About the report
The social cost of youth work report provides an analysis of 74 sources of academic literature and research evidence relating to the impact of youth work on young people in contact with the youth justice system.
The report finds that:
- young people themselves are crying out for safe spaces with 24% of young respondents to a recent survey reporting that they do not have a safe space to go to where they feel they belong
- for every 1,000 children in the population, 4.6 are still in the youth justice system, and their needs are becoming increasingly complex
- youth work saves £500 million on public spending through crime reduction alone and social return on investment research reveals that £1 investment in youth work is estimated to return £3.20 – £6.40 of value
The launch of The social cost of youth work cuts report coincides with the annual Youth Work Week national campaign, which this year is focusing on the added value that youth workers bring to the outcomes of young people through providing their particular support in a range of contexts and professional settings.
Download the report in full below:
The social cost of youth work cuts
Preventing youth offending through youth work
In line with its commitment to growing the skills of those already working in the sector, the NYA manages the National Youth Sector Census which gathers data to map where youth work is taking place across the country. Additionally, it is opening a workforce survey for all those who deliver youth work to complete to gain an accurate picture of the sectors’ qualifications and skills across different types of organisations and geographically.
To complete NYA’s workforce survey please click below