Youth work and prevention
Briefing: the benefits of youth work
Government has consistently failed to prioritise prevention with both funding and policy focus. This briefing recommends a range of steps that government can take to make preventative services – in particular youth work – more accessible and sustainable
Youth work is proven to have positive outcomes for young people in the short term – including improved mental health, educational attainment, and reduced crime and antisocial behaviour. And young people who engage in youth work become happier, healthier, and wealthier adults than those who do not.
But despite being an effective preventative service, government funding for youth work has reduced dramatically (by at least 60%) since 2010. The increasing scale and severity of young people’s needs requires a major response from national and local government.
