Youth Services in the UK

Youth services (also known as ‘youth work’) cover a broad range of activities for young people outside formal education, including youth clubs and centres, uniformed and voluntary organisations, youth counselling, outreach, and drug and alcohol services. These services may be open to all young people (universal services) or aimed at specific groups (targeted services).

Young people are commonly understood to be those between childhood and adulthood, but age definitions vary by country. The four parts of the United Kingdom tend to consider young people to be those aged between 11 and 19 (or 25 for those with special educational needs).

Youth services is a devolved policy area in the United Kingdom. In England, Wales and Scotland, local authorities have most of the responsibility for providing youth services. In Northern Ireland, the Education Authority has responsibility for youth services. Local authorities are usually not obliged to fund these services and there is limited dedicated funding from central government. In England, local authorities have a statutory duty to secure access to “sufficient” educational and recreational activities for young people.

This briefing outlines recent policy developments, funding arrangements, and evidence on the role and impact of youth services.

The National Youth Strategy

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for out-of-school youth policy. The government’s 10-year strategy, Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy (published in December 2025) sets out a national framework for youth services. It lays out the government’s aim of shifting decision-making towards local areas, improving coordination across sectors, and increasing young people’s involvement in shaping services. The strategy aims to reduce inequalities in access to activities and expand support networks for young people.

Evidence informing the strategy highlighted issues including loneliness, lack of access to activities and declining youth provision. For example, around one in five young people reported not having a trusted adult outside their family, and less than half said there were enough activities in their area.

Funding youth services in England

There is no single national budget for youth services. Most public funding is provided through local authorities, using a mix of central government grants and locally raised revenue such as council tax. Local authorities have discretion in how much they allocate to youth services, and spending varies widely.

Central government funding is provided through targeted programmes. Under the National Youth Strategy, this includes investment in youth facilities, activities and workforce development. Programmes include the Better Youth Spaces Fund, which supports capital investment in youth facilities, and the Richer Young Lives Fund, which funds activities in underserved areas. Additional funding supports school-based enrichment, recruitment and training of youth workers, and the development of local partnerships.

Local authority spending has declined in real terms over the last decade. From 2011/12 to 2024/25, spending fell from £1.1 billion to £374 million (in 2024/25 prices). Spending reductions have been more pronounced in universal services, which are open to all young people, than in targeted services, which provide support to those with specific needs.

Youth services across the United Kingdom

Youth services are governed separately in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, each with distinct statutory frameworks and strategies:

• In Wales, local authorities have duties under the Learning and Skills Act 2000 to provide youth support services, with new regulations introduced in 2026 defining youth work and strengthening strategic planning requirements.
• In Scotland, youth services are governed by community learning and development legislation, which requires local authorities to assess needs and provide appropriate services.
• In Northern Ireland, the framework for youth services is set out in the Education and Libraries Order 1986, with services largely provided by the third sector.

Research on youth services

Although the outcomes from participation in youth services can be difficult to evaluate, there is research that indicates youth services can contribute to positive outcomes. These include improved mental health, social skills and educational attainment. Longitudinal studies have found associations between participation in youth activities and both short-term and long-term benefits.

Evidence also links changes in provision to wider social outcomes. Studies have found that reductions in youth services and closures of youth clubs are associated with increases in crime and poorer educational outcomes. For example, one study found that young people in areas affected by youth club closures performed worse in school and were more likely to commit offences.

Funding reductions have affected the structure of youth service provision, with fewer professional youth workers and greater reliance on volunteers. There is also evidence of uneven impacts across regions, with more significant reductions in youth services in deprived areas. Research highlights challenges including short-term funding cycles and limited data on outcomes, which can make it difficult to evaluate effectiveness and plan services.