Research reports

Housing and homelessness

Don't Let Me Fall Through The Cracks: Homelessness Among Care Experienced Young People in Wales (EYHC Roadmap Full Report)

End Youth Homelessness Cymru / Llamau / NYAS Cymru · 2022

This review follows up on End Youth Homelessness Cymru's 2020 report on homelessness among care-experienced young people in Wales, assessing progress on the original recommendations nearly two years on. It finds that several recommendations have been partially implemented, including a review of the Care Leavers' Accommodation Framework and an extension of the Shared Accommodation Rate exemption to age 25, but significant gaps remain — particularly around mental health support, financial education, and unsuitable temporary accommodation. Care-experienced young people contributed their voices throughout, highlighting ongoing failures in housing, mental health services, and corporate parenting responsibilities.

Young people consultedInterviewFocus groupWales

Civic participation and youth voice

State of the Region's Youth Work Sector (Yorkshire and the Humber)

Youth Work Unit Yorkshire and Humber / University of Hull · 2022

This report examines the state of youth work provision across the Yorkshire and Humber region, drawing on peer research by young people, focus groups with youth workers and strategic leads, and secondary data analysis. It finds that a decade of austerity cuts has produced sharp rises in poverty and inequality, leaving highly variable and often insufficient youth service provision across the region. The research identifies five key themes: the YWU's marginal infrastructure position, data gaps, the importance of youth voice and peer research, workforce development challenges, and the need for stronger regional collaboration. It concludes that the Yorkshire and Humber Youth Work Unit (YWU) has a pivotal but under-resourced strategic role in advocating for a consistent, sufficient youth offer for young people across the region.

Co-producedFocus groupParticipatoryYorkshire & the Humber

Health and physical wellbeing

Reframing Sport for Teenage Girls: Tackling Teenage Disengagement

Women in Sport · 2022

This report examines why teenage girls disengage from sport and physical activity, drawing on a nationally representative survey of over 4,000 adolescent girls and boys aged 11–18. Key findings show that girls are significantly less active than boys, with disengagement accelerating after primary school and again at ages 17–18; barriers include low confidence, body image concerns, fear of judgement, and the challenges of puberty including periods. The report identifies three segments of girls — 'Sporty Now', 'Used to be Sporty', and 'Never Sporty' — each with distinct needs. It provides eight evidence-based principles to help sport and exercise providers re-engage girls across the spectrum of engagement.

SurveyUK-wide

Gender and sexuality

"Everything is Racialised on Top" Black and Minoritised Girls' and Young Women's Experiences of Public Sexual Harassment in the UK

Plan International UK / University of York · 2022

This qualitative study explores how Black and minoritised girls and young women in England experience public sexual harassment (PSH), finding that their experiences are distinctly shaped by the intersection of racism and sexism. Participants described racialised forms of harassment across online, school and public spaces, including oversexualisation, exoticisation and faith-based targeting. The research also reveals significant barriers to reporting PSH, including mistrust of the police, victim-blaming within families and communities, and institutional inaction in schools. Girls and young women call for systemic and cultural change, improved education — including anti-racist relationships and sex education — and better reporting systems.

Co-producedInterviewFocus groupEngland

Criminal justice and youth violence

Lancashire Youth Commission: Final Report to the Police and Crime Commissioner & the Violence Reduction Unit

Lancashire Youth Commission / Leaders Unlocked · 2022

The Lancashire Youth Commission (LYC), a peer-led project of 32 young people aged 14–25, engaged over 2,400 young people across Lancashire on six priority topics: mental health, hate crime, social media and online crime, abusive relationships, drugs and alcohol, and relationships with the police. Young people reported feeling unheard and unsupported by both police and education settings across all themes, with particular concerns about stigma around mental health, under-reporting of hate crimes and abuse, and the ease of accessing drugs via social media. The report makes detailed recommendations to Lancashire Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner, and the Violence Reduction Network on improving services, education, and trust with young people.

Co-producedSurveyInterviewNorth West

Housing and homelessness

Beyond a Number: the scale of youth homelessness in the UK

Centrepoint · 2022

This report from Centrepoint's Youth Homelessness Databank estimates that almost 122,000 young people aged 16–24 presented to their local authority as homeless or at risk of homelessness in 2020/21 — the fifth consecutive year-on-year increase. It finds that in England only 66% of those who presented received a full assessment (down from 79% in 2018/19), and just 37% achieved a positive outcome. The report also examines regional variation, the impact of COVID-19 on access to services, and the causes of youth homelessness, with family breakdown and domestic abuse being the leading drivers.

