Local Youth Voice ‘must’ be heard – 507b again

The legislation is not just the statutory basis for local authorities (Las) in England to take the lead on the provision of youth services but where the law says that youth views ‘must’ be heard in shaping them.

The relevant section was inserted in 2006 and states that LAs ‘must take steps to ascertain the views’ of young people and to ‘secure that the views [of young people] are taken into account’.  The Act also makes provision for the government of the day to produce guidance to elaborate on this. This has happened three times, in 2008, 2012 and 2023, reflecting the government of the day’s priorities. DCMS consulted with stakeholders, including service users and their peer representatives, in the context of the changing nature of society and role of ‘youth services/youth work’ within it. What difference will the refreshed guidance make? Will a reminder that ‘must’ mean that it happens, and if not, is more likely to happen from now on? Will the impact of views being ‘taken into account’ be increased? Some of these questions, which I will return to, rather depend on what information is being collected on local activity, when and by whom, and whether evaluation is commissioned and reviewed nationally by those issuing the guidance.

The National Youth Agency has responded to the new guidance by helpfully publishing a toolkit aimed at decision-makers and providers in local authorities on “How to Fulfil Your Statutory Duty under Section 507B” which includes a youth engagement checklist. The increasing popular Lundy model of participation is regularly recommended and is recognised by the DCMS. Young Voices Heard has been researching and collating old and new youth voice models, guidance and tools on its website and the Centre for Youth Voice has published recently commissioned toolkits and research. 

This guidance is more aligned with the 2008 guidance and vision of the original legislators, than its two-page revision issued in 2012. The later was notable for both referencing the Article 12 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child requirement that children and young people’s views were heard and taken into account, and boosted the profile of youth voice and influence with accompanying funding to national support (British Youth Council 2012 onwards), but its call on local authorities to empower young people to inspect and report annually on the quality and accessibility of provision was perhaps over-ambitious as we subsequently entered a decade of cuts to youth services as a whole. It’s something of a testament to the resilience of stakeholders and supporters, locally, regionally, and nationally, that despite cuts, many local council areas retained and developed their youth voice vehicles.

The world of ‘youth voice and influence’ has developed considerably since local youth councils were first recorded in the 1930s and 40s. They have since evolved as part of youth services or community services. They’ve had a range of purposes and varied in popularity across the decades. Standards and good practice have been supported by a range of civic society national and local stakeholders, networks, and resources with something of a resurgence of awareness, shared learning, and activity in recent years. Much of this has been stimulated by young leaders sharing their views on the process, when they have at last been given the space to set the agenda and not just react to adult-led consultations. So, it not surprising that many local authorities, supported by regional and national networks, have refined their model beyond the expectation of consultation and participation and this guidance, and to broaden their agenda beyond Education Acts definition of youth service activities, to other policy areas such as climate change. This is recognition of the proposition that listening to the views, concerns, and perspectives of young people, and then acting on them, is in and of itself, a youth service, giving agency, place and wellbeing to young people as stakeholders now and into the future.

What next? We have been reminded that youth participation locally is a ‘must’ and not an optional ‘add on’, but the guidance continues to give considerable discretion to local authorities on ‘how’ they go about it. Who will be checking whether the “musts” are delivered this time around?

As we contemplate the prospect of a new government lets debate some proposals on which department should have an increased responsibility and lead? DCMS? Education? Communities and Local Government? A new coordinating Youth Ministry, inspectorate, semi-autonomous body, or a combination with youthled governance?

I believe it strengthens the case for a range of reforms including a call for dedicated Youth Minister at Cabinet level (with a Youth Directorate in the Cabinet Office) to coordinate departments who share a responsibility for youth services. (This ‘share’ was highlighted recently by Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer MP when announcing a funding package in support of the National Youth Guarantee). Perhaps this should include other relevant departments such as health, justice, employment, whose policies need to complement each other.

Many organisations now include young people in the governance systems and government departments have boards. Perhaps, rather than just consulting young people, young leaders should be represented on these boards, bringing user experience of youth voice, participation and influence on decisions made about them.

James Cathcart is director of Young Voices Heard