Morning, Thursday, 12th March 2026
Online
This conference will examine implementation priorities for the National Youth Strategy in the UK.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to assess the strategy following its expected publication by the end of 2025, alongside practical considerations for implementation including long‑term investment in youth services, the focus on co‑delivery with young people, and clarity on roles and responsibilities within local government, charities, and wider society.
Sessions will examine how the strategy can respond to challenges raised by stakeholders, including funding, a need for flexibility in approach, and ensuring provision reaches disadvantaged communities and under-served groups.
With government launching an independent investigation with a view to tackling rising youth inactivity, the agenda will also consider the way forward for alignment of the strategy with wider government objectives on education, skills, health, and community development, and what is needed to provide confidence for providers, funders, and young people themselves in predictable, long-term commitment from government.
Attendees will consider what placing young people at the centre of policy delivery should mean in practice, and priorities for the Government’s commissioning of UK Youth and partners to lead engagement work. Areas for discussion include mechanisms for ensuring youth voice is embedded beyond just consultation, how co‑production can help shape delivery models, and priorities for long‑term, stable funding, as well as how place-based approaches and targeted resources can best be used to meet diverse local needs.
Further sessions will examine frameworks for building effective partnerships between local government, charities, voluntary groups, and civil society, and the way forward for tackling regional disparities in access to youth services and improving recruitment, training, and retention of youth workers. With government having announced £88m investment in August 2025 to support youth clubs, schools, and youth organisations, attendees will assess how funding can best be targeted, as well as the guidance needed for services in accessing support, and how accountability frameworks for delivery can be developed to ensure transparency in outcomes monitoring.
With the agenda currently in the drafting stage, overall areas for discussion include:
- policy:
- anticipated provisions in the forthcoming National Youth Strategy - alignment with wider government objectives on education, skills, health, and community development
- youth voice and co-production:
- embedding young people’s leadership in policy design and delivery - ensuring engagement mechanisms go beyond consultation
- funding and investment:
- priorities for long-term investment and stability - targeting resources to meet diverse local needs
- workforce and capacity:
- recruitment, training, and retention of youth workers and volunteers - capacity challenges for scaling up provision
- professional development and recognition of the youth workforce
- implementation and delivery roles:
- responsibilities of local government, charities, and voluntary groups - accountability frameworks and transitional arrangements for existing services
- benchmarking and outcomes:
- developing consistent metrics for assessing impact of youth services - data collection, transparency, and evaluation frameworks
- balancing quantitative targets with outcomes such as wellbeing, confidence, and civic participation
- partnerships and collaboration:
- building effective partnerships between schools, youth clubs, local authorities, and community organisations
- role of national organisations in expanding local provision - opportunities for cross-sector collaboration with health, education, and employment services
