An audit report in Wales said that although there had been some progress in addressing the safety issues highlighted in their 2009 report, risks to children and young people still arose in a number of areas of practice.
Source: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Follow-up review of safety issues, Wales Audit Office
Links: Report | WAO press release
Date: 2013-Dec
A report examined the experiences of young people with mental health needs in the criminal justice system in England and noted that little had changed over the past 20 years, despite changes in policy and legislation. It said that young people waited too long for limited services, with increased risk of (re)offending if they self-medicated with alcohol or drugs. Much available support centred around medication and young people often did not receive medication reviews, or further support or intervention. Recommendations included: the implementation of existing strategy; training; lead professionals to monitor actively a young person's case needs; joint commissioning across offender mental health and local mental health services to ensure 'joined up services'; targeted commissioning for at risk 16-19 year olds; and a single point of access to services.
Source: Sarah Campbell and Stephen Abbott, Same Old...: The experiences of young offenders with mental health needs, YoungMinds
Links: Report | YoungMinds press release
Date: 2013-Dec
A report examined the extent, methods, and benefits of schools' engagement with youth workers. It described a variety of approaches and barriers to success. Recommendations included: for national government to review the youth sector workforce; for local authorities to look at distinct funding streams for youth work; for schools to recognize the general value and impact of youth work alongside formal education; for the youth work sector to evidence and articulate better the impact of their work; and for youth work to be recognized by the schools inspectorate.
Source: National Youth Agency Commission into the Role of Youth Work in Formal Education, National Youth Agency
Links: Report | NYA press release
Date: 2013-Oct
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that the arrangements for careers guidance in schools were not working well enough. Three-quarters of the schools visited were not implementing their duty to provide impartial careers advice effectively. Guidance for schools on careers advice was not explicit, the National Careers Service was not promoted well enough, and there was a lack of employer engagement in schools.
Source: Going in the Right Direction? Careers guidance in schools from September 2012, HMI 130114, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | DE press release | NAHT press release | NUT press release | YMCA press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2013-Sep
A report criticized coalition government plans to scrap face-to-face careers guidance provided by local authorities, and pass responsibility to schools and online services. It said that these services were not reaching young people – especially those 'in between', who might have low qualifications and be disengaged from school, but did not qualify for extra support because they were not classified as the most 'at risk' by local authorities.
Source: Jane Evans and Jonathan Rallings, Helping the Inbetweeners: Ensuring careers advice improves the options for all young people, Barnardo's
Links: Report | Barnardos press release | Daily Mail report
Date: 2013-Aug
The coalition government published a progress report on efforts to place young people at the heart of decision-making over service provision. It also announced that lead responsibility for youth policy would be transferred from the Department for Education to the Cabinet Office.
Source: Positive for Youth: Progress since December 2011, Cabinet Office/Department for Education
Links: Report | Cabinet Office press release | Hansard | NCVYS press release
Date: 2013-Jul
A report called for radical improvements in careers advice services for young people. It said that an urgent culture change was needed to address the mismatch between high unemployment and employers who were struggling to recruit.
Source: An Aspirational Nation: Creating a culture change in careers provision, National Careers Council
Links: Report | ASCL press release | CBI press release | Centrepoint press release | CIPD press release | NIACE press release | 157 Group press release | BBC report
Date: 2013-Jun
A report said that coalition government transport spending priorities were disadvantaging young people, denying them opportunities in work and education. Young people relied on buses more than any other age group and were significantly disadvantaged by policies affecting bus provision. Whereas support for concessionary fares for people aged over 60 was ring-fenced by government, similar support for young people between 16 and 19 was discretionary: only one-third of local authorities outside London offered concessionary travel to young people.
Source: Richard Bourn, No Entry! Transport barriers facing young people, Intergenerational Foundation
Links: Report | Intergenerational Foundation press release | CFBT press release | Guardian report
Date: 2013-May
A report by a committee of MPs identified a 'worrying deterioration' in the level of careers advice provision for young people. It highlighted concerns about the quality, independence, impartiality, and availability of careers guidance.
Source: Careers Guidance for Young People: The impact of the new duty on schools, Seventh Report (Session 2012–13), HC 632, House of Commons Education Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | Oral and written evidence | Additional written evidence | ALP press release | AOC press release | ASCL press release | ATL press release | Centrepoint press release | Labour Party press release | NAHT press release | NASUWT press release | NUT press release | UCU press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Public Finance report | Telegraph report
Date: 2013-Jan