Research reports

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

Employment, skills and economic security

Not Just Any Job, Good Jobs! Youth Voices from Across the UK

Institute for Employment Studies (IES) · 2021

This report presents findings from a large-scale mixed-methods study with 1,345 young people aged 16–25 across all four UK nations, exploring their views on good quality work, barriers to accessing it, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Young people value stimulating, fulfilling work that supports their wellbeing, but many feel good quality work is a privilege beyond their reach, particularly those in lower-skilled sectors or deprived areas. The pandemic has worsened working conditions and dented young people's confidence and aspirations. The report calls for stronger employment regulation, improved careers support, greater focus on the 16–18 age group, place-based approaches, and better mental health provision.

Young people consultedSurveyInterviewUK-wide

Mental health and wellbeing

Growing up LGBT+: The impact of school, home and coronavirus on LGBT+ young people

Just Like Us · 2021

This UK-wide survey of 2,934 pupils aged 11–18 and 513 school and college staff examined the wellbeing, school experiences, and pandemic impact on LGBT+ young people compared to their non-LGBT+ peers. LGBT+ young people reported significantly worse mental health outcomes, including being twice as likely to contemplate suicide, three times more likely to self-harm, and twice as likely to feel lonely during lockdown. The research found that schools with strong positive LGBT+ messaging saw notably improved wellbeing and safety for all pupils, and that Black, disabled, and free-school-meal-eligible LGBT+ young people faced the greatest challenges. The report concludes with practical recommendations for schools, colleges, and parents to better support LGBT+ young people.

SurveyMixed methodsUK-wide

Employment, skills and economic security

Breaking Down Barriers Working Towards Birmingham’s Future Supporting Younger People Into Employment

Birmingham City Council / Birmingham Employment Taskforce · 2021

This report by Birmingham City Council investigates the barriers facing young people aged 16–24 in accessing employment and work experience in Birmingham, with a particular focus on the impact of Covid-19. Based on surveys and interviews with nearly 2,000 young people, 300 businesses, and education stakeholders, it finds that the pandemic did not create new barriers but exposed and worsened pre-existing inequalities linked to socioeconomic status, ethnicity, care experience, and mental health. Youth unemployment in Birmingham stood at approximately 20% at the time of publication, substantially above the national average. The report makes ten practical recommendations including improving public transport access, supporting mental health, developing a city-wide mentoring scheme, and creating a 'one stop shop' online hub for employment opportunities.

SurveyInterviewWest Midlands

Mental health and wellbeing

Prince's Trust Tesco Youth Index 2021

The Prince's Trust · 2021

This annual survey of 2,180 young people aged 16–25 across the UK measures their happiness and confidence across key life areas including work, education, mental health and money. The 2021 edition finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on young people's mental health, with more reporting anxiety and depression than at any point in the Index's 12-year history. NEET young people are disproportionately affected, with 40% feeling unable to cope with life and 48% unable to see an end to their unemployment. Despite this, three-quarters of young people believe their generation can change the future for the better.

SurveyLongitudinalUK-wide

Housing and homelessness

Lgbtq+ Youth Homelessness Report

akt / Albert Kennedy Trust / YouGov / Homeless Link · 2021

This report by akt examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people who have faced homelessness in the UK, including the abuse they experienced from family members and romantic partners, the impact of homelessness on their mental and physical health, and their awareness of and access to support services. Key findings include that 92% of respondents said homelessness had a negative impact on their mental health, only 13% felt supported by parents while homeless, and over half had faced discrimination when accessing services. The report makes recommendations to government, local authorities, and the housing sector to improve monitoring, prevention, and inclusive service delivery for LGBTQ+ young people facing homelessness.

SurveyInterviewUK-wide

Mental health and wellbeing

Working Towards Mentally Healthy Schools and Colleges: The Voice of Students (3,000+ Young People 11-19)

Anna Freud Centre · 2021

A survey of 3,298 young people aged 11–19 across the UK explored their views on mental health support in secondary schools and FE colleges. Young people overwhelmingly wanted mental health to be taught in school, with depression and anxiety, body image, and identity identified as the most important topics. Friendships, family and relationships were seen as positive influences on mental health, while schoolwork, exams and family were the top negative factors. Just over half said they would speak to an adult at school about mental health concerns, with trusted teachers and school counsellors being the preferred contacts.

SurveyUK-wide

Employment, skills and economic security

Alternative career routes the rise of the young entrepreneur

ClearView Research · 2021

This qualitative study explores the motivations, experiences and challenges of young entrepreneurs aged 16–25 in England who face multiple barriers (e.g. low income, care experience, criminal records, caring responsibilities). Using peer-researcher-led focus groups and interviews, the report finds that most young entrepreneurs are driven by a genuine desire to pursue entrepreneurship — through passion, social change, or financial necessity — rather than as a last resort. A key finding is that lack of accessible information, guidance and funding is the biggest barrier, while discrimination based on race and gender also affects young entrepreneurs' experiences. The report recommends investment in mentorship programmes, a central information hub, and championing entrepreneurship as a mainstream career route for young people.

