National Youth Agency · 2020
This report from the National Youth Agency maps the scale and nature of vulnerabilities among young people in England that have been amplified or triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on data from the Children's Commissioner for England and a review of sector reports, it estimates that over one million young people have known needs exacerbated by the crisis, with a further two million facing emerging needs. The report identifies seven key vulnerability profiles — including poor mental health, homelessness, domestic abuse, and digital exclusion — and calls for government to classify youth services as an essential key service, deploy youth workers alongside schools and police, and invest in training and up-skilling to meet escalating need.