Related
Publication
It is undeniable that young people now face a myriad of complex obstacles to growing up happy and healthy. Let's consider the decades of under-investment in services, coupled with the historic increases in the costs of housing and basic goods, not to mention the aftermath of the global pandemic, deepening inequality and the challenges that come with an increasingly digital world. All while navigating age-specific pressures of school, joining employment or living independently for the first time. All of these experiences depend on and affect their mental health and wellbeing.
The world right now feels unfamiliar, hostile, and too fast-paced for even the best of us to cope.
Fiona Annis, Warith Rawahi and Grace Ward
Young people need, want and have the right to high-quality support and advice to help them navigate this rapidly changing world. And yet, there are currently over a million referrals to children and young people's mental health services every year, where many young people get passed from pillar to post when seeking support, left on waiting lists or denied help for not meeting strict criteria.
We have been championing youth advice and counselling services since 1975, driven by the simple idea that if young people can get the help they need when and where they need it, we can stop problems from getting worse and help them develop tools to lead happier lives. We support a network of incredible youth advice and counselling services that are, despite all odds, delivering the Youth Access model of wrap-around support for young people. These services offer effective, open access support built around the needs of their community. These services demonstrate comparable outcomes to CAMHS and are, above all else, what young people consistently tell us they want.
Our vision is for all young people to be able to access this support in their communities. That means putting the services that already exist on a sustainable footing and supporting local areas to develop this holistic provision where it doesn’t already exist. We've campaigned for this alongside the Fund the Hubs coalition since 2020 and have seen real signs of hope in recent months.
We welcomed the Government’s commitment to deliver open-access mental health support for children and young people in every local area, as part of the Young Futures hub programme. The programme promises great potential and ambition, which must be realised by hearing, understanding, and acting on what young people say is important to them.
Young people have told us time and time again that they want support across all aspects of their lives to help them navigate the transition into adulthood, which presents unique challenges. They want services that understand their specific needs and work with them to find solutions.
That's what many services are already doing across the country. We know from our member network of local youth advice and counselling services that this type of support can transform young people’s lives. By offering a range of services simultaneously under one roof, including mental health and wellbeing support, advice on housing or guidance on accessing education or work, our member services help young people find their way. Where other services signpost, our members take them there.
That's why, alongside our Fund the Hub's partners, we brought together expertise and learning from local youth advice and counselling services and young people to develop our blueprint for Young Futures hubs. In A Blueprint for Young Futures hubs, we set out a clear roadmap to help achieve our shared objectives.
The blueprint sets out a vision for designing and delivering Young Futures hubs based on the effective Youth Access model:
- Young Futures hubs are co-created with young people to ensure successful engagement and impact. Young people should be involved in all stages of service development and delivery at both a national and local level.
- Hubs are designed and delivered against the values and principles set out in the Youth Access ‘YIACS’ model.
- Hubs are centred on mental health and wellbeing as the core service offer and cater for young people from 10-25 to cover the whole of this crucial transitional period in a young person’s life.
- Young Futures hubs build on and integrate with existing youth support infrastructure and expertise within local areas.
Young Futures hubs should support young people to meet their potential, regardless of their background, troubles, or aims. We should have equal access to services that are flexible, feel safe, and have been co-designed with us. Young Futures hubs must reflect young people’s needs at a most basic level and uphold our rights as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (United Nations, 1989). This includes involving young people in these decisions that directly impact us
Fiona Annis, Warith Rawahi and Grace Ward
For Young Futures hubs to succeed, the Government must build on the expertise and practices of existing services and vitally, be led by the voices of young people. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. It is crucial that we build on this learning and these success stories to ensure children and young people in every local area have access to high-quality, quality young-person-centered services.
Investing in hubs is an investment in our future. Work with us to build a positive and healthy future, or we may not see it. Young people, your future voters, will remember the choices you make.
Fiona Annis, Warith Rawahi and Grace Ward