Secondary analysisInterviewUK-wide

Employment, skills and economic security

The Recent Evolution of Apprenticeships

Sutton Trust · 2022

This report analyses how apprenticeships in England changed between 2014 and 2020, drawing on administrative data from the Individualised Learner Record matched to the National Pupil Database. It finds that while the Apprenticeship Levy and associated reforms shifted the composition of apprenticeships upward — with growth in Higher and Degree Apprenticeships — these gains have disproportionately benefited older workers (25+) and those from more advantaged backgrounds. Young people aged 16–24, those from deprived areas, and those eligible for free school meals are increasingly under-represented at higher apprenticeship levels, raising concerns about social mobility. Non-completion and early dropout remain widespread problems across all levels.

Secondary analysisEngland

Mental health and wellbeing

Prince's Trust NatWest Youth Index 2022

The Prince's Trust · 2022

The 2022 Youth Index surveyed 2,106 young people aged 16–25 across the UK to measure their happiness and confidence across key life areas. Overall wellbeing scores fell to an all-time low in the report's 13-year history, with young people particularly concerned about their mental health, qualifications, employment prospects, and relationships. The pandemic's scarring effect was most pronounced among NEET young people and those from lower-income backgrounds, who reported significantly worse outcomes across all measures. Young women also showed notably lower wellbeing scores than young men, especially around mental health and employment confidence.

SurveyUK-wide

Digital life and online safety

Digital Wellbeing Report: Care Experienced Community

Who Cares? Scotland · 2022

Who Cares? Scotland's Digital Wellbeing Group — four care-experienced members — designed and ran a survey of 92 care-experienced people across 24 Scottish local authorities to explore online safety, digital relationships, and digital rights. The findings show that while 65–66% of respondents feel safe online, 65% had never accessed online safety training, and cyberbullying, fraud, and harassment were the main concerns. Digital connection was strongly valued for maintaining family and friendship ties, and 80% of participants were aware of their digital rights, though the group identified clear gaps and plan to create accessible resources including a podcast, information pack, and storybook to address them.

Co-producedSurveyParticipatoryScotland

Care experience and family

New Belongings Programme evaluation report

Coram Voice · 2022

This evaluation assessed the New Belongings Programme, a three-year initiative delivered by Coram Voice that supported eight English local authorities to involve care leavers in service improvements through co-production. Using a pre- and post- design, the evaluation found that local authorities improved their self-assessed performance across all ten 'gold standard' leaving care areas, and staff reported significant benefits from the programme's structure and peer support. However, care leavers' own survey responses showed that wellbeing indicators largely reverted to pre-pandemic levels by 2022, with too many still reporting loneliness, anxiety, and financial hardship. The report concludes that local authorities have built meaningful commitment to co-production with care leavers, but that the wellbeing gap between care leavers and the general youth population remains a critical ongoing challenge.

SurveyInterviewEngland

Housing and homelessness

Young, Homeless and Hungry: The Impact of Food Insecurity on Vulnerable Young People

Centrepoint · 2022

This report by Centrepoint examines the scale and impact of food insecurity among homeless and housing-insecure young people aged 16–25 in England. It finds that nearly two-thirds of vulnerable young people lack regular access to safe and nutritious food, with low income, benefit system failures, debt, and inadequate cooking facilities as key drivers. Food insecurity is shown to damage physical health, mental wellbeing, and engagement in education and employment. A national poll of 2,000 young people also found high levels of food insecurity across the general youth population, with nearly half having gone to bed hungry in the past year.

SurveyInterviewEngland

Criminal justice and youth violence

Hidden in Plain Sight: A national plan of action to support vulnerable teenagers to succeed and to protect them from adversity, exploitation, and harm

Commission on Young Lives / Oasis Charitable Trust / Anne Longfield · 2022

The Commission on Young Lives presents a national plan of action to protect vulnerable teenagers in England from exploitation, serious violence, and criminal justice involvement. Drawing on evidence sessions with practitioners, experts, and young people, the report finds systemic failures across children's social care, education, mental health, and family support services that leave hundreds of thousands of young people at risk. It calls for major reform including a new "Sure Start Plus" network of hubs for teenagers, 10,000 new youth practitioners, inclusive education reform, and a £1bn mental health recovery programme, arguing these represent an invest-to-save approach to preventing harm.

