Research reports

Arts, culture and creativity

UK Arts, Culture and Young People: Innovative Practice and Trends

British Council / Tialt · 2024

This UK-wide research explores how arts and cultural organisations are responding to the needs of young people aged 11–24, drawing on a literature review, stakeholder interviews with national arts funders, a survey of organisations, a focus group, and nine in-depth case studies. Key issues identified include barriers to access, rising poor mental health, neurodiversity, global crises, declining creative education, and the need for stronger youth voice. The report finds that effective practice is characterised by co-creation, trust-based relationships, flexibility, place-based working, and putting young people's rights at the centre of programme design. Practitioners and funders call for long-term, iterative funding, more opportunities to share practice across the UK and internationally, and greater power handed to young people in shaping cultural provision.

SurveyInterviewUK-wide

Housing and homelessness

Housing Hurdles: Changing Housing Circumstances of Young People in Britain

Resolution Foundation · 2024

This briefing analyses how housing tenure and affordability have changed for young people aged 25–34 in Britain across generations, drawing on decades of survey data. It finds that while home ownership rates have risen modestly since 2015–16 and the share of income spent on housing has reached a 35-year low, these improvements are concentrated among middle- and higher-income families and are weakest in London and the South East. High housing costs remain strongly associated with lower precautionary savings and worse mental health outcomes, with over half of the lowest-income quintile spending more than 30% of their income on housing. The report recommends expanding housing supply, introducing a permanent mortgage guarantee scheme, and re-linking Local Housing Allowance to current market rents.

Secondary analysisUK-wide

Education, learning and attainment

Young Persons' Money Index 2022/23: examining the delivery of financial education in schools and the financial capability of young people in the UK

London Institute of Banking and Finance · 2023

This annual survey of over 2,000 UK secondary school pupils aged 15–18 tracks access to financial education in schools and young people's financial knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. The 2022/23 edition found that the proportion of students reporting access to financial education in school dropped significantly from 73% to 62%, while 82% said they want to learn more about money at school — up 10% on the previous year. Young people's financial knowledge remains patchy, with many unable to correctly answer basic questions about credit, debt and APR, and most relying on parents rather than schools for financial understanding. The cost-of-living crisis has increased financial anxiety, with 70% saying rising costs made them more worried about money.

SurveyUK-wide

Mental health and wellbeing

The maternal mental health experiences of young mums

Maternal Mental Health Alliance · 2023

This joint briefing explores the maternal mental health experiences of young mothers aged 16–25 across the UK, combining focus groups with 20 young mums and a rapid literature review. Young mums face significantly higher rates of perinatal mental illness, including postnatal depression and suicide risk, compounded by stigma, poverty, housing difficulties, and care experience. The report finds that young mums frequently feel judged and dismissed by statutory services, while dedicated voluntary sector services offering holistic, non-judgemental support produce much more positive outcomes. It calls for updated national frameworks, greater investment in universal and specialist perinatal mental health services, and co-production of support pathways with young mothers themselves.

Focus groupSecondary analysisUK-wide

Employment, skills and economic security

Leave No One Behind: North Paddington 18–25s employment support needs (action research, June 2023)

Young Westminster Foundation · 2023

This action research report explores the employment support needs of 18–25-year-olds living in North Paddington (Westminster), a high-deprivation area with above-average youth unemployment. The study found that young adults face a significant "personal network gap," widespread discrimination, low confidence, and a lack of accessible, tailored employment support. It recommends an integrated, community-based "no wrong door" employment partnership model that centres young people's voices in service design.

Co-producedSurveyInterviewLondon

Mental health and wellbeing

Generation Isolation: OnSide's annual study into young people's lives outside school (2023)

OnSide · 2023

This annual survey by OnSide explores how young people aged 11–18 in England spend their time outside school, finding that 80% spend most of their free time at home and 76% on screens. The report highlights the impact of the cost of living crisis, with 26% of young people having stopped out-of-school activities as a result. It also finds that 50% of young people report high or very high feelings of anxiety, and that only 9% attend a youth club — despite 89% of those who do saying it has made a positive difference to their lives. The findings are used to make the case for greater investment in youth centres and youth work.

