Research reports

Mental health and wellbeing

Young Scot BIG Survey 2023-24

Young Scot · 2025

Young Scot's first BIG Survey gathered views from 2,014 young people aged 11–25 across Scotland between September 2023 and January 2024. The survey found that while young people felt broadly positive about family and friends, only 18% felt great about how things were going in Scotland, and 62% felt negative about the world. Mental health was the top concern for personal health (35%), with 47% reporting their mental health had worsened since 2019; other key findings covered digital and AI use, awareness of rights under the UNCRC, and financial pressures including 74% always looking to cut costs.

SurveyScotland

Race, ethnicity and racial justice

In HER Shoes

Milk Honey Bees · 2025

This report explores Black girls' experiences of harm and safety during their journeys to and from school across London. It finds that Black girls routinely face sexual harassment from boys and men in public spaces, feel unsafe walking in the dark (often due to after-school detentions), and hold deep distrust of police and school staff. Girls rely heavily on peer networks for safety, and the report calls for intersectional, community-centred safeguarding approaches that centre Black girls' voices and lived experiences.

SurveyInterviewLondon

Employment, skills and economic security

Youth Employment 2025 Outlook

Youth Futures Foundation · 2025

Nearly one million young people aged 16–24 in the UK are currently NEET (not in education, employment or training), with the number rising by over a third in four years and long-term youth unemployment more than doubling since 2022. The report analyses UK NEET trends by region, ethnicity and gender, identifies headwinds including rising mental ill-health and declining apprenticeship opportunities, and benchmarks the UK against OECD peers. It argues the UK could add £86 billion to the economy by matching the Netherlands' youth participation rate, and sets out an evidence-based policy agenda focused on NEET prevention, a Youth Guarantee with wage subsidies, apprenticeship reform, and integrated mental health support.

Secondary analysisUK-wide

Mental health and wellbeing

Understanding Drivers of Recent Trends in Young People's Labour Market Outcomes (Technical Report)

Youth Futures Foundation · 2025

This technical report investigates the drivers behind observed increases in young people's mental health problems in England, drawing on longitudinal survey data (Understanding Society and CPRD) and a series of systematic literature reviews. The quantitative analysis examines trends in mental health symptoms by subgroup (gender, ethnicity, income, region), tests whether measurement of symptoms has changed over time, and assesses whether the impact of mental distress on adverse outcomes (e.g. NEET status) has shifted. Ten theoretical drivers are evaluated — including academic pressure, economic conditions, COVID-19, social media use, and cuts to children and youth services — reviewing the strength of evidence for each as a causal contributor to worsening mental health. The report finds that increases in psychological distress are real rather than primarily artefacts of measurement change, are most pronounced among girls and White British young people, and are likely driven by a combination of factors rather than any single cause.

Secondary analysisSystematic reviewEngland

Employment, skills and economic security

Youth Voice Census 2025: Greater Manchester Regional Report

Youth Employment UK · 2025

The 2025 Greater Manchester Youth Voice Census gathered views from over 1,600 young people aged 11–30 across all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester on topics including safety, wellbeing, education, employment, digital life and civic participation. Young people in the region feel safer, more included and better prepared for work than in 2024, with belonging and life satisfaction improving. However, progress is uneven: access to careers education and work experience has declined sharply, mental health and financial support remain hard to navigate, and young people with additional needs or from lower-income households face persistent systemic barriers. The report calls for expanded wellbeing support, rebuilt careers education, guaranteed work experience, and stronger youth voice in local decision-making.

SurveyMixed methodsNorth West

Employment, skills and economic security

Youth Jobs Gap: Exploring compound disadvantage

Impetus (with NIESR) · 2025

This report analyses the NEET (not in education, employment or training) rates of approximately 4 million young people aged 18–24 in England using the government's Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset. It finds that disadvantaged young people remain roughly twice as likely to be NEET as their better-off peers, and that qualifications are the strongest protective factor—each step up the qualifications ladder roughly halves the chance of being NEET. However, the report's central finding is "compound disadvantage": young people who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, have low qualifications, and have SEND are almost three times more likely to be NEET than average. Significant ethnic disparities are also identified, with variations within broad ethnic categories often larger than between them, and young people from Roma, Irish Traveller, and Mixed White and Black Caribbean backgrounds facing the highest NEET rates.

