1. A Voice for Young People:
Identifying the need for
online information,
advice and guidance
through dialogue

2. Today’s presentations:
1. Young People’s Access to Advice
James Kenrick, Advice Services Manager, Youth Access
2. A voice for young people: Identifying the need for online
information, advice and guidance through dialogue
Sarah McCoy MSc, Research Manager, YouthNet
3. YouthNet’s Life Support Appeal
Julie Reynolds, Head of Appeal Development, YouthNet
4. Question & Answer session
Led by Fiona Dawe OBE, YouthNet

3. Engaging, informing and inspiring
16 to 25-year-olds

4. Each month, TheSite.org helps over
500,000 people access vital:
Information…
...via no-nonsense
fact sheets
Support…
…from peers via
discussion boards
Advice…
…from experts via
askTheSite

5. Young People’s Access to Advice
on Social Welfare Issues
James Kenrick
Advice Services Development Manager
Youth Access

6. Youth Access
The national membership association for
young people’s information, advice,
counselling and support services (YIACS)
• Over 200 members throughout UK
• National policy focus for sector
• Set standards and promote best practice
• Provide training, support, consultancy, resources
• Develop the evidence-base

7. Our Research
Topics: advice needs, access, outcomes,
impact, workforce, impact of recession etc.
Scope: social welfare advice; ages 13-25; all
modes of delivery
Methods: literature reviews; focus groups;
interviews with agencies; analysis of data
from Civil & Social Justice Survey

8. Extent of unmet need
Each year, young people
- experience at least 2.3 million ‘difficult to
solve’ social welfare problems
- fail to obtain advice in relation to at least
1.3 million problems
Many more get poor advice
The cost to individuals and the public purse*
= c. £1 billion a year
*as a result of loss of employment, physical and stress-related illness and violent
behaviour resulting from the stress of problems
Sources: Research by YA with LSRC based on 2006-08 CSJS data; Estimate by JustRights campaign based on Ministry of Justice figures

9. YP’s Advice Needs
• Needs change with age
• Prone to multiple & severe problems
• Problems cluster around disadvantaged YP
• Close inter-relationship between legal,
personal, practical & emotional issues
• Need for holistic age-appropriate services
• Big increase in demand due to recession

10. Seeking &
obtaining advice
YP are more likely to: take no action, delay,
give up, try but fail to get advice
58% face problems without getting advice
YP are twice as likely to be unsuccessful in
obtaining advice when they seek it as adults
Of YP seeking advice, nearly half are NEETs
Early advice-seeking experiences highly
influential on future behaviour

11. Sources of Advice - key
characteristics sought
Trustworthy, friendly, non judgemental
Specialist service for YP only
Where YP already go
Informal, flexible & confidential
Independent – voluntary sector preferred
An ‘expert with clout’ who will ‘go the extra
mile’

12. Modes of Access
Internet:
• YP use the internet for advice and it is growing in
importance
• Disadvantaged YP less likely to have access
• Complements face to face – not a replacement
• YP have problems finding sites they can trust
• Independent, youth-focussed sites preferred
• Rapid developments in technology – need for
specialist approach

13. Barriers to Access
• Young people’s problem-solving ability -
awareness of rights & services, communication skills,
confidence & persistence, psychological barriers etc.
• Characteristics of ‘mainstream’ adult advice
services, e.g. CABx – lack of focus on meeting YP’s
specific needs, skills/attitudes/knowledge gaps
• Skills of youth professionals – lack ability to spot
problems/limits of competence, advice & advocacy skills
• Policy & planning failures – youth policy too
careers-focussed; advice policy adult-focussed; lack of
joining up; recession planning

14. Recommendations
1. A joined-up Government strategy for planning &
funding youth advice – DCSF, MoJ, CLG, DH, DWP
2. A national strategy to develop YP’s ‘legal
capability’ / problem-solving skills
3. Joined-up local planning & commissioning –
Integrated Youth Support, Advice Services,
Housing, PCTs, JobCentre Plus
4. Review balance of funding:
– careers IAG vs rights-based advice services
– remote vs face to face services
– independent vs statutory services
5. Develop competence of youth workforce to
provide good advice – new qualification?

