A report examined the outcomes and impact of youth advice services. Social welfare problems (such as those relating to housing, benefits, debt, and employment) had a disproportionately adverse impact on disadvantaged young adults. Young people's unresolved problems also carried a substantial cost to wider society and to the public purse. Getting advice from a youth advice service could avert serious adverse outcomes, such as homelessness and mental health problems, and could lead to improvements in many aspects of young people's well-being.
Source: James Kenrick, The Outcomes and Impact of Youth Advice: The evidence, Youth Access
Links: Report | Youth Access press release | Nursing Times report
Date: 2011-Dec
The coalition government published a new cross-departmental strategy for young people and youth services in England. It said that it wanted local authorities to build stronger partnerships with voluntary organizations and local businesses in order to develop opportunities for young people in their local communities. It also called on all local authorities to give young people a voice in local decision-making: local authorities should introduce programmes such as youth mayors or youth inspectors to give youngsters a greater say.
Source: Positive for Youth: A new approach to cross-government policy for young people aged 13 to 19, Department for Education
Links: Strategy | Summary | Hansard | DE press release | Catch22 press release | CHYPS press release | 4Children press release | NCVYS press release | Unite press release | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Dec
A collection of case studies highlighted key characteristics of youth work that were being undermined by government policies. Youth work should be founded on a voluntary engagement with young people in their leisure time – whereas governments had pushed it ever nearer to being no more than an agency of behavioural modification or the mere provider of predetermined 'positive activities'.
Source: This Is Youth Work: Stories from practice, In Defence of Youth Work
Links: Report | NCIA press release
Date: 2011-Nov
The coalition government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on services for young people.
Source: Services for Young People: The Government Response, Sixth Report (Session 2010-12), HC 1501, House of Commons Education Select Committee, TSO
Links: Response
Notes: MPs report (June 2011)
Date: 2011-Oct
A study examined arrangements for creating integrated youth support services, and the effect that they were having on outcomes for young people. In general, local services shared a common vision of integration, and integration had increased and strengthened partnership (although successful partnerships pre-dated the establishment of integrated services in many areas). The creation of locality-based teams was felt to have led to an improvement in both service delivery and outcomes for young people.
Source: Carolyn Oldfield and Bryan Merton, Mindsets and Mechanisms: Making integration work in youth support services, CfBT Education Trust
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Sep
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that only 5 of the 12 local authority areas surveyed by it had sufficiently well established commissioning arrangements for youth services.
Source: An Evaluation of Approaches to Commissioning Young People's Services, HMI 110043, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Aug
A report (by an official advisory body) called on the government to help broker new relationships between different parts of the careers guidance sector, in order to harness innovation and expertise more effectively.
Source: Helping Individuals Succeed: Transforming career guidance, UK Commission for Employment and Skills
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Aug
A paper examined how changes in the funding of careers services, and in policy relating to the responsibilities of schools and local authorities, had affected the support available for young people in England.
Source: Tristram Hooley and Tony Watts, Careers Work with Young People: Collapse or Transition? An analysis of current developments in careers education and guidance for young people in England, International Centre for Guidance Studies
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Aug
The coalition government published a discussion paper as part of a consultation on services for young people.
Source: Youth Policy Statement – Overarching Narrative, Department for Education
Links: Discussion paper
Date: 2011-Aug
The final evaluation report was published relating to the 'Myplace' programme for young people. It warned that in the absence of adequate or secure revenue funding the full potential of the programme would not be realized.
Source: Jean Spence, Mark Smith, Tracey Hodgson, Simon Frost, and Gill Callaghan, Myplace Evaluation – Final Report, Department for Education
Links: Report
Notes: The Myplace programme (launched by the previous Labour government) was designed to establish world class places where young people could access positive activities and a range of services.
Date: 2011-Aug
A report by a committee of MPs said that extending the National Citizen Service to all young people aged 16 could cost over £350 million each year even if only 50 per cent of young people took part – more than the cost of all youth services currently provided by local authorities. It criticized the government's 'regrettable' failure to outline a youth policy or strategic vision for the youth services sector.
Source: Services for Young People, Third Report (Session 2010-12), HC 744, House of Commons Education Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report part 1 | Report part 2 | Additional written evidence | BYC/UKYP press release | Unite press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-Jun
A report highlighted the need for education and careers information, advice, and guidance that responded to the changing needs of young people and the economy.
Source: Lauren Kahn with Mary Abdo, Sarah Hewes, Bethia McNeil, and Will Norman, The Way to Work: Young people speak out on transitions to employment, The Youth of Today
Links: Report
Date: 2011-May
A report said that a more co-ordinated approach to services for vulnerable young people could lead to cost savings for the state, and improved outcomes for young people, together worth £3.2 billion.
Source: Faiza Shaheen and Helen Kersley, Improving Services for Young People: An Economic Perspective, Catch22
Links: Report | Catch22 press release
Date: 2011-Mar
A report summarized the findings from a qualitative research project conducted among young foyer residents in England. The project sought to discover what foyer residents believed would contribute to helping them develop and maintain resilience in the face of adversity; and to make recommendations so that foyers could improve their practice by reference to an evidence base.
Source: Eric Carlin, Feeling Good: Supporting resilience in young people in foyers in England, Foyer Federation
Links: Report | Foyer Federation press release
Notes: Foyers are integrated learning and accommodation centres providing safe and secure housing, support, and training for young people aged 16-25.
Date: 2011-Jan