Thank you for contacting me about youth services.
Youth services and trained youth workers can have a transformational impact, especially for young people facing multiple barriers or disadvantage. It is important that all young people are given the opportunity to develop the skills, networks and resilience that can improve their life chances and support them to avoid negative pathways such as violence and crime.
The Government has committed to a National Youth Guarantee: that by 2025 every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and volunteering opportunities. This includes all 11-18 year olds, and those up to 25 years old with special educational needs and disabilities.
The National Youth Guarantee is supported by £560 million investment in youth services, reflecting young people's priorities and addressing the inconsistencies in regional youth spending, with a firm focus on levelling up, including the £368 million Youth Investment Fund.
In addition, the National Citizen Service (NCS) will receive £171 million over the period 2022-2025 to provide thousands more young people from all backgrounds with opportunities to become ‘world ready and work ready’. The NCS is more important than ever following the Covid-19 pandemic, and it will provide a year round offer that supports young people’s mental wellbeing and helps them to develop life skills that improve their confidence and employability.
A further £22 million will go towards The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, non-military uniformed youth groups, including Scouts and Guides, and the #iwill Fund which will continue getting young people involved in social action projects, which is expected to trigger tens of thousands of new volunteering opportunities.
Furthermore, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has been reviewing the guidance which accompanies the statutory duty placed on Local Authorities to secure local youth services. Officials held consultations with the youth sector and young people, and ran a public call for evidence, which closed in December 2019. The conclusions of the review were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and are now being considered as part of a wider review of out of school youth programmes.