SurveyEngland

Identity, belonging and community

A bhith an sàs le Gàidhlig air loidhne: toraidhean an t-suirbhidh, Màrt 2023 (Engaging with Gaelic online: survey results, March 2023)

Young Scot · 2023

Young Scot surveyed 929 young people in Scotland about their engagement with Gaelic online, covering awareness, attitudes, and preferred platforms and content types. Key findings show growing interest in learning Gaelic, with 67.8% of non-Gaelic speakers expressing a desire to learn, up from 49.6% in the first survey. The majority of respondents (81.1%) want to see more Gaelic content online, with short-form videos on TikTok and Instagram Reels being the most preferred format. Fluent speakers highlighted a preference for English-language resources due to ease of access, while also expressing demand for more Gaelic content around youth opportunities, news, and culture.

SurveyScotland

Criminal justice and youth violence

Leading Research, Driving Change (Peer Action Collective)

Peer Action Collective / Youth Endowment Fund · 2023

The Peer Action Collective (PAC) trained 120 young people aged 16–25 as Peer Researchers to investigate youth violence across England and Wales, engaging over 4,600 participants. Key findings show that social media normalises violence, peer pressure is a major driver, and young people—particularly those who are Black, LGBTQ+, or female—experience violence unequally and receive less support. The report combines research findings with social action, as young people used their insights to develop campaigns, workshops, community events, and policy engagement to make their communities safer and fairer.

Co-producedInterviewFocus groupEnglandWales

Mental health and wellbeing

You're Helping Me Just by Listening: Peer Research with 150+ Young Adults on Mental Health Services

42nd Street · 2023

This report presents peer research findings from over 150 young adults about their experiences of mental health services. The research explores what young people value in mental health support, with listening and relational approaches emerging as key themes. Findings are likely to be relevant to practitioners commissioning or delivering mental health services for young adults. Full text could not be verified, so some metadata is estimated from the title alone.

Co-producedInterviewOther

Health and physical wellbeing

1,000 Young Voices

StreetGames (with Platypus Research) · 2023

This report by Platypus Research on behalf of StreetGames segments young people aged 11–24 from lower-income households in Great Britain according to their attitudes, motivations, emotions and barriers relating to sport and physical activity. Seven distinct segments are identified, ranging from those held back by low confidence to enthusiastic competitors, with each profile described in detail to guide targeted interventions. Key findings include that one in three of these young people feel limited control over their lives, two in five have felt discriminated against in sporting contexts, and cost is the most commonly cited practical barrier — though psychological barriers such as anxiety and self-consciousness are especially significant for girls and neurodivergent young people. The segments are intended as a practical tool for StreetGames and partners to design more effective, targeted programmes to increase participation.

SurveyFocus groupUK-wide

Identity, belonging and community

Life in Scotland for LGBT Young People: Rural Report 2023

LGBT Youth Scotland · 2023

This report explores the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people living in rural and remote areas of Scotland, drawing on a nationwide survey of 1,279 LGBTQ+ young people aged 13–25. It finds that only 39% of rural-based participants consider their local area a good place for LGBTQ+ young people, compared to 59% of those in non-rural areas. Key themes include widespread homophobia, biphobia and transphobia; risks around coming out; isolation; and a lack of accessible LGBTQ+ services and communities in rural areas. The report makes recommendations to the Scottish Government, local authorities, Police Scotland, and service providers to invest in inclusive education, youth work, and community resources for LGBTQ+ young people in rural Scotland.

SurveySecondary analysisScotland

Race, ethnicity and racial justice

See Us, Hear Us: On girlhood and growing up Black in Lambeth

Milk Honey Bees · 2023

This pilot study explored the experiences of 10 Black girls aged 12–18 living and/or attending school in the London Borough of Lambeth, examining how social, political and institutional environments affect their lives across community safety, schooling and mental health. The findings show that Black girls face pervasive racism, adultification and a near-total lack of safe spaces, leaving them feeling unprotected by both the police and school systems. The report calls for intersectional investment in youth services, anti-racist school strategies, and targeted mental health support that centres Black girls' specific needs.

