young people

Young people's housing transitions

Issues affecting young people's ability to access independent housing are rising up the political agenda. In a series of UK-wide discussions and events, young people and practitioners working with young people gave their views on the housing options available to young people and whether these meet their needs and aspirations. It identified emerging trends, barriers young people face and examples of good practice.

Barriers to work: lone parents and the challenges of working

As part of its drive to end child poverty by 2020, the Government aims to encourage 300,000 more lone parents into work.

A number of questions arise, however, about the measures that the government is taking to achieve that goal: Are they appropriate? Will they be effective? What could be done differently?

This report looks at these questions from the perspective of lone parents who use Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) services.

Dying to belong: an in-depth review of street gangs in Britain

This report presents an overview of the landscape of gangs and gang culture in Britain. It attempts to analyse the nature and scale of gang culture in Britain; who is involved and what they are involved in; how Britain has reached this point; and what society can do to tackle it. The report also aims to formulate a clear unifying definition of a gang, distinguishing it from the everyday activity of young people on the street.

Young people, crime and public perceptions: a review of the literature

This research report addresses the perceptions of youth crime portrayed by the media and held by the public at large. It attempts to answer questions such as; has there been a change in levels of youth crime in recent years?; what is the current public perception of youth crime?; where perceptions of crime differ greatly from the reality, what are the underlying reasons for this? It seeks answers from the literature and self-report surveys, in particular, the British Crime Survey (BCS).

Commissioner for Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2003

This Act was developed in response to investigations carried out by a Scottish Parliament committee which concluded that a new and independent office of 'Commissioner for Children and Young People' (the Commissioner) should be established. There are a number of principles which underpin the Act. These are that the Commissioner is independent; the best interests of children and young people should be a primary consideration in all matters affecting them; and the views of children and young people should be taken into account in accordance with age and maturity.

Refuge for young runaways in the UK: a critical overview

This report deals with the concept of 'refuge' for children under the age of sixteen who are away from home or care, as established under section 51 of the Children's Act 1989 and section 38 of The Children's (Scotland) Act 1995. It discusses the factors affecting its provision in the UK and goes on to detail a series of pilot programmes, run between 2004-2006. These were funded by the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills, aimed to extend the models of community-based refuge.

Children in care

For a variety of reasons, some children and young people can’t live with their parents. When parents aren’t able to look after a child, the local authority has a legal responsibility to do so. It will find somewhere for the young person to live and someone to look after them. When this happens, the child is said to be “in care” or being “looked after”.

Working progress : how to reconnect young people and organisations

Paper looking at the problem of the increasing mismatch between employers expectations of young people and young people's expectations of and preparedness for employment. Drawing on the views and experiences of young people and employers it makes recommendations about what should be done to help young people survive and succeed in the workplaces of the future.