Expert blog: Youth Matters: The new national Youth Strategy for England

‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ is a 10-year plan to ensure every young person across the country has people who care, places to go and things to do, and are seen and heard.

Informing the strategy, and following a national campaign seeking views from the youth sector, practitioners and young people, is the ‘Youth Matters: State of the Nation’ report which brings together the voices of more than 14, 000 young people.

My role, alongside other members of the Youth Research Advisory Group, was to share expert knowledge and recent research conveying the challenges facing young people today. Through reviewing drafts and hearing from the National Youth Strategy Youth Advisory Group, I was reassured that this strategy is truly co-produced, with young people at its heart.

At NTU I lead the Youth Research group, consisting of 32 colleagues across the department who are involved in and committed to research with young people. The Youth Research group promotes research that centres a youth perspective and aims to offer an alternative voice for young people.

Through the first National Youth Strategy in 15 years young people across England will benefit from over £500 million of government investment. This will be delivered through:

• The building or refurbishment of up to 250 youth facilities, as well as providing equipment for activities to around 2,500 youth organisations, through the ‘Better Youth Spaces’ programme.
• 50 new Young Futures Hubs, which offer access for young people to youth workers and other professionals, supporting their wellbeing.
• A new ‘Richer Young Lives Fund’ worth over £60 million that will support youth organisations in underserved areas.
• Working outside of the school day, a new £22.5 million programme of support will boost school support of young people's wellbeing, personal development, and essential life skills.
• £15 million of investment in recruiting and training youth workers, volunteers and other trusted adults.
• Strengthening youth services through £5 million to improve local partnerships, better information sharing, and digital infrastructure.

I was pleased to see three priorities identified in terms of a culture shift within government called upon for this cross-departmental strategy.

The first is national to local: rebuilding the role, capability, and leadership of local authorities in the youth sector and taking a place-based approach.

Secondly, from fragmented to collaborative: the strategy working across different government departments as well as statutory and non-statutory services to build stronger relationships between government and civil society organisations.

And finally, supporting young people to move from excluded to empowered.

Another highlight of the new strategy is the structure through which young people will be cared for, have new opportunities and have a voice.

Split across three chapters, there are ten actions, that will improve the lives of young people. Within ‘People Who Care’, priorities for training trusted adults, strengthening the workforce and developing positive social connections between young people, in their communities, and online are set out.

By providing more places to go and things to do, the strategy will provide enriching and meaningful activities for young people, offer more support for young people to get a great job and support young people’s physical and mental health through mental health support teams in schools.

The third chapter focuses on opportunities for young people to be ‘seen and heard’ and the co-production of this strategy with young people is a great example of that approach.

Within the State of the Nation report, I was especially encouraged to read the Youth Foreword written by a collective of thirteen young people from all over England, invited by the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, to serve on the National Youth Strategy’s Youth Advisory Group.

The narratives of these young people continue throughout the report and, in response, a toolkit with media assets has been created, so that the strategy can be shared with young people through youth organisations. It is important that young people know about and influence the strategy.

The impact of this strategy will be particularly felt by young people in Nottingham, who will benefit from one of the first new Youth Hubs in the city. The Nottingham hub will offer universal provision for all young people from the city to access a safe and inclusive space, as well as targeted support for career guidance, wellbeing advice and those who have been the victims of crime.

In summary, I am proud to have been involved in the new national youth strategy which very much centres the needs and voices of young people.

It is great to see that this strategy is supported with a robust funding plan and overall, I appreciate the governmental culture shift in moving away from narratives of risk towards actions that support young people.

Dr Frances Howard, Associate Professor, Social Work, Care and Community, School of Social Sciences.

Find out more:

An exploratory research study to understand the numbers of First Time Entrants into the Youth Justice System in Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County

Researching with Young People by Dr Frances Howard