Research reports · CYV Evidence Library

Education, learning and attainment

"Free Transport Means Everything to Me": Impact of Suspending Free Travel on Under-18s (2,000 young Londoners surveyed)

Partnership for Young London · 2020

This report by Partnership for Young London presents findings from a survey of over 2,000 young Londoners aged 16–18 about the proposed suspension of free travel for under-18s. An overwhelming 95.5% of respondents disapproved of the plans, and 97.8% said free transport was important or very important to them. The report finds that losing free travel would significantly affect young people's access to education, with 43.8% saying it would change which school or college they attend, and would disproportionately impact Black, South Asian, and Asian young people, as well as those with care experience. Many young people also expressed concern about the effects on family finances and their own mental health and safety.

SurveyLondon

Mental health and wellbeing

Samaritans Pushed from Pillar to Post: Young Men's Mental Health

Samaritans · 2020

This Samaritans report examines the experiences of people in England with lived experience of non-suicidal self-harm, mapping the support they sought and how useful they found it. It finds that people who self-harm face significant barriers across the entire spectrum of care — being deemed too high-risk for some services while not meeting the threshold for others — leaving many without effective support. Key findings include that mental health services rarely address self-harm directly, GPs frequently fail to offer follow-up or referrals, and no single support type consistently meets people's needs. The report makes thirteen recommendations spanning NHS services, GP training, school and university provision, online safety, and voluntary sector funding.

SurveyInterviewEngland

Housing and homelessness

Don't Let Me Fall Through the Cracks: Care-Experienced Young People and Homelessness in Wales

Children in Wales / End Youth Homelessness Cymru · 2020

This report investigates the experiences of 27 care-experienced young people aged 17–24 who had been or were currently homeless across Wales. It finds that systemic failures across social services, housing, and health — including local connection rules, inconsistent care placements, inadequate mental health transitions, and inappropriate temporary accommodation — are driving care-experienced young people into homelessness. The report makes 13 recommendations to Welsh Government and local authorities, covering accommodation standards, multi-agency coordination, financial capability support, and reforms to Universal Credit exemptions for care leavers.

Co-producedInterviewMixed methodsWales

Care experience and family

Navigating the World of Rights: Views from Our Care-Experienced Membership

Who Cares? Scotland · 2020

This report presents findings from Who Cares? Scotland's first Annual Participation Programme theme on Child and Human Rights, drawing on views from their Care Experienced membership. The research found that Care Experienced people face significant barriers to understanding and accessing their rights, and that existing complaints and redress mechanisms are often inaccessible or inadequate. Members strongly supported lifelong rights protections for Care Experienced people, independent advocacy, and child-friendly routes to challenging rights breaches. The report makes recommendations to the Scottish Government around rights education, professional training, and accountability mechanisms for rights compliance.

Co-producedSurveyFocus groupScotland

Care experience and family

Impact of COVID-19 on Care Experienced People

Who Cares? Scotland · 2020

This report by Who Cares? Scotland presents a second wave of analysis of how the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdown measures impacted care-experienced people in Scotland between March and May 2020. Drawing on data from a helpline, advocacy cases, and participation activities, the report finds that care-experienced people faced compounding challenges including financial hardship and destitution, deteriorating mental health, digital exclusion, disrupted care placements, and reduced professional support. The report makes concrete calls to action to the Scottish Government across five thematic areas: poverty, health and wellbeing, information and participation, provision of care, and support.

OtherCase studyScotland

Mental health and wellbeing

Our Lives Beyond Care: Care Leavers' Views on Their Well-being in 2018

Coram Voice / Bright Spots Programme · 2019

This report presents findings from the 'Your Life Beyond Care' survey, completed by 474 care leavers aged 16–25 across six English local authorities in 2017/18. It measures subjective well-being across areas including relationships, housing, finances, mental health, and future aspirations. Key findings show that care leavers have significantly lower well-being than their peers in the general population — notably in life satisfaction, happiness, and sense of purpose. One in five reported feeling lonely often or always, and nearly a quarter had low well-being overall.

SurveyEngland

Employment, skills and economic security

Youth Jobs Gap: The long-term NEET population

Impetus (with CVER/NIESR) · 2019

This report by Impetus uses Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) administrative data to examine the characteristics of young people aged 18–24 who are NEET for 12 consecutive months in England. It finds that 75% of young people who are NEET for three months go on to be NEET for a full year, demonstrating that NEET status is highly "sticky." Disadvantaged young people (those eligible for free school meals) are twice as likely to be long-term NEET as their better-off peers, and those who are both disadvantaged and lack good GCSEs are particularly at risk. The report argues for a three-pronged strategy: preventing young people from becoming NEET, helping them move back into education or employment quickly, and providing intensive support for those with complex barriers.