Young people consultedInterviewFocus groupEngland

Arts, culture and creativity

Looking Beyond Lockdown: Arts Organisations Supporting Young People's Wellbeing

People's Palace Projects / QMUL / Battersea Arts Centre / Contact / NTW / Theatre Royal Stratford East / Dirty Protest · 2022

This mixed-methods study examined how five UK community arts organisations (based in Manchester, London, and Wales) supported young people's mental health and wellbeing during and after COVID-19 lockdowns, including the shift to online delivery. The quantitative strand surveyed 141 young people aged 16–29 about their pandemic experiences and arts engagement, while the qualitative strand drew on semi-structured interviews with 46 young people, 28 staff, and 16 stakeholders. Key findings show that while the move to digital expanded reach and offered safety for some shy participants, it also reduced connection, deepened digital poverty, and eroded the informal bonds central to participatory arts. The report recommends improved mental health training for arts staff, hybrid delivery models, and stronger cross-sector partnerships to sustain support for young people post-pandemic.

Young people consultedSurveyInterviewEnglandWales

Education, learning and attainment

Young Persons' Money Index 2020-21: examining the delivery of financial education in schools and the financial capability of young people in the UK

London Institute of Banking and Finance · 2021

This annual survey tracks the delivery of financial education in UK secondary schools and assesses the financial capability of young people aged 15–18. Key findings show that only 64% of students have access to financial education in school — unchanged from the previous year — and 75% say they get most of their financial understanding from parents rather than school. Despite this, 83% of young people want more financial education in school, and 67% worry about their personal finances, with 59% reporting that Covid-19 has made them more anxious about money. The report concludes that financial education should be made a statutory requirement and included in the Ofsted Framework.

SurveyUK-wide

Employment, skills and economic security

Making up for lost time: understanding young people's hopes and expectations as we start to make up for lost time

Speakers for Schools · 2021

This report by Speakers for Schools, conducted in partnership with YouGov, explores the hopes, needs and expectations of young people aged 11–19 in the UK as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Key findings show that young people prioritise work experience, mental health support, and tutoring to make up for lost time, and that they feel significantly let down by politicians and business leaders who overestimate their own understanding of young people's needs. The research also identifies a major "trust gap" between young people and decision-makers, with recommendations for government and employers to expand access to quality work experience and wellbeing support.

SurveyInterviewUK-wide

Mental health and wellbeing

Locked down, looking out: how young people embraced co-operative values to tackle the challenges of lockdown

Co-op Foundation · 2021

This report explores how young people aged 10–25 in the UK experienced loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic and the actions they took to support themselves and others. Key findings show that 73% of young people felt lonely at least occasionally during lockdown, with more than half saying it had worsened since March 2020. Despite this, many young people demonstrated co-operative behaviours — reaching out to friends, making new connections, and taking action to help peers — with 82% having taken at least one action to help someone who felt lonely. The report highlights both the resilience of young people and ongoing barriers such as stigma around discussing loneliness.

SurveyUK-wide

Mental health and wellbeing

Girls' Attitudes Survey 2021

Girlguiding · 2021

Girlguiding's 2021 Girls' Attitudes Survey captures how Covid-19 has affected girls and young women aged 7–21 across the UK, finding a sharp decline in happiness and significant rises in loneliness, anxiety and online harms. Girls report struggling with remote learning, worrying about falling behind academically, and facing ongoing barriers to STEM subjects. The pandemic has also shifted career aspirations and heightened financial worries, while the majority experienced some form of harmful online content in the past year. The findings point to an urgent need for greater support for girls' mental health, education and safety online.

Co-producedSurveyInterviewUK-wide

Mental health and wellbeing

LockdownLowdown phase 3

Scottish Youth Parliament / YouthLink Scotland / Young Scot · 2021

This third #LockdownLowdown survey gathered responses from over 2,400 young people across Scotland in Spring 2021 to understand the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdown restrictions began to ease. Key findings show that most secondary school pupils were unhappy with their assessment arrangements, mental health and wellbeing remained a significant concern for many young people, and confidence in future employment was mixed. Young people consistently called for more mental health support, careers advice in schools, and a return to in-person learning and socialising.