Secondary analysisEngland

Employment, skills and economic security

Education to Employment Transitions Support in 2024

Youth Futures Foundation · 2025

This report maps the landscape of government-funded support available in England in 2024 to help four groups of marginalised young people — those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, experience of mental ill-health, care experience, and criminal justice system involvement — transition from education and training into employment. IES identified 80 national support mechanisms and a further 79 in two North East local authorities (County Durham and Newcastle). Key findings highlight significant complexity, fragmentation, and unevenness in provision, with access often dependent on diagnosis, disclosure of personal information, or geography, creating 'postcode lottery' effects and leaving many young people facing confusing pathways at critical transition points.

Young people consultedSecondary analysisInterviewEngland

Mental health and wellbeing

Children, Violence and Vulnerability 2025 — Report 3: Mental Health

Youth Endowment Fund · 2025

This report from the Youth Endowment Fund presents findings from a survey of nearly 11,000 13–17-year-olds in England and Wales on the links between experiences of violence and mental health. It finds that over a quarter of teenagers have high or very high mental health difficulties, with rates dramatically higher among those involved in serious violence — nearly two-thirds of perpetrators of serious violence had self-harmed or considered suicide. Despite the scale of need, over half of those with a diagnosed mental health condition were receiving no professional support, with many on waiting lists; in the absence of formal help, teenagers — especially those affected by violence — are increasingly turning to online resources including AI chatbots.

Young people consultedSurveyEnglandWales

Civic participation and youth voice

In Our Own Words: Research Exploring the Needs and Preferences of Young People and Youth Practitioners in England

UK Youth · 2025

This report presents findings from qualitative research commissioned by the National Citizen Service (NCS) and conducted by UK Youth to explore the needs and preferences of young people and youth practitioners across England in relation to youth provision. Key findings include strong support for open-access, centre-based youth provision as a foundation for wellbeing and development; unmet demand for one-to-one mentoring and mental health support; and significant workforce and funding pressures in the sector. The report also examines how digital tools are being used in youth work and highlights the challenges practitioners face in keeping young people safe online, particularly in the context of the 2024 racist riots in England.

InterviewFocus groupEngland

Housing and homelessness

There's No Place Like Home: Uncovering LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness in the UK

akt / University of Kent / University of Bristol / University of Southampton · 2025

This landmark mixed-methods study is the first to examine LGBTQ+ youth homelessness in England using an intersectional lens. It finds that LGBTQ+ young people are more than twice as likely to experience hidden homelessness as non-LGBTQ+ peers, with trans and non-binary young people, those from racialised minorities, and those with mental health conditions facing even greater risk. The research reveals that government data significantly underestimates the scale of the problem, and that mainstream housing services largely lack the knowledge or prioritisation needed to support this group. The report calls for better data collection, targeted training for local authorities, LGBTQ+-specific supported accommodation, and changes to homelessness law and guidance.

Co-producedSurveyInterviewEngland

Education, learning and attainment

Caring and Classes 2025 - Young Carers and Attainment Inequalities

Carers Trust · 2025

For the first time, the Department for Education has published attainment data specifically for young carers in England, covering 14,847 young carers who finished primary or secondary school in summer 2025. The report finds stark educational inequalities: fewer than half of young carers left primary school meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (49% vs 61% for non-young carers), and only 46% achieved 5 GCSE passes including English and Maths compared to 60% of their peers. Young carers also experience significantly higher rates of absence, suspension and exclusion than their non-caring peers. Carers Trust recommends introducing a Young Carer Lead role in all schools, adding young carers to DfE attendance reporting, and establishing a Young Carers Pupil Premium.

Secondary analysisEngland

Employment, skills and economic security

Lost Boys: State of the Nation

Centre for Social Justice · 2025

This state-of-the-nation report from the Centre for Social Justice examines the worsening outcomes for boys and young men across six domains: employment, education, family and fathers, crime, health, and technology/pornography. Key findings include that 15.1% of men aged 16–24 are NEET compared to 11.2% of women, with 550,000 young men NEET — up 150,000 since the pandemic. Boys consistently lag behind girls from early years through university, are overrepresented in the criminal justice system (96% of prisoners are male), face higher rates of suicide, and are disproportionately affected by harmful online content including pornography. The report draws on secondary analysis of government datasets, a call for evidence from charities, focus groups with young men, and organisational visits across the UK.

