Addressing inequity in service provision and experiences for young people

All young people deserve access to support that respects their rights and meets their needs. Yet, too often, the very systems created to support young people perpetuate inequality and reproduce systems of oppression. Put simply, many young people remain under-heard and under-served, facing barriers to services often not designed for or reflective of them. 

We know that community-based, early support services like our members have a better reach to young people from some of the worst-served groups than statutory services. But much more must be done to dismantle institutional barriers and systemic discrimination, improve understanding and provision across our network, and spread good practice.  

We carried out a review to identify and assess the structural and systemic barriers that may be preventing some marginalised young people from accessing resources, opportunities and outcomes equitably. We aimed to better understand which groups of young people remain under-served, the barriers these young people face in accessing support, and how YIACS (Youth Information, Advice and Counselling Services) and other services can best meet their needs. 

Our overview report presents the common findings of needs, barriers and experiences found across 15 shared identities or experiences of young people examined as part of the review. However, we know that addressing entrenched inequalities in service access and experience is complex and requires a sophisticated understanding of each specific group's needs, cultures and help-seeking behaviours. That is why in our five accompanying briefings, we set out specific recommendations from our in-depth exploration focusing on addressing inequity in service provision for the following young people: 

• Black young people and young people from racialised communities
• Gypsy, Roma and Traveller young people
• Refugee and asylum-seeking young people
• Trans and gender-diverse young people
• Deaf young people