Youth Action Group
The Youth Action Group brings together national youth charities to advise ministers and officials on developing and carrying out policy for disadvantaged young people.
The group has been co-chaired by The Prince’s Trust and the Cabinet Office since the transfer of responsibility for youth policy from the Department for Education to the Cabinet Office in July 2013. The group has previously met at ministerial and official level. The co-chairs have agreed to conclude ministerial and official level meetings until the group’s future activity can be considered at the start of the next Parliament.
Role
The role of the group is to help the most disadvantaged young people aged 16-25 to make a successful transition to work by:
- allowing an ongoing dialogue about the needs of the most disadvantaged young people that is not constrained by the policy responsibilities of individual government departments
- identifying and coordinating action to address the issues faced by the most disadvantaged young people aged 16-25, including early interventions
- informing the development of government policies and considering the likely impact on young people, particularly the most vulnerable young people
- mobilising those able to take the actions needed to create a society that is more positive for youth
Members
Youth Action Group members and meeting participants are drawn from the government departments and national charities that develop policy and deliver programmes for disadvantaged young people. To date, these have included the following.
Government:
- Cabinet Office
- Department for Education
- Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
- Department for Work and Pensions
- Department for Communities and Local Government
- Ministry of Justice
- Home Office
- Department of Health
- Ministry of Defence
Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector:
- The Prince’s Trust
- Rathbone
- The Foyer Federation
- Catch22
- Groundwork
- Barnardo’s
- Youth United
As the group moved to address a broader range of issues, the co-chairs ensured that organisations with the most relevant expertise (not limited to those listed above) were invited to contribute to discussion.
VCSE members sought the views of the most disadvantaged young people and of the wider VCSE youth sector and represented these at group meetings. Similarly, the government sought the views of young people on policy development through stakeholders such as British Youth Council National Scrutiny Group and youth organisations with youth representatives. Other organisations, including local authorities or private sector organisations, may attend by invitation as appropriate.
Meeting minutes
