The Government’s Youth Strategy – Youth Matters (Dec 25) made a number of commitments to young people directly –  putting them in the “driving seat”. Specific measurable outcomes were set out in a chapter called Seen and Heard.

This YVH briefing summarises the Seen and Heard promises as a progress checklist/agenda for scrutiny tool. Each outcome is accompanied with a prompt/question about progress or next steps. Some are already being delivered, and DCMS website or Youth Team Newsletter posts announcements or  updates in DCMS Youth Team Newsletter under ‘Seen and Heard’. Stakeholders are also invited to submit questions to the team. As we approach the first anniversary of the publication of the Youth Strategy, Youth Voice News has shared this briefing and questions with DCMS on the 18th September, with a request for progress to date against and more detail on next steps. I’ve also included in the first section,  a number of questions around national youth voice and coordination across Government Departments. James Cathcart, Oct 26.

National Youth Representation and Department coordination

1/ National Youth Representation & UKYP Model

     1.1 UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) Review: Is a reformed UKYP model – not in its current form – still an option/under review (post-March 2027) How can sector stakeholders feed into this process?

     1.2 Model Sustainability & Evolution: Following the transition of a lighter-touch UKYP model to NYA after the British Youth Council closed, is DCMS reconsidering its purpose and structure—particularly in light of recent evaluation and other sector developments such as the locally fully funded, devolved youth parliament in Wales and assembly in Northern Ireland, which are not connected to UKYP, the lack of visibility and awareness of the initiative, and that it no longer renews its mandate from the Make Your Mark annual poll of all children and young people.

     1.3 Youth Select Committee (YSC) Concept: Could the original British Youth Council YSC concept which was successfully proposed to Govt/Parliament back in 2011/12 and was adopted from 2012–2024 be revisited going forward in any review? The current
model is just UKYP reps, but the original model brought together a broad cross-section of local youth councillors, Young Mayors, devolved reps, and diverse young people with lived experience from all part so the UK — be revisited to empower young leaders to shadow and scrutinise government youth policies? (Note: I have the original concept note, membership details, and previous reports/innovations of the model). Note: I have previously written about refreshing the UKYP model, and would love to have an input in the discussions going forward about the best/better form of national voice mechanism, matched with a national listen focus across government.

2. Cross-Government Coordination & Guidance

     2.1 Cross-Departmental Guidance: Has the DCMS guidance for other govt departments on youth participation in policy development (which I thought was excellent) been used yet beyond standard public consultations? Would it be possible to signpost and write about a working example or one about to start? (I know some departments like DfE have been doing this with some stakeholder groups already)

     2.2 Cabinet-Level Youth Leadership: Has Government considered my call for a coordinating Cabinet-Level Youth Minister / Secretariat / Cabinet Committee? I know it wasn’t in the terms of ref of the Youth Strategy brief – but such a body could coordinate the cross-government nature of the Youth Strategy across key issues (e.g., Votes at 16, youth violence, digital safety, vaping, curriculum, jobs/employment, education/training, university fees, cost of living, housing) and work alongside a standing group of national young leaders to create a national structured dialogue model that builds on local engagement.

Seen and Heard: Youth Strategy Actions 9 & 10

3. Youth Policy Network –“Create a new Youth Policy Network in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) of specialist organisations to ensure that whichever part of government is making decisions, if they affect young people a diverse range of young people can take part” Youth Strategy

     3.1  Timeline & Application Process: When and how will the Youth Policy Network be set up within DCMS? (if already set up – who is part of it?)
     3.2  Youth Involvement: Will young people be able to apply directly to join this network, or will participation still be structured ‘by invitation only’?

4. Co-Design in Youth Funding Programmes “We will also make it a requirement of DCMS youth funding for programmes to be co-designed with young people unless there is a good reason why not.” Youth Strategy

     4.1 Co-Design Mechanics: Which DCMS youth funding programmes are actively being co-designed with young people, and who is brokering those groups (e.g.Participation People)?

“Introduce a new, clear expectation that local areas in receipt of youth funding should be able to clearly demonstrate strong partnership working with young people and that young people have driven and support the decisions that are made about them. Where this expectation is not met, we will seek alternative local delivery partners.” — Youth Strategy

    4.2 Local Funding Accountability & Checks: Will DCMS have a mechanism as part of local youth funding allocations/grant terms and conditions to check strong partnership working with young people and evidence that they have driven (not
just been consulted on) and supported decisions? Will local areas be required to publish this annually?

5. Local Infrastructure & Youth Councils “Provide tools, guidance, and funding for local authorities to assess and improve the services currently available to young people, guided by young people’s views.” Youth Strategy

     5.1 Local Authority Tools & Guidance: When and who is going to develop and provide the tools, guidance, and funding for local authorities to assess and improve services currently available to young people? Will this be subcontracted, embedded within a departmental team, or co-produced with young people and specialists (e.g., similar to Ireland)?

“Establish new Youth Councils across England, so that representative groups of young people can influence local decision-making on issues that affect them.” Youth Strategy

     5.2 Mapping & Establishing Youth Councils: Will there be a mapping exercise of which Local Authorities currently operate a Local Youth Council? How will DCMS/DfE deliver the commitment to establish new Youth Councils across England?

6. Local Decision-Making & Digital Engagement “Start a ‘test and learn’ project to understand the best ways young people can influence funding decisions at a local level. We will look at where best practice already exists, what interventions have the greatest impact, and what support is needed to make it work well. We will then work with key organisations and councils to implement this more widely.” — Youth Strategy

     6.1 ‘Test and Learn’ Project: When will the ‘test and learn’ project on local decision
making influence be announced and rolled out?

7. National Youth Digital Platform “Building on existing engagement processes across government to manage a website for young people which will contain updates on the delivery of the strategy as well as opportunities for them to take part in policy or programme development.” Youth Strategy

     7.1 National Youth Digital Platform: When is the new website for young people likely to happen?

8. Annual Scrutiny Hearing “Every year, we will invite a diverse group of young people to run a national hearing on the delivery of the strategy – a process we will co-design with young people.” Youth Strategy

     8.1 Co-Design & Timelines: When (or is it work in progress) is the co-designing process happening for the annual scrutiny hearing to assess National Youth Strategy progress, and by whom? When is the first hearing likely to happen (e.g.,
Spring 2027)?

ENDS.