Youth services are in crisis as new figures show extent of the decline in spending

Two thirds of councils have not increased spending on youth services in the past five years, according to a new survey by the Local Government Association, highlighting the need for fresh investment in local grass-roots provision for young people.

Youth services in crisis across England and Wales

Nearly nine in 10 councils said they needed government funding to support investment into youth services.

On the closing day of the National Children and Adult Services Conference in Liverpool, the LGA is calling for the tens of millions of pounds that were previously spent on the National Citizen Service to be devolved to councils and invested in local youth services.

The LGA’s survey found that over the past five years, revenue expenditure has stayed the same or decreased in 61% of councils.

Despite these pressures, councils are trying to secure investment into youth services.

The research found that over the next three years, 42% of councils said they planned to increase the number of hours youth service support offered.

The LGA, which represents councils, is calling for greater investment from central government in youth services and the creation of open access youth hubs across the country.

Will Labour replace £54 million being lost?

It follows the Labour Party government announcing a National Youth Strategy and the ending of the National Citizen Service (NCS). The NCS had a budget of £54.2 million for the current financial year.

This should now be channelled into councils to enable them to work with local partners to develop youth provision and invest into properly resourced by qualified professionals who have the skills, experience and training to support children and young people.

Councils see working effectively with young people as a key way to support the Government’s ambition to break down barriers to opportunity, and are best placed to deliver the services their communities need, based on their local knowledge and partnerships.

Funding for youth services provided by councils in England and Wales saw real terms decline of 73% between 2010/11 and 2022/23.

The LGA is calling for funding to be invested into open access hubs, responding to local need and developed alongside young people to provide safe spaces for them.

Youth services are an essential service

Cllr Arooj Shah, chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said:

Youth services provide essential support to young people, providing them with a safe place, trusted relationships, positive life experiences and stopping them from being drawn into negative situations and reducing demand for acute services further down the line.

Councils are striving to provide youth services amid severe financial constraints but lack sufficient resources to invest in these, and so are reliant on the wider sector to support them.

Without adequate funding, many local youth services are under threat, and remain at risk of being reduced or in danger of being cut altogether. To protect these essential services, increased funding is urgently needed, such as reallocating resources from the National Citizen Service.

Alongside this, expanding open-access youth hubs nationwide is crucial to offering young people safe, supportive spaces that also support their mental health needs.

Featured image via the Canary