Focus groupSecondary analysisUK-wide

Health and physical wellbeing

A Breath of Fresh Air: A Smoke Free Future (Youth views on Tobacco and Vapes Bill, 16-25-year-old advisory group)

Partnership for Young London · 2025

This report explores young Londoners' and senior health stakeholders' views on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which aims to phase out tobacco sales to anyone born after January 2009. Two-thirds of young survey respondents supported the Bill, welcoming its focus on reducing addiction, improving health, and addressing inequalities, while also raising concerns about black markets and unregulated alternatives. Stakeholders broadly agreed on the public health benefits but flagged enforcement challenges and risks of unintended consequences. The research was conducted by a youth advisory group of 16–25-year-olds acting as peer researchers, alongside interviews with senior professionals.

Co-producedSurveyFocus groupLondon

Care experience and family

Handle With Care: Annual Survey of Kinship Carers 2025

Kinship · 2025

This report shares key findings from Kinship's 2025 annual survey of more than 1,900 kinship carers across England and Wales, providing a 'state of the nation' overview of kinship families. It finds that financial hardship, unsuitable sleeping conditions, and poor local authority support continue to pose significant risks to family stability and children's outcomes, with 13% of carers concerned about their ability to continue. While some improvement is noted in health, loneliness, and local authority trust ratings, progress is slow and from a very low base. The report also examines policy developments including the Kinship Allowance Pilot and the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, finding that awareness of new entitlements remains low and that family group decision making is often poorly supported.

SurveyEnglandWales

Health and physical wellbeing

Healthcare Transition Report 2024-2025

Barnardo's (NHS Young Researchers / NHS Youth Forum) · 2025

This report by NHS Young Researchers (part of the NHS Youth Forum) investigates young people's experiences of transitioning between paediatric and adult NHS services. Surveying 106 young people and 16 parents/carers, the research found that no respondents began transition within the NHS-recommended age window of 11–13; the average start age was 16.6 years, and many experienced abrupt, unstructured handovers with poor communication between services. Key harms included young people being left without any healthcare support, negative mental health impacts, and a gap in provision for 16–18-year-olds. The report recommends national transition policy reform, better communication between services, holistic person-centred care, and healthcare worker training led by young people with lived experience.

Co-producedSurveyMixed methodsEngland

Employment, skills and economic security

Just the Way It Is? Young Creatives Demand Safety and Rights in Music

Youth Music · 2025

This report investigates how young creatives aged 18–25 experience harm within the UK music industries, drawing on focus group testimonies from 19 participants. It finds that harm — including low and no pay, unsafe work environments, discrimination, sexual harassment, and exploitation — is widespread and normalised, with marginalised young people (those who are disabled, LGBTQ+, women, or from working-class backgrounds) facing the greatest risk. Young creatives are largely left to manage their own safety, relying on gut instinct, peer networks, and informal strategies that are unsustainable. The report makes recommendations for government, industry employers, funders, and pathway providers to create safer, fairer, and more inclusive working conditions.

Focus groupUK-wide

Employment, skills and economic security

Towards Universal Opportunity for Young People

IPPR · 2025

Young people aged 14–24 in the UK face worsening social mobility, rising NEET rates, and declining mental health, compounded by inequalities of class, geography, ethnicity and disability. Drawing on a nationally representative poll of 3,603 people and youth focus groups, the report finds that disadvantaged and marginalised young people have less access to enrichment activities, careers education, and employment support during the transition from education to work. It proposes a framework of "universal opportunity" built on principles of equity, place, lifelong opportunity, and cross-government action, and makes practical recommendations on enrichment entitlements, an expanded youth guarantee with a wage subsidy scheme, and ringfenced apprenticeship funding for under-25s.

Young people consultedSurveyFocus groupUK-wide

Care experience and family

Good Practice Report #GoneTooFar: Insights from Local Authorities Across England, On Good Practice for Keeping Children in Care Close to Home

Become · 2025

This report examines what local authorities in England are doing well to keep children in care close to their home communities, drawing on interviews with senior leaders from ten local authorities and Greater Manchester Combined Authority. It identifies eight good practice themes — including reducing demand, improving foster care capacity, and embedding contextual safeguarding — that have helped authorities maintain lower proportions of children living more than 20 miles from home. The report finds that 18,000 children in care in England currently live more than 20 miles from home, a figure that has risen by two-thirds since 2013. It calls on the Department for Education, Ofsted, and local authorities to improve data, accountability, and regulatory frameworks to tackle this systemic challenge.

