Young people with the highest levels of economic and social deprivation don't only need specialist support, they need places, spaces and experiences which enable them to feel and be part of the mainstream.
Without universal services, young people with particular needs become even more marginalised; condemned to engage exclusively with those whose life experiences are often as impoverished or damaged as their own. Not a recipe for social cohesion.
The economic arguments for progressive universalism in youth support and development services are also strong. Universal services are, by their nature, preventative and diversionary. We know, for example, that engagement in a programme of positive activities reduces local crime statistics. And because universal services have a unit cost that is so much lower than targeted or specialist interventions, of course, prevention is cheaper to provide than cure.
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