Co-producedInterviewFocus groupEngland

Housing and homelessness

Rent-Move-Repeat: A Participatory Action Research Project on the Challenges of Renting in London as a Young Person

Toynbee Hall · 2021

This participatory action research report explores the challenges faced by young private renters aged 18–30 in East London, conducted by 23 peer researchers who were themselves young renters. Key findings show that young renters frequently lack knowledge of their legal rights, face financial pressure from high rents (over half spent more than half their income on rent), and experience poor conditions, unfair evictions, and deposit disputes. The report co-designs practical recommendations with landlords, including a renters' rights website/app and investment in ethical property management agencies.

Co-producedSurveyInterviewLondon

Mental health and wellbeing

Unapologetically Me Transcending Resilience exploring the role of resilience in supporting the well-being of young people with racialised communities

Partnership for Young London · 2021

This peer research project, co-produced by Partnership for Young London with 12 young people from Black, Asian and other minoritised ethnic communities, explored how young people with racialised identities develop resilience. Key findings challenged traditional Western models of resilience, arguing that placing the burden of resilience on individuals from minoritised communities reinforces oppression rather than addressing structural inequalities. The report highlights the importance of social justice frameworks, collective approaches to adversity, and previously undocumented sources of inner strength such as ancestral ties, liminal spaces, and the role of older sisters in Black and Asian families.

Co-producedInterviewFocus groupLondon

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

Mental health and wellbeing

The Mental Health Needs of Homeless Young People (analysis of 3,452 Centrepoint service user records across 5 regions)

Centrepoint · 2021

This report analyses Centrepoint's service records for 3,452 homeless young people aged 16–25 who accessed support in 2019 across London, Manchester, Sunderland, Bradford and Barnsley. It finds that over half (54.1%) experienced mental health issues and nearly a third had a formal diagnosis, with rates significantly higher among those with experience of rough sleeping. The report also highlights regional disparities in mental health need and calls for better integration of health services into homelessness provision and commissioning.

Secondary analysisInterviewLondonNorth WestNorth EastYorkshire & the Humber

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

Care experience and family

Out of Harm's Way: A New Care System to Protect Vulnerable Teenagers

Commission on Young Lives · 2021

This report from the Commission on Young Lives examines why the children's social care system is failing vulnerable teenagers in England, particularly those at risk of criminal and sexual exploitation. It finds that teenagers are the fastest-growing cohort in care, yet the system — designed for younger children — is ill-equipped to meet their needs, with chronic shortages of appropriate placements, overuse of unregulated accommodation, and frequent out-of-area moves that increase exposure to exploitation. The report makes nine recommendations, including a cross-departmental ministerial taskforce, a new Teenager at Risk helpline, an end to unregulated placements for under-18s, and new models of specialist foster and residential care.

Young people consultedInterviewOtherEngland

Employment, skills and economic security

BTEG 2021 Young People Survey

Black Training and Enterprise Group (BTEG) · 2021

BTEG's 2021 Young People Survey captures the views of nearly 250 Black, Asian and Mixed ethnicity young people across the UK on jobs, apprenticeships, careers, and wider priority issues during the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings show that most respondents are worried the pandemic will negatively affect their future employment, with racial discrimination cited as a major personal and societal concern — far more so than for young people generally. While more respondents felt confident than not about their future careers, a substantial minority reported being NEET, and racial discrimination was the second most-cited reason for not being in employment or training. Young people called for improved mental health services, financial support to tackle poverty, greater youth voice, and education to address racial discrimination.

SurveyUK-wide

Criminal justice and youth violence

Co-creation and Participation in the Youth Justice System

Peer Power Youth · 2021

This report investigates the extent and nature of participatory and co-creative practices across Youth Justice Services (YJS) in England and Wales, drawing on a survey of 75 YJS and a series of Deep Dive sessions with practitioners, managers, and children. Key findings show that while most YJS use participatory approaches at the individual level, strategic co-creation is rare, definitions of co-creation are widely misunderstood, and fewer than one in five services have a resourced participation lead. The report makes practical recommendations for YJS around relationship-building, strengths-based approaches, incentivising children's involvement, and embedding a whole-service culture of co-production, supported by a resource pack developed with young people with lived experience of the justice system.

Co-producedSurveyInterviewEnglandWales

Housing and homelessness

A Year Like No Other: Youth Homelessness During the COVID Pandemic (Helpline call data analysis, unemployment data, frontline insights)

Centrepoint · 2021

This Centrepoint report reviews the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on homeless young people aged 16–25 across the UK over the year from March 2020. It draws on government homelessness and unemployment statistics, Centrepoint Helpline call data, and qualitative interviews with frontline staff to show that youth homelessness and rough sleeping remained serious problems despite significant government interventions. Key findings include a 33% rise in Helpline calls, a doubling of the youth claimant count, a sharp increase in demand for mental health support (up 40%), and a 276% rise in emergency food actions. The report concludes with recommendations for long-term youth-specific accommodation funding, improved access to homelessness services, and reforms to Universal Credit.