Secondary analysisEngland

Care experience and family

‘Being a student with care experience is very daunting’ Findings from a survey of care experienced students in Scottish colleges and universities

CELCIS · 2019

This is the first Scotland-wide survey of care experienced students in colleges and universities, commissioned by the Scottish Funding Council and conducted by CELCIS. It found that while many students reported positive experiences, significant barriers remain around financial support, accommodation instability, social isolation, and the complexity of declaring care experience. Students with disabilities were disproportionately represented and faced compounded challenges across all dimensions of their studies. The report makes 18 recommendations covering application support, financial aid, year-round accommodation, and dedicated pastoral services.

SurveyFocus groupScotland

Housing and homelessness

Out On The Streets: LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness in Wales

End Youth Homelessness Cymru / Llamau · 2019

This report examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Wales, finding that family rejection of sexual orientation or gender identity is the predominant pathway into homelessness. LGBTQ+ young people face heightened risks including mental ill health, substance misuse, survival sex, and violence compared to non-LGBTQ+ homeless peers, while also reporting largely negative experiences of statutory and third-sector support services. The report draws on peer-researcher-led interviews with LGBTQ+ young people, a survey of practitioners, and an expert working group to make 11 recommendations including LGBTQ+-specific supported housing, mandatory staff training, and improved data collection by local authorities.

Co-producedInterviewSurveyWales

Employment, skills and economic security

Hidden in Plain Sight: Young Londoners Unemployed Yet Unsupported

London Youth · 2018

This report investigates young Londoners aged 18–25 who are out of work, not in education or training, and not claiming benefits — a group termed 'hidden' within NEET statistics. Drawing on programme data, workshops, interviews, and economic analysis, the research finds that hidden young people are a highly diverse group whose situations are shaped by poor careers advice, complex family circumstances, stigma around benefits, precarious work, and mental health challenges. The report estimates there are around 480,000 hidden young people in the UK annually, and that supporting them into sustained employment could return up to £460 million per year to the Exchequer. Six recommendations are made covering data transparency, access to statutory support, specialist funding, careers guidance, family involvement, and holistic employability provision.

SurveyInterviewLondon

Care experience and family

The Next Chapter: Young People and Parenthood

Action for Children (with University of Bath IPR) · 2017

This report by Action for Children examines the experiences of young parents aged 25 and under in England, drawing on secondary analysis of the Next Steps longitudinal dataset and focus groups. It finds that young parents face significantly worse outcomes than their peers across education, employment, and mental health — for example, only 11% have attended university compared to 45% of non-parents, and nearly 40% report struggling financially. The report makes 17 recommendations covering childcare funding, welfare support, mental health services, and access to dedicated support groups, arguing that policy attention must extend beyond teenage parents to those aged 20–25.

Secondary analysisFocus groupEngland

Care experience and family

Growing Up in Kinship Care: Experiences as Adolescents and Outcomes in Young Adulthood

Grandparents Plus · 2017

This report examines the experiences and outcomes of 53 young people aged 16–26 who grew up in kinship care (with extended family or friends) in England. It explores their relationships with carers, parents and siblings, their emotional and physical health, educational attainment, employment, and transitions to independence. Key findings include that most kinship placements were stable and long-lasting, that young people faced significant adversity prior to entering kinship care, and that outcomes were broadly better than for care leavers but that support from Children's Services was inconsistent and often inadequate — particularly for those without looked-after status.

InterviewMixed methodsEngland

Care experience and family

What matters to young mums?

Young Women's Trust · 2017

This report by Young Women's Trust explores the experiences of mothers aged under 25 in England, focusing on finances, childcare, employment, stigma and isolation. Key findings include that 61% of young mothers were only just managing financially, 46% regularly missed meals, and over half felt lonelier since becoming a mother. Young mothers also reported widespread discrimination from employers and dismissive treatment from health professionals, while formal childcare costs were identified as a major barrier to work. The report makes recommendations on childcare policy, employment support, benefit levels and employer practices.

Focus groupSurveyEngland

Care experience and family

Still Hidden, Still Ignored: Who Cares for Young Carers?

