Government Seeks Views on National Youth Strategy

Public consultation opens on youth services and support

The UK government has launched a call for evidence as part of its ongoing work to develop the National Youth Strategy. This initiative aims to gather input from individuals, organisations, and stakeholders on various aspects of youth services across England. The consultation invites responses on a range of topics including youth programmes, workforce challenges, access to services, funding, and partnership working.

Key areas for feedback

Respondents are encouraged to provide evidence and views on the following themes:

• Previous youth programmes: The government seeks to understand the impact of reforms to initiatives such as the National Citizen Service and the Youth Investment Fund on the delivery of youth services.
• The youth workforce: Input is requested on the main opportunities and challenges facing those working with young people, including whether current commitments on recruitment, training, and professional development are adequate.
• Access to youth services: The consultation asks how access varies across England, where gaps in provision exist, and whether young people have access to a variety of activities such as sports, arts, and culture. It also explores the role of local authorities and initiatives like Young Futures Hubs in improving access and outcomes.
• Funding: Views on whether current funding arrangements are sufficient to sustain high-quality youth services are sought.
• Delivery and partnership working: Examples of effective youth service delivery from across the UK and internationally are welcomed, as well as insights into what enables or hinders collaboration between youth services, local authorities, schools, health services, businesses, and other organisations.
• Accountability and monitoring: The consultation also covers the effectiveness of arrangements for accountability, monitoring, and reporting within the National Youth Strategy.

Engagement with young people and youth workers

Alongside the call for written evidence, there are plans to engage directly with young people and youth workers to further inform the development of the strategy. This approach aims to ensure that the voices of those directly involved in youth services are heard and considered.

How to respond

Submissions can address as many or as few of the consultation questions as respondents wish. The deadline for responses is 4 November at 11.59pm. Further information and details on how to submit evidence are available on the government’s website.

For more information, visit the official consultation page: Youth Matters: National Youth Strategy.

Source: Doing Good Leeds