Commission on Young Lives
Launched in 2021 to prevent crisis in vulnerable teenagers and shape national policy – laying the foundations for Centre for Young Lives.
The Commission on Young Lives launched in September 2021 as an independent commission to develop proposals for a new national system to prevent crisis in vulnerable young people and support them to succeed in life. It was chaired by Anne Longfield CBE, the former Children’s Commissioner for England, and hosted by the Oasis Charitable Trust.
Thousands of children in England are growing up living very vulnerable lives. Every year, hundreds of the most vulnerable fall off the radar of the education and social services system, putting them at increased risk of criminal or sexual exploitation and making them more likely to become caught up in the criminal justice system. Their chances of entering adulthood with positive opportunities and choices are low and as adults they are more likely to be seen in our prisons or suffering from serious mental health problems or homelessness.
The Commission on Young Lives brought together experts and worked with system leaders to identify solutions which can transform the outcomes of the most marginalised teenagers who are at risk of violence, harm, criminalisation, and diminished opportunities. In November 2022, the Commission published its national plan in its report ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’
The Commission on Young Lives launched in September 2021 as an independent commission to develop proposals for a new national system to prevent crisis in vulnerable young people and support them to succeed in life. It was chaired by Anne Longfield CBE, the former Children’s Commissioner for England, and hosted by the Oasis Charitable Trust.
Thousands of children in England are growing up living very vulnerable lives. Every year, hundreds of the most vulnerable fall off the radar of the education and social services system, putting them at increased risk of criminal or sexual exploitation and making them more likely to become caught up in the criminal justice system. Their chances of entering adulthood with positive opportunities and choices are low and as adults they are more likely to be seen in our prisons or suffering from serious mental health problems or homelessness.
The Commission on Young Lives brought together experts and worked with system leaders to identify solutions which can transform the outcomes of the most marginalised teenagers who are at risk of violence, harm, criminalisation, and diminished opportunities. In November 2022, the Commission published its national plan in its report ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’
During the Commission, we published thematic reports looking at the key areas for reform including:
Our thematic report warned that the children’s care system is unfit for purpose. The report shows how an over-reliance on a limited number of residential places where demand significantly outstrips supply, inadequate early identification of those children at risk of exploitation, cuts to funding for early intervention programmes, outdated fostering models, a broken children's home 'market' and the frequent criminalisation of children in the care system is allowing too many children in care to fall into danger. The report puts forward recommendations for reforming the system, which contributed to the then Government’s independent review of children’s social care.
Our thematic report put forward a new partnership with families to safeguard vulnerable teenagers and divert them away from serious violence, county lines and exploitation. The report highlighted a decade of cuts in services and falling support for those families living in poverty and/or homes where there is domestic abuse, serious mental health illness or addiction issues.
Vulnerable children are falling through gaps in the education system, putting them at risk not only of low attainment but also serious violence, county lines, criminal exploitation, grooming and harm. Our thematic report calls for a new era of incentivising all schools to become more inclusive and makes a series of recommendations for how schools can be supported to divert vulnerable teenagers away from crime and exploitation and enable them to thrive.
Our fourth thematic report looked at the growing crisis of mental health problems among children and young people in England and put forward ambitious and innovative proposals to redesign young people's mental health services, particularly for those young people at risk of harm.
The Commission has had significant impact. We worked with the then Labour Opposition Home Affairs team on developing our plans into a programme for Government, should they form the next Government. Subsequently, our proposal for a ‘Sure Start for Teenagers’ was adopted by Labour in its manifesto and called ‘Young Futures’. Since the election, we have continued to support and advise upon the Government’s delivery of ‘Young Futures’, a policy programme which we are proud to see come about directly from the work of our Commission on Young Lives.
