Its Fullness: Towards a capabilities framework for measuring young people's development, Young Men's Christian Association
Links: Report | YMCA press release
Date: 2010-Jun
The report of an official taskforce made recommendations aimed at improving the existing multi-agency handling of missing persons cases.
Source: Missing Persons Taskforce, A Report with Recommendations for Improving the Multi-Agency Response to Missing Incidents, Home Office
Links: Report | Childrens Society press release
Date: 2010-Mar
An article examined the way in which recent policy developments had highlighted the influence of children's wider circumstances on their well-being, providing the foundations for more holistic approaches to service provision. Nevertheless, these policy developments were unlikely to be successful unless they were accompanied by fundamental changes within the culture of many agencies and professions.
Source: Gordon Jack and Owen Gill, 'The role of communities in safeguarding children and young people', Child Abuse Review, Volume 19 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Mar
The first annual report was published of the National Advisory Council for Children's Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing. It said that improving children's and young people's emotional well-being and mental health was still not high enough on everybody's agenda. There had been some good progress made: but it needed to be sustained. (The Council was created following the report of an independent review, published in 2008.)
Source: One Year On: The first report from the National Advisory Council for Children's Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Report | NAC press release
Date: 2010-Mar
A report presented preliminary findings from the first year of a three-year programme aimed at supporting the development of innovative models of mental health support in schools for children and young people at risk of or experiencing mental health problems.
Source: Miranda Wolpert et al., Me and My School: Preliminary findings from the first year of the national evaluation of targeted mental health in schools (2008-2009), Research Report RR232, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report examined how children and young people felt about going through the divorce and separation of their parents, and how they could be better supported throughout the process. Many young people felt that family and friends, particularly grandparents, had an important role to play in providing continuing support. They also identified the importance of being able to talk to an independent person who they could trust.
Source: Private Law Consultation: "How It Looks To Me", Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service
Links: Report | CAFCASS press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Feb
The report was published of an independent review into the 'sexualization' of young people. It looked at how sexualized images and messages might be affecting the development of children and young people, and influencing cultural norms. It also examined the evidence for a link between sexualization and violence.
Source: Linda Papadopoulos, Sexualisation of Young People: Review, Home Office
Links: Report | Home Office press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2010-Feb
The government published its response to a review of child and adolescent mental health services.
Source: Keeping Children and Young People in Mind: The government's full response to the independent review of CAMHS, Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Response | DH/DCSF press release | YoungMinds press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Jan
A report examined the relationship between social welfare problems, mental health, and youth. It pointed to a need for advice services to be integrated with counselling services for young people.
Source: Mark Sefton, With Rights in Mind: Is there a role for social welfare law advice in improving young people's mental health? A review of evidence, Youth Access
Links: Report |Youth Access press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Jan
A survey of young people aged 16-25 found that those who were out of work were significantly less happy with their health, friendships, and family life than those who were in work. Over 1 in 10 young people said that unemployment had driven them to drugs or alcohol.
Source: The Prince's Trust YouGov Youth Index 2010, Prince's Trust
Links: Report | BBC report | Personnel Today report | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Jan