Young people consultedInterviewCase studyEngland

Civic participation and youth voice

Beyond the Brink? The state of funding for youth services (Jan 2025)

YMCA England & Wales / Vestey Holdings · 2025

Local authority expenditure on youth services in England has fallen 73% in real terms since 2010-11, representing a £1.2bn cut, while Wales has seen a 27% reduction. The number of council-run youth centres and directly employed youth workers has declined sharply over the same period, with 14% of responding councils reporting no youth centres at all in their area. The report uses Section 251 outturn data, Freedom of Information requests, and Welsh Government datasets to track spending trends, staffing levels, and centre provision across England and Wales. It calls for sustained revenue funding through the new National Youth Strategy to prevent further erosion of youth services.

Secondary analysisOtherEnglandWales

Employment, skills and economic security

Living precariously: Young Women's Experiences of Insecure Work

Young Women's Trust · 2025

This report by Young Women's Trust explores the gendered dimensions of insecure work among young women and non-binary people aged 18–30 in England and Wales. It finds that young women are more likely than young men to work in low-paid insecure sectors such as hospitality and health and social care, to feel trapped in insecure work, and to face workplace discrimination they feel unable to challenge. Almost half of young women reported feeling forced into insecure work due to their circumstances, and 40% said their mental health worsened while in insecure roles. The report calls on government and employers to strengthen workers' rights, enforce existing protections, improve flexible working options, and expand skills development for insecure workers.

Co-producedSurveyFocus groupEnglandWales

Gender and sexuality

Girls' Attitudes Survey 2025 - A Girl's World: Sexism, Misogyny and the Power of Sisterhood

Girlguiding / CHILDWISE / People's Postcode Lottery · 2025

This annual survey of over 2,600 girls and young women aged 7–21 across the UK examines their experiences of sexism, misogyny, mental health, and aspirations. Key findings include that 68% of 11–21-year-olds changed their everyday behaviour in the past year to avoid sexual harassment, and that exposure to misogynistic behaviour in schools begins as early as age 7. Girls report growing sadness and loneliness, particularly among younger age groups, while also showing increased ambition and a strong sense of solidarity with one another. The report calls on politicians, schools, and decision-makers to take concrete action to tackle inequality and better protect girls.

Young people consultedSurveyUK-wide

Health and physical wellbeing

Accessing Care: Health, Hope and Change for Care-Experienced Young People (Pan-London Children in Care Council, NHS NEL ICB)

Partnership for Young London · 2025

This report explores the barriers care-experienced young people face when accessing healthcare services in North East London, drawing on focus groups and interviews with young people and senior NHS leaders. Key findings highlight long waits for mental health services, abrupt transitions at age 18, poor continuity of care, low awareness of entitlements such as free prescriptions, and a systemic lack of care-aware training among frontline staff. Young people reported that services are frequently designed around assumptions of family support, which care leavers often lack. The report makes six recommendations including mandatory care-aware training co-produced with young people, portable records with named coordinators, simplified entitlements, and an unsupported patient pathway for those without family networks.

Co-producedFocus groupInterviewLondon

Care experience and family

British Red Cross Report: ‘I returned to life’ why refugee family reunion must be protected

British Red Cross · 2025

This British Red Cross report explores the experiences of refugee families navigating the UK's family reunion visa system, drawing on interviews with people who have lived experience of separation and reunion, as well as lawyers and caseworkers. It finds that family separation severely harms refugees' mental health and ability to integrate, that hidden costs and long delays push some families towards dangerous journeys, and that women and children left behind face acute risks of violence and exploitation. The report recommends that any future changes to the family reunion route be guided by principles of fairness, prioritising need, flexibility, and efficiency.

Co-producedInterviewMixed methodsUK-wide

Employment, skills and economic security

The Opportunity Index: The Geography of Opportunity and Social Mobility in England

Sutton Trust · 2025

This report presents an Opportunity Index for all 543 parliamentary constituencies in England, analysing how socio-economic background and geography shape educational and employment outcomes for young people eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). Using linked administrative data covering over 10 million pupils across 25 years, it finds that opportunity is heavily concentrated in London, with all top 20 constituencies located there, while constituencies in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the North West fare worst. FSM pupils in the best-performing areas are significantly more likely to reach university, secure employment, and enter the top 20% of earners compared to those in the lowest-ranked areas. The report calls for policy action across early education, school funding, apprenticeships, higher education access, and regional economic investment.

Secondary analysisEngland

Results