SurveyScotland

Civic participation and youth voice

Overlooked: Young People and Rural Youth Services

National Youth Agency · 2021

Young people in rural England are significantly underserved by youth services, with per-head spending dropping from £108 to just £47 since 2011 — less than half urban rates. The report finds that 2.25 million rural young people face a combination of reduced or absent youth provision, poor transport, limited digital connectivity, and hidden poverty that compound their disadvantage. It calls for a Rural Action Plan co-designed with young people, ring-fenced funding, deployment of qualified youth workers, and investment in community assets and digital infrastructure to address these inequalities.

Secondary analysisEngland

Mental health and wellbeing

One Small Step (youth loneliness research)

Co-op Foundation · 2021

This report presents findings from a UK-wide survey of 2,001 young people aged 10–25 on loneliness and its impacts. It finds that 71% of young people experience loneliness at least occasionally, with older age groups (16–25), those who have received free school meals, and those outside structured environments like school being most affected. Loneliness is strongly linked to poorer mental wellbeing and heightened anxiety, and significant stigma remains, particularly among boys and young men. The report highlights proactive social actions (such as spending time with friends or family) as the most effective ways young people combat loneliness, and calls on wider society to be kinder, more supportive, and more open about the issue.

SurveyUK-wide

Mental health and wellbeing

The Impact of COVID-19 on Young People in Merton

London Borough of Merton · 2021

This youth-led peer research project, designed and conducted by Merton's Young Inspectors, explored how Covid-19 and lockdown affected young people living and studying in the London Borough of Merton. Drawing on a survey of over 2,000 young people and more than 200 interviews and focus groups, it found that the pandemic negatively impacted mental health, physical activity, education, and friendships, with care-experienced young people, young carers, disabled young people, and Black young people disproportionately affected. Young people reported feeling excluded from local decision-making, expressed mixed views of the police (strongly shaped by stop-and-search experience and ethnicity), and called for better mental health support, safer spaces, and a genuine voice in how their borough is run.

Youth-ledSurveyInterviewLondon

Employment, skills and economic security

Youth Voice Census Report 2021

Youth Employment UK · 2021

The 2021 Youth Voice Census gathered the views and experiences of over 3,400 young people aged 14–24 across England on education, employment, and life in their local area. Key findings show widespread disconnection: only 9.9% of young people were confident they could find quality work where they live, and 81.9% felt there were not enough opportunities to share their views on important issues. Mental health concerns emerged as a top barrier across all groups — those in education, looking for work, and in employment — with inequalities by gender, ethnicity, free school meals eligibility, and additional needs running throughout the data.

SurveyEngland

Housing and homelessness

Families Living in Temporary Accommodation

M·E·L Research Ltd · 2021

This report, commissioned by the West Midlands Combined Authority Homelessness Taskforce, examines the experiences of families with dependent children living in temporary accommodation (TA) across the seven WMCA constituent local authorities. It finds that over 3,500 families (around 14,000 people including 8,240 children) were in TA on 1 March 2021, with Birmingham accounting for 84% of cases and average stays of nearly 1.5 years. Key drivers of homelessness include private rented sector failures, domestic abuse, debt, and asylum/refugee status, while families report serious impacts on mental health, children's education, and wellbeing. The report identifies good practice across the region and makes recommendations around prevention, faster move-on, better support, and increased affordable housing supply.

InterviewSecondary analysisWest Midlands

Health and physical wellbeing

PE, Sport and Physical Activity Survey (Independent Schools)

Youth Sport Trust / Limitless · 2021

This survey of 1,517 young people across 17 independent schools in England explored attitudes, motivations, and barriers to PE, school sport, and physical activity. Young people in independent schools were found to be more active than those in state schools, averaging 50 more minutes of activity per day. However, they face the same wellbeing challenges and barriers — particularly girls, who report significantly more barriers to participation than boys, including lack of confidence, body image concerns, and periods. Confidence and competence decline through adolescence for girls, while schools are identified as playing a vital role in maintaining girls' activity levels during this period.

SurveyEngland

Results