Co-producedFocus groupInterviewLondon

Education, learning and attainment

Life in Scotland for LGBT Young People: Education Report 2023

LGBT Youth Scotland · 2023

This report is a deep-dive into the education findings from LGBT Youth Scotland's Life in Scotland for LGBT Young People 2022 survey, drawing on responses from 1,279 LGBTI young people aged 13–25 in Scotland. It finds that just 10% of participants rated the experience of school as 'Good', over 63% had experienced homophobic or biphobic bullying in school, and fewer than half felt supported as an LGBTI person in education. The report identifies five key themes — supportive staff, inclusive spaces, LGBTI-specific information, policies and guidance, and taking action — and makes targeted recommendations to schools, colleges, universities, and the Scottish Government to improve LGBTI inclusion.

SurveyMixed methodsScotland

Criminal justice and youth violence

Understanding Young People's Experiences of Violence in Lambeth: a Participatory Action Research Approach

High Trees Community Development Trust / Lambeth Peer Action Collective · 2023

This peer-led participatory action research project explored how the environments young people grow up in shape their experiences of violence in Lambeth, London. Drawing on 106 interviews and arts-based workshops with 231 young people, the report finds that violence is experienced as routine and inevitable by many, compounded by poor housing, discriminatory policing, underfunded youth services, and structural racism. The peer researchers and broader group of young people translated their findings into a 12-point manifesto calling for improved opportunities, safe housing, and an education system that works for all young people in Lambeth.

Co-producedInterviewParticipatoryLondon

Civic participation and youth voice

Young People in Scotland 2022: volunteering analysis

Volunteer Scotland · 2023

This report analyses volunteering participation among secondary school pupils in Scotland, drawing on a 2022 survey of 1,533 pupils aged 11–18. It finds a significant decline in both formal (down 12 percentage points to 37%) and informal (down 7 percentage points to 18%) volunteering since 2019, with COVID-19 and the cost of living crisis identified as likely drivers. Key findings include that older pupils (17–18) were more resilient to the decline, that gender parity in formal volunteering was reached for the first time, and that young people with long-term health conditions volunteered at higher rates than those without. The report recommends including volunteering in the school curriculum and adapting volunteer-involving organisations' practices to enable young people to volunteer with friends.

SurveySecondary analysisScotland

Health and physical wellbeing

Core Health: A Youth Voice Enquiry (CORE20PLUS5 Young People)

Peer Power Youth · 2023

This report by Peer Power Youth captures the healthcare experiences and views of 48 children and young people with lived experience of the youth justice system and secure settings in England. Key findings include significant barriers to accessing healthcare, health inequalities linked to identity (race, gender, neurodiversity), and a concept the participants named "forced resilience" — the emotional and psychological toll of being incarcerated with limited autonomy. Young people made concrete recommendations around improving healthcare access, trauma-informed staff practice, trusted relationships, and the clinical focus areas of the NHS Core20PLUS5 strategy for children and young people.

Co-producedSurveyFocus groupEngland

Criminal justice and youth violence

Children, violence and vulnerability 2023

Youth Endowment Fund · 2023

This is the second annual Youth Endowment Fund survey into teenage children's experiences of violence in England and Wales. Based on responses from over 7,500 13 to 17-year-olds, the report finds that 1 in 6 had been a victim of violence in the past 12 months and 1 in 7 had perpetrated violence, with experiences heavily concentrated among the most vulnerable children. Around 60% had seen real-world violence on social media — most commonly on TikTok — and 1 in 5 said they had skipped school due to feeling unsafe. The report also compares children's and adults' views on the drivers of and solutions to violence, finding broad agreement that gangs and drugs are the biggest factors.

Young people consultedSurveyInterviewEnglandWales

Employment, skills and economic security

Speaking from experience: Getting it right for Disabled apprentices

Disability Rights UK · 2023

This report explores the experiences of young Disabled people who are doing or have completed apprenticeships in England, drawing on members of the Disabled Apprentice Network (DAN) and wider stakeholder roundtables. It finds that while apprenticeships can be transformative for Disabled young people, significant barriers remain — including poor careers advice, inaccessible information, inadequate reasonable adjustments, and employer reluctance. The report makes practical recommendations for government, employers, training providers, and schools to improve access, support, and retention of Disabled apprentices.