15. Recent Reports
• The Advice Needs of Young People – The Evidence (2009)
• Young People’s Access to Advice – The Evidence (2009)
• With Rights In Mind (2010) – re mental health/advice
• The Impact of the Recession (2009)
• The Youth Advice Workforce: Now & In The Future (2009)
• Rights within Reach (2009) – re outreach advice
(All available at www.youthaccess.org.uk/publications)
Forthcoming titles in 2010:
• Under Strain – re impact of recession, funding & policy
• The Outcomes of Youth Advice Work

16. A VOICE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE:
Identifying the need for online
information, advice and
guidance
through dialogue
Sarah McCoy
Research Manager

17. What we’ll cover…
• The background and methodology of the study
• Introducing the young people
• Information and advice-seeking behaviour
• The role of the internet
• What makes a good website for young people?
• A voice for young people: In their own words

18. Background of the study…
• LifeSupport Appeal: TheSite.org redevelopment
• What do young people want and need from
information, advice and guidance online and
offline?
• Funding from the European Commission though
Youth in Action programme
• Eight workshops with 62 young people from
diverse backgrounds around the UK not currently
using TheSite.org

19. The workshops…
• Pre-tasks
• Disposable camera
• Technology diary
• Difficult situations
• Getting support
• Internet use
• Website reviews
• Recommendations

20. The young people…
Highly active Rural Scotland:
internet users: Outskirts of
London Glasgow
Ex-offenders and
drug/alcohol
Gay and lesbian abusers: Liverpool No further
young people: education:
Manchester Young parents: Newcastle
Bridgend
Rural England: Ethnic minority
Pensford (nr. young women:
Bristol) London

21. Highly active internet users:
London
• Wrote at least one blog, were members of at least
one social networking site, and participated in at
“For me, I just think that at school, when
least two other content-sharing activities I finished my A-levels, it was really
concentrated on people going to
• Few life-concerns not linked to careers or university. And I didn’t want to go to
education university, so there wasn’t much to do
with that. It just seemed to me,
• Struggled to find adequate support and feared for everyone was going to university – they
others who might have less determination and kind of forgot the people who wanted to
work instead.” (Diana, 18)
ambition
• Animated and opinionated when discussing the
internet

22. Ex-offenders and drug or
alcohol abusers: Liverpool
• The young people were in various stages of
recovery – all were in some form of treatment
• Interlocking issues: mental health, poverty,
domestic abuse, self-harm, depression
• Felt neglected, ignored and mistreated by most
support services
• Limited access to the internet, especially in throes
of addiction
• Eager to use their own experiences to help others
“I ended up on heroin. I was a sex worker to feed my addiction. But
it’s only been, like, since being in recovery, that I’ve been clean. Just
over 12 months. And I want to use my experiences to help other
people. And I’d love to work in the care system, but I’ve got a
criminal record. And it’d be like, I want to work with homeless
people, street workers, vulnerable women and stuff. And I know I
can do that, but with a criminal record I couldn’t be with kids or
anything like that. It’s only if you’re drink or drug related stuff. But
I’ve been in prison and stuff. But I want to use my experiences to
help other kids..” (Carla, 24)

23. Gay and lesbian young
people: Manchester
• Participants were from a close-knit community and
several knew each other well
• The group struggled to think of times they had
needed support and focused on career- related
decisions
• Only one mention of ‘coming out’
• The young people felt their lifestyles were very
different to those of their heterosexual counterparts
and this justified dedicated support services
• Experiences in rural locations may differ
“My problem was that when it was time to go to
college, I still had no idea what I wanted to do. So
I just went and did a random course and quit. But
back a year later, I did exactly the same thing.”
(Karen, 20)

24. Rural South West England:
Pensford (nr. Bristol)
• All the young people were from the same school in
a very small, close community
• There were experiences of a wide range of issues – “There’s quite a few family problems
on my Dad’s side. As in, there was a
the recession mentioned for the first time couple of deaths in the family in quite
close proximity. And then the
• Participants were incredibly supportive of one recession came, and my parents were
struggling for money. So they had to
another and used few other advice sources
cut back on quite a lot of stuff that I
was used to. ” (Michael, 16)
• It was felt there was a lack of support for people
their age and that young people in rural locations
are somewhat isolated

25. Ethnic minority young
women: London
• Most difficult to engage in conversation
• Focused on career-related issues, but had
experience of family conflict, crime, homelessness
and drugs
• The young women did not mention their ethnicity
before prompting, implying they did not see their
background as having a significant impact on their
lives
• It was felt that ethnic minorities are
underrepresented online and that there should be
more positive role models for young people
“Basically, I had a boyfriend who wanted me to hold illegal
stuff in my house – things that were stolen. And in a way, I felt
I owed my boyfriend a favour. But I didn’t want to do it,
because I didn’t want to get my mum in trouble. And I didn’t
know what to do, because I was stuck in between.” (Aesha, 16)

26. ‘Rural’ Scotland: Outskirts
of Glasgow • Participants were suspicious of us as London-based
researchers
• All but one of those over 16 had dropped out of
education without clear plans
• Most felt education was less important than
experience when finding work
• Money (or lack of it) was a top-of-mind issue for all,
and the impact of the recession had been acutely
felt
• There was a lack of enthusiasm for leaving Scotland
or their local area
• The young people felt UK services were target at
England and felt neglected
“It’s gradual, and then a big dip with the recession. But also, you hear
about people who are leaving university and then not getting jobs
anyway. The people I knew who were going to university and thinking,
“Oh yeah, I’ll definitely get a job when I’ve finished”, even they’re not
getting anything. So why were they even studying?” (Simon, 18)

