NYA Update: NYA urges sector to respond to government statutory guidance

The consultation follows confirmation from the government that it will retain the duty on local authorities to secure sufficient educational and recreational leisure-time activities for the improvement of the wellbeing of 13- to 19-year-olds.

The NYA is urging the sector to respond to the consultation in advance of the 25 May deadline to ensure the guidance is representative of the national picture.

In addition, the NYA’s Commission into Sufficiency is seeking evidence from across the youth sector to inform the development of a robust sufficiency model.

Building on the evidence of past work and developments in other sectors, the commission is holding two days of evidence gathering in March and is seeking views from as wide an audience as possible. It is therefore asking interested parties to complete an initial short questionnaire; respondents will then be invited to participate in the discussion.

The findings will then be used to inform the government’s consultation and support a local understanding of sufficiency.

Fiona Blacke, National Youth Agency chief executive, comments: "While we fully support the principle that it is for local councils to decide how best to deliver services for young people, we believe that the guidance would benefit from government stating what councils must do rather than should do. It is vital that a stringent sufficiency model is developed and our Commission into Sufficiency aims to provide a single voice for the sector to feed into this important consultation.

"There is evidence coming from the sector that young people’s services are being disproportionately cut. Having a robust sufficiency model that incorporates young people’s views will enable public scrutiny and action when councils fail to deliver against the duty."

• For further details on Commission into Sufficiency and the government’s consultation visit: www.nya.org.uk/commision-into-sufficiency