Youth Access

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Cuts leave 45,000 young people without vital support

27 April, 2011

As youth unemployment reaches record levels, funding cuts to youth advice and counselling services mean that thousands of the most vulnerable young people, including those with mental health problems, will not be able to get the help they need this year.

Youth Access, the youth advice and counselling charity, estimates that at least 45,000 young people experiencing acute recession-related problems, such as debt, mental ill health and homelessness, will be left without access to the specialist support they need to turn their lives around.

Youth advice and counselling agencies currently help over a million young people a year, but 42% of agencies are at risk of closure this year, with 7% already certain to close as a result of funding cuts. A majority of the specialist youth advice services, youth counselling services, drug and alcohol services and sexual health services delivered by these agencies will be forced either to cease operating this year or to continue at a reduced level.

James Kenrick, Advice Services Development Manager at Youth Access, points out that:

“Although agencies are doing everything they can to maintain front-line services, 85% do not expect to meet demand over the next 12 months. Those services left standing will be unable to withstand further rounds of cuts over the next year or two.”

These cuts come at a time when demand for youth advice and counselling services has never been higher. Youth Access reports a particular rise in mental health issues amongst 16-25 year old young adults.

Barbara Rayment, Director of Youth Access and Vice-Chair of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, says:

“It is clear that issues such as stress, depression and anxiety are on the increase and that young people are frequently presenting to services with a more complex combination of mental health and social welfare problems. These cuts will particularly exacerbate an already poor situation in terms of 18-25 year olds’ access to services.”

Youth Access believes that youth advice and counselling agencies’ inability to meet demand will have a significant impact on society, as well as on individuals. It is already established that most mental health problems start in childhood or adolescence,

contributing to economic and social costs totalling £105.2 billion in 2009/10 (Centre for Mental Health), and that society’s failure to ensure 16-24 year olds get the advice they need to resolve social welfare problems costs the exchequer around £1 billion each year (JustRights).

A recent study by the New Economics Foundation for Catch 22 has now calculated that one-to-one support services for young people with complex needs generate a return on investment of £5.65 for every £1 invested, as a result of reductions in drug misuse, mental health problems, offending and unemployment.

Youth Access is calling on the Government to take action to protect funding for front-line advice and counselling services.

Barbara Rayment says:

“Youth Access welcomed commitments contained in the Department of Health’s recent mental health strategy to early intervention in mental health problems amongst young people, but the Government cannot stand by whilst some of the most effective and efficient young person-friendly services are crumbling before their eyes.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1.Youth Access is the national membership organisation for a network of 200 youth information, advice and counselling services, which deal with over 1 million enquiries a year on issues as diverse as sexual health, mental health, relationships, homelessness, benefits and debt.

www.youthaccess.org.uk

2.A report on the funding situation of youth advice and counselling services, based on a representative survey, can be downloaded from Youth Access’ website:

Download the full report (30 pages)

Download a summary version (7 pages)

3.For more information, case studies and access to interviewees, please call:

James Kenrick
Tel: 020 8772 9900 ext. 25
Mob: 07535 344 881
Email: james@youthaccess.org.uk