Young people today face significant barriers to getting help as they transition into adulthood. Hubs have seen rising demand and increasing complexity of need, while youth services have faced years of disinvestment. Waiting lists for statutory mental health services remain at record highs. Youth workers and counsellors often describe the challenge of meeting diverse, intersecting needs in under-resourced systems.
There is growing recognition of the effectiveness of integrated youth advice, mental health, and wellbeing support hubs. However, without a mechanism for defining and supporting quality, it is difficult to consistently demonstrate standards or drive national investment in hubs.
The Youth Access Quality Framework sets out what good looks like for hubs, providing a clear, shared structure for defining and demonstrating quality. It helps hubs show their impact, supports continuous improvement, guides investment decisions, and enables new hubs to grow in underserved areas.
We believe that the quality framework will:
- Enable hubs to demonstrate the breadth, depth, and impact of their work using a nationally recognised model
- Support continuous improvement and service development in ways that are locally responsive and meaningful to young people
- Provide government and system leaders with a clear tool to inform policy, commissioning, and oversight
- Preserve the youth work ethos and relational strengths of existing hubs
- Help aspiring hubs develop models in underserved communities
The Framework comprises 18 areas of quality, organised into three categories:
- Principles – the ethos, values, and relational foundation of the Youth Access model, describing how services build trust, equity, and partnership with young people.
- Foundations – the operational and organisational elements essential for services to be safe, effective, and sustainable.
- Services – the specific types of support offered, and how these are delivered and coordinated both within the hub and with external partners.
Hubs vary in size, context, and local need. The quality framework is designed to recognise and celebrate this diversity: quality is not defined by how many services a hub provides, but by how well each area is delivered in response to local needs.
To find more and explore what good looks like, download the Youth Access Quality Framework.
Download the Youth Access Quality Framework
We have designed the framework to be accessible using the two-page view PDF function for easier on-screen reading.
A printer-friendly black and white version will be available soon.
To keep up to date on the development of the programme, including the upcoming supplementary self-assessment tool, learning and workforce development resources, sign up to the Q&I Programme newsletter.