Secondary analysisInterviewUK-wide

Mental health and wellbeing

Mental Health Act

YoungMinds · 2021

This report presents findings from workshops and one-to-one calls with 19 young people aged 16–25 who had lived experience of the Mental Health Act, conducted by YoungMinds on behalf of Rethink Mental Illness as part of the public consultation on proposed MHA reforms. The overarching finding was that young people did not feel listened to or meaningfully involved in their care and treatment. Key themes included the need for individualised, person-centred care; clearer communication of rights; better access to advocacy; and improved support during transitions from CAMHS to adult mental health services. The report makes recommendations on advocacy access, autonomy, consistency of care, neurodiversity awareness, and staff communication.

Young people consultedFocus groupInterviewUK-wide

Mental health and wellbeing

Research Study into Resilience in Young People (Bristol)

Creative Youth Network / Bristol City Council / University of Bristol · 2021

This mixed-methods study explored the factors that build or undermine resilience in young people receiving one-to-one Targeted Youth Services (TYS) from Creative Youth Network in Bristol. Drawing on 60 qualitative interviews with 21 young people and 47 surveys, the research found that resilience is shaped by a complex interplay of individual, relational, community, environmental and educational factors — not by personal character alone. Targeted youth worker support was found to help young people develop new coping strategies, improve confidence and reduce maladaptive behaviours such as drug use. However, many resilience-shaping factors — including unsafe neighbourhoods, unstable family environments and limited local resources — remain outside both the individual's and the service's direct control.

InterviewSurveySouth West

Mental health and wellbeing

First Port of Call: The Role of GPs in Early Support for Young People's Mental Health (survey of 2,005 young people aged 16-25 + survey of 1,008 GPs + qualitative interviews with 12 GPs and YoungMinds Activists)

YoungMinds & The Children's Society · 2021

This report by YoungMinds and The Children's Society examines young people's and GPs' experiences of accessing and providing mental health support through primary care. A survey of 2,005 young people aged 16–25 found that 55% had visited their GP about a mental health concern, but 67% would prefer to access support without going through their GP. GPs report low confidence in their training for young people's mental health, high referral rejection rates from specialist services, and major gaps in community early support. The report calls for a network of early support hubs, improved GP training, and more youth-friendly practices.

Young people consultedSurveyInterviewUK-wide

Housing and homelessness

The LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness Report 2021

akt · 2021

This report examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people aged 16–25 who have experienced homelessness in the UK. It finds that most faced abuse from family members before becoming homeless, that 92% reported a negative impact on their mental health, and that over half experienced discrimination when accessing support services. Trans, disabled, and young people of colour were disproportionately affected across almost all measures. The report makes recommendations to government, local authorities, housing services, and the LGBTQ+ sector to improve awareness, inclusion, and specialist provision.

SurveyInterviewUK-wide

Mental health and wellbeing

The Impact of Covid-19 on England's Youth Organisations

UK Youth · 2021

This report presents findings from a large-scale questionnaire completed by 1,759 youth organisations across England during November 2020, capturing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the sector and the young people they serve. Key findings show that 64% of participating organisations were at financial risk of closure within 12 months, with reduced income, increased costs, and depleted reserves driving the crisis. Youth organisations reported a substantial increase in demand for services — particularly around mental health, employment, and vulnerability to negative activities — while their capacity to respond was severely curtailed by restrictions and financial pressures. The report calls for urgent, unrestricted long-term funding and non-financial support to prevent widespread closure and help organisations rebuild their workforce and adapt services.

SurveyOtherEngland

Criminal justice and youth violence

Hampshire Youth Commission Report

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Youth Commission · 2021

The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Youth Commission conducted its 'Big Conversation' between January 2020 and September 2021, gathering 2,042 responses from young people on their experiences and views around serious violence, exploitation, hate crime, and other issues. The report finds that education, greater police visibility, improved awareness of support services, and stronger protections against online harm are the priorities most frequently identified by young people. Recommendations covering knife crime, exploitation, hate crime reporting, and training for adults and institutions are addressed to police, criminal justice partners, schools, and employers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Co-producedSurveyFocus groupSouth East

Mental health and wellbeing

Mapping Young London: A View into Young Londoners After a Year of Lockdown

Partnership for Young London · 2021

This large-scale survey of over 1,600 young Londoners aged 16–25 explored how Covid-19 and lockdown affected their lives across housing, employment, mental health, education, safety, discrimination, finances, and political engagement. Key findings reveal that housing, employment and mental health are the top priorities for young Londoners, that three-quarters rated the government's pandemic response as bad or very bad, and that a third of respondents showed wellbeing scores indicative of depression. The report highlights stark inequalities across ethnic, class and gender lines in areas including housing security, access to work experience, experiences of discrimination, and trust in the police.

Co-producedSurveyFocus groupLondon

Results