Advice Projects
Our aim is to develop the quantity and quality of youth advice services.
Youth Access is firmly established as the lead national body on youth issues in the advice sector and on social welfare rights-based advice issues within the youth sector, acting as a focal point for local agencies, national voluntary organisations and government departments.
Building the evidence base
We research, collate, analyse and disseminate evidence on young people’s needs for advice, their advice-seeking behaviour, barriers to access to services, advice outcomes and the impact of government policy. See our publications page for examples of our key reports. We are currently developing methods of monitoring youth advice outcomes.
Training & Workforce Development
We work to develop the competence of the youth workforce to provide good quality advice to young people on their rights through
- delivering a programme of competitively-priced skills- and knowledge-based training
- influencing the youth workforce reform agenda and involvement in the development of qualifications and standards for legal advice.
Promoting good practice
We have developed a number of briefings, toolkits and other resources promoting good practice in youth advice work – these are available for free download from our publications and resources pages. We are also involved in the development of a new quality mark for the advice sector.
Policy work & campaigning
We campaign vigorously for changes to Government policy that will improve young people’s access to advice.
We co-ordinate JustRights, the campaign for fair access to legal services for children and young people.
Projects
- Our Rights to Access Project (2005-08) worked with advice agencies, youth services and policy makers to develop young people’s access to high quality legal advice services.
- Since January 2008 we have been engaged in a major partnership project, Working Together For Advice with other advice networks, including Citizens Advice, Law Centres Federation, Advice UK and Age Concern.
- We were commissioned in 2007 to write a section of the National Youth Homelessness Scheme website entitled ‘Early prevention & advice’.
- In conjunction with the Law Centres Federation, we have developed the 'Youth Access Law Centre' model as a ‘joined-up’ solution to the barriers young people face in accessing advice on their rights.
Regional networking
We encourage youth advice agencies to organise themselves into networks at local, sub-regional or regional level, as appropriate. In conjunction with Law Centres Federation, we co-ordinate the London Youth Advice Forum (LYAF), bringing together agencies committed to improving young people’s access to advice in the capital.
For further information about our advice development work, please contact our Advice Team.
