Skip to content
Civic participation and youth voice

State of the Region's Youth Work Sector (Yorkshire and the Humber)

Youth Work Unit Yorkshire and Humber / University of Hull · 2022

About this report

This report examines the state of youth work provision across the Yorkshire and Humber region, drawing on peer research by young people, focus groups with youth workers and strategic leads, and secondary data analysis. It finds that a decade of austerity cuts has produced sharp rises in poverty and inequality, leaving highly variable and often insufficient youth service provision across the region. The research identifies five key themes: the YWU's marginal infrastructure position, data gaps, the importance of youth voice and peer research, workforce development challenges, and the need for stronger regional collaboration. It concludes that the Yorkshire and Humber Youth Work Unit (YWU) has a pivotal but under-resourced strategic role in advocating for a consistent, sufficient youth offer for young people across the region.

Research details

Methodology
Focus groupParticipatorySecondary analysisMixed methods
Sample size
Not disclosed
Sample
Young people aged 11–25 living in Yorkshire and the Humber; youth workers and volunteers in the statutory and VCSE sectors; strategic leads; YWU trustees and staff; academics from regional universities.
Place
Yorkshire & the Humber
Youth involvement
Co-produced
Funders
Research England, NHS, Ernest Cooke, Combined Local Authorities, National Youth Agency (NYA), Centre for Youth Impact (CYI), Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Local Government

Themes