Barnardo's · 2017

This Barnardo's report examines how well young carers in England are being identified and supported, ten years after Barnardo's first investigated the issue. Drawing on surveys of over 800 teachers, 79 young carers, and 40+ Barnardo's practitioners, as well as focus groups, the report finds that while legislation has improved identification, funding has not kept pace with increased referrals, and many young carers continue to miss school, suffer poor mental health, and sacrifice educational and employment opportunities. The report makes 34 recommendations to government, local authorities, schools, and health services to improve identification, support pathways, and reduce the caring burden on young people.

SurveyInterviewEngland

Mental health and wellbeing

Our Lives, Our Care: Looked after children's views on their well-being (Selwyn & Briheim-Crookall 2017)

Coram Voice / University of Bristol Hadley Centre / Hadley Trust / DfE / Welsh Government · 2017

This report presents findings from 611 looked after children and young people aged 4–18 who completed the 'Your Life, Your Care' subjective well-being survey across six local authority areas in England. The majority reported moderate well-being and felt that being in care had improved their lives, with higher proportions feeling safe and enjoying school than children in the general population. However, a significant minority — around 14% overall and nearly one in five secondary-aged young people — had low well-being scores, with girls, those lacking a trusted adult, and those unhappy with their appearance particularly at risk. The report makes eight recommendations for policy and practice, including regularly measuring looked after children's well-being, improving social worker stability, and ensuring children are involved in decisions about their care.

SurveyFocus groupEngland

Mental health and wellbeing

Just Health: an enquiry into the emotional health and wellbeing of young people in the youth justice system

Peer Power · 2016

This report presents findings from a consultation with young people aged 13–18 who had been in contact with the youth justice system in London, exploring their experiences of Liaison & Diversion (L&D) services and emotional health and wellbeing support. Key findings include that most young people could not recall being screened by L&D services, that relationships with professionals were perceived as lacking empathy and consistency, and that young people held strongly negative views of the police. The report recommends redesigning L&D services with young people's involvement, investing in empathy training for professionals, and adopting peer mentoring approaches to build trusted relationships.

Focus groupInterviewLondon

Criminal justice and youth violence

Bar Standards Board, The Youth Proceedings Advocacy Review: Final Report

Institute for Criminal Policy Research (ICPR) · 2015

This report examines the quality of advocacy in youth proceedings in England and Wales, commissioned by the Bar Standards Board and CILEx Regulation. It finds wide variability in advocate quality, with many lacking specialist knowledge of youth justice law, struggling to communicate effectively with young defendants and witnesses, and facing systemic barriers such as low pay, inadequate training, and the low status of the Youth Court. The report makes detailed recommendations for mandatory specialist training, a licensing system for youth justice advocates, and structural reforms to better support vulnerable young court users.

SurveyInterviewEnglandWales

Mental health and wellbeing

The Well-Being of Supported Young People in Scotland

SCRA · 2015

SCRA developed and piloted a subjective well-being survey with 164 supported young people aged 10–17 across Scotland, assessing their views across the SHANARRI well-being indicators (Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, Included). Results were largely positive on individual indicators — for example, 96% felt safe at home and 92% felt their carers listen to them — but responses to broader life-satisfaction questions were less positive, suggesting supported young people may not feel as satisfied with their overall lives as their peers. The report concludes that this survey methodology can be used at local and national levels by corporate parents and the Scottish Government to assess and report on the well-being of supported children and young people.

Co-producedSurveyFocus groupScotland

Care experience and family

Our Life in Care: CASI survey of children and young people in care (young people's report)

VOYPIC (Voice of Young People in Care, NI) · 2012

This is a young people's report summarising the findings of VOYPIC's 2012 'Our Life in Care' computer-assisted self-interview (CASI) survey of children and young people in care in Northern Ireland. 156 participants aged 8–18 shared their views on placement, family contact, health, education, care plans, and having a say in decisions. Key findings include that while most feel safe and have good friends, many lack knowledge of their care plans, struggle to maintain family contact, and feel they are not listened to or involved in decisions about their futures. The report was written by young people who took part in the survey.

Youth-ledSurveyNorthern Ireland

Civic participation and youth voice

Demos: An Anatomy of Youth

Demos · 2010

This Demos report maps the attitudes and values of British 16–25-year-olds against key social, economic, environmental and technological trends shaping their lives in 2010. Drawing on original survey data from v's Voicebox poll, in-depth youth portraits, and commissioned expert essays, the report finds that young people are economically and politically marginalised relative to older generations, yet are far from passive: many are actively creating social change. The authors argue that politicians must transfer genuine political capital to young people by engaging seriously with the issues — from climate change and digital identity to family care and democratic participation — that will define their futures.

SurveyInterviewUK-wide