27. No further education:
Newcastle
• In contrast to other groups, there were few “You don’t know where your next job’s
mentions of education and career-relate issues from at the minute, you’ve just got to take
what you can get. You’re losing *contracts+
• Concerns centred around money, unemployment, all the time. At the minute, you’re working
housing and debt for next to nothing, to try and undercut the
other person, because they’re all doing the
• Most felt that finding work is about ‘who you same. The companies, obviously, they can
get credit. But if you can’t get the credit
know not what you know’ and were sceptical because of things that happened, there’s
about education no way that you can do it.” (Craig, 25)
• Most would return to education if they could but
felt they lack the resources and support needed to
do so

28. Young parents: Bridgend
• Several of the young people had their children
(aged between 4 months and 8 years) before they
were 18
• The main concern for most was financial and there
were several stories of debt and ‘money-struggles’
• When pregnancy was discovered, speaking to
family and friends was considered difficult and
‘embarrassing’
• The young people felt patronised by doctors,
hospitals and midwives
• They made good use of the internet for child-
related information
“Like, really horrible. Like… I don’t know, it’s just nasty…
Like, you’re… How can I put it? Because of your age, you’re
just treated really different? And, like you can’t cope on
your own and stuff. It’s really horrible.” (Rosie, 17)

29. Help-seeking behaviour…
Personal support sources
Formal support services
Impersonal sources of support

30. Personal support services
Parents
Friends
Teachers
“They know you, don’t
they?” - a double-edged
sword
Pros Cons
• An insider’s perspective • Bias and control
• Useful for issues where the reactions • Only consider what’s best from ‘their’
or mindset of the young person is perspective
important (e.g. careers or • Lack of knowledge about ‘specialist
relationships) subjects’
• Best interests at heart • No good for ‘embarrassing’ subjects
• Life experience (e.g. finance)

31. Formal support services
Careers advisors Health services
Social workers Banks
“They don’t really care”
– experience and
perception
Pros Cons
• Generally available face to face • No personal interest in outcome for
• Detailed information on ‘specialist the young person
subjects’ • Often perceived to be acting in their
• Usually confidential so useful for own interests
‘embarrassing’ issues • Can be patronising and dismissive
• Trusted and accurate information • Sometimes paying ‘Lip service’ to a
problem

32. Impersonal sources of support
Television Books
Magazines Internet
“You know the
information is quality if
it’s published”
Pros Cons
• Completely anonymous • Too generic, especially for personal
• Assumed accuracy issues
• Some forms are easily accessible • ‘Old-fashioned’ and tedious
• Trusted information • Can be time-consuming
• May be out-of-date

33. The role of the internet…
As a social organisation and communication tool
A study tool
A life management tool
A source of information, advice and guidance

34. “Just as an example, you wouldn’t want to go to
“The internet doesn’t judge you, your mum and say, oh, what’s testicular cancer,
you know? You can go and look at because you might be embarrassed. And on the
whatever you want…they don’t say internet, you can just go on and find out
‘why are you looking at this?’” anything. It can be absolutely anything – maybe
something you wouldn’t even want to talk to
your friends about.”
Non-judgemental
The internet for
information, advice Embarrassing
and guidance topics
“And a lot of the time
the internet has a
broader perspective.” “It’s always private and
confidential. It never like, unless it –
you look at it, and it’s just there,
Choice isn’t it, for you to take in. And no
one knows you’re looking at it. No
one knows what your problem is. ”
“Because the internet’s
got everything, hasn’t it?”
Anonymity

35. What makes a good website?
Simplicity
• A clean, uncluttered appearance
• An accessible, functional search
box
• Clear section headings
• Limited use of text “I think it’s got to have a search bar at
the top, for keywords. Because there
• Limited website depth – just 3 can be so much information on a
website, so you can just type in a key
clicks! word at the top
and it’ll take you straight to that
article.”
Indicators of quality
• Visible indicators of website
traffic
• Clarity regarding website origins
• Prominent feedback mechanisms
• Attention to detail
• Regular updates

36. THE NEED FOR SUPPORT:
Issues faced by young people
The young people

37. Summary of findings
• A need for accessible, relevant, high quality information for
young people regardless of their background
• Young people use a wide range of support-sources, none of
which are sufficient in isolation
• The internet plays a significant role in the lives of young people
and has the potential to bridge gaps in existing support and
bring together the qualities found in other services
• Young people are internet savvy and have high expectations
regarding online advice and support

38. Julie Reynolds
Head of Appeal Development

39. Panel Q & A
James Kenrick, Advice Services Manager,
Youth Access
Sarah McCoy, Research Manager, YouthNet
Julie Reynolds, Head of Appeal
Development, YouthNet
Jim Valentine, Communities Manager,
YouthNet