Young people consultedInterviewFocus groupEngland

Employment, skills and economic security

Where Next? What influences the choices of would-be apprentices?

Sutton Trust / UCAS · 2023

This UCAS and Sutton Trust report tracks five groups of young people — those interested in, applying for, and currently on apprenticeships — through a five-stage journey from initial discovery to experience. It finds that while demand for apprenticeships is high (40% of UCAS students also express interest in apprenticeships), supply of suitable opportunities is severely limited, the application process is more burdensome than for university, and disadvantaged students receive less support throughout. Key barriers include lack of local availability, affordability, and an underprestigious perception of apprenticeships compared to degrees.

SurveySecondary analysisUK-wide

Care experience and family

Adoption UK Adoption Barometer 2023

Adoption UK · 2023

The Adoption Barometer 2023 is the fifth annual UK-wide survey of adoption lived experience, drawing on over 16,700 unique survey responses from prospective adopters, adoptive parents, and adult adoptees. The report finds that while some areas have improved—such as increased direct birth family contact and positive outcomes from the Adoption Support Fund in England—most adoptive families still struggle to access timely, specialist support, and families with older children are twice as likely to be in crisis. Adult adoptees in particular feel abandoned by services, with very few able to access free, adoption-informed therapeutic support. The report makes wide-ranging recommendations for governments across all four UK nations to fund and reform adoption support throughout the lifespan.

Young people consultedSurveyUK-wide

Employment, skills and economic security

Breaking Barriers to Work: Exploring the Impact of the Benefits System on Young People Living in Supported Accommodation and Their Ability to Work

YMCA England & Wales · 2023

This report by YMCA England & Wales examines how the benefits system creates barriers to employment for young people living in YMCA supported accommodation. Key findings include that Housing Benefit tapering financially penalises residents who take up paid work, that benefit levels — especially for under-25s — are too low to cover basic essentials, and that benefit sanctions frequently push young people into food insecurity and worsen their mental health. The report makes seven policy recommendations, including introducing a Universal Credit work allowance for supported accommodation residents, an Essentials Guarantee for benefits, and relaxing the sanctions regime for this cohort.

Focus groupSurveyEnglandWales

Identity, belonging and community

Youth voices: life, work and study in Northern Ireland

Pivotal Public Policy Forum · 2023

This survey of 259 young people aged 14–25 in Northern Ireland explores their experiences of community, education, work and the future. Most respondents still feel the impact of the Troubles, with segregated housing and schooling remaining the norm; over 40% reported paramilitary influence in their area. Young people's top priorities included better careers advice, more mixed housing, greater job opportunities, and removal of paramilitary influence, while the high cost of living and poor mental health were seen as the biggest challenges ahead.

Co-producedSurveyNorthern Ireland

Criminal justice and youth violence

Surrey Youth Commission Report on Police and Crime

Leaders Unlocked / Surrey PCC · 2023

The Surrey Youth Commission (SYC), made up of young people aged 14–25, conducted peer-to-peer research with over 1,600 young people across Surrey to explore five priorities: substance misuse and exploitation, violence against women and girls, cybercrime, mental health, and relationships with the police. Key findings include that substance misuse is highly normalised, almost all young women had experienced some form of gender-based violence, cybercrime is widespread and severely under-reported, and many young people face significant barriers to mental health support. The report makes practical recommendations to Surrey Police, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, and the SYC itself to improve services, awareness, and trust between young people and policing.

Co-producedSurveyInterviewSouth East

Mental health and wellbeing

Young people’s mental health in the workplace

Institute for Employment Studies (IES) · 2023

This report examines the mental health experiences of 2,000 young workers aged 16–25 across the four UK nations, focusing on workplace culture, disclosure practices, and support provision. It finds that nearly half of respondents had a mental health condition or challenge, yet over two-fifths did not disclose this to their employer — mainly due to discomfort or fear of consequences. Only around two-fifths felt their workplace had a supportive culture around mental health, and three in ten had left or planned to leave a job because of its impact on their mental health. Disadvantaged groups — including women, disabled young people, and those in low-paid or part-time roles — consistently reported worse experiences and less access to support.

SurveyUK-wide

Results