Councils lack powers and funds to meet legal duties to young NEETs: research

Just 7% of councils say they have the powers and funding to meet their legal duties when it comes to supporting teenagers not in employment, education or training (NEET), according to research by the Local Government Association.

The LGA called on the Government to return key powers in areas such as careers advice and skills.

Almost 738,000 young people in England are NEET.

The survey of 87 councils also found:

• Nine out of 10 local authorities had been forced to reduce spending on support for 16 to 18-year-olds as a result of cuts to central government funding;
• Four-fifths (82%) of councils agreed that greater devolution would enable them to further reduce youth disengagement;
• Nine in 10 (86%) said they could deliver better value for money with the resources going into their area;
• Councils have sought to minimise the impact on young people by reforming and integrating services (97%), seeking to work with partners (99%), and making back office efficiencies (95%).

Nearly all of the councils polled (97%) felt that without service reform and a return of key powers, “a continuation of cuts will put vital services for vulnerable teenagers at risk”.

Cllr David Simmonds, Chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Councils are determined that every young person realises their full potential. Despite challenges, we are proud of our leading role working with different governments to consistently increase youth engagement over the last 15 years.

“The message from local government is clear. Cuts without reform risk undoing all of our collective good work, putting thousands of promising futures at risk. Councils are uniquely well placed to help young people access the opportunities created by the local employers increasingly frustrated by remote national institutions. It is important that we have the powers, levers and funding to fulfil our legal duties to young people.”