A Voice for Young People: Identifying the need for
online information, advice and guidance
through dialogue
Thursday 18th March
Today’s presentations:
1. Young People’s Access to AdviceJames Kenrick, Advice Services Manager, Youth Access
2. A voice for young people: Identifying the need for online information, advice and guidance through dialogueSarah McCoy MSc, Research Manager, YouthNet
3. YouthNet’s Life Support AppealJulie Reynolds, Head of Appeal Development, YouthNet
4. Question & Answer session Led by Fiona Dawe OBE, YouthNet
Engaging, informing and inspiring 16 to 25-year-olds
Each month, TheSite.org helps over500,000 people access vital:
Information…...via no-nonsensefact sheets
Support……from peers viadiscussion boards
Advice……from experts viaaskTheSite
Young People’s Access to Advice
on Social Welfare Issues
James Kenrick
Advice Services Development Manager
Youth Access
YouthNet Seminar, 18/03/10
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
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
Extent of unmet needEach 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
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
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
Sources of Advice - key characteristics sought
Trustworthy, friendly, non judgementalSpecialist service for YP onlyWhere YP already goInformal, flexible & confidentialIndependent – voluntary sector
preferred An ‘expert with clout’ who will ‘go the
extra mile’
Modes of Access• Strong preference for Face to face advice • YP less likely to use Telephone
Internet:• YP less likely to use for advice than adults –
but 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
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
Recommendations1. 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?
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
A VOICE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE:Identifying the need for online
information, advice and guidance
through dialogue
Sarah McCoyResearch Manager
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
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
The workshops…
• Pre-tasks• Disposable camera• Technology diary
• Difficult situations
• Getting support
• Internet use
• Website reviews
• Recommendations
The young people…
Highly active internet users:
London Ex-offenders and drug/alcohol
abusers: Liverpool
Rural England: Pensford (nr.
Bristol)
Gay and lesbian young people:
Manchester
Rural Scotland: Outskirts of
Glasgow
Young parents: Bridgend
No further education: Newcastle
Ethnic minority young women:
London
Highly active internet users: London• Wrote at least one blog, were members of at least
one social networking site, and participated in at least two other content-sharing activities
• Few life-concerns not linked to careers or education
• Struggled to find adequate support and feared for others who might have less
determination and ambition
• Animated and opinionated when discussing the internet
“For me, I just think that at school, when I finished my A-levels, it was really concentrated on people going to
university. And I didn’t want to go to university, so there wasn’t much to do
with that. It just seemed to me, everyone was going to university – they kind of forgot the people who wanted to
work instead.” (Diana, 18)
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)
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)
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 – the recession mentioned for the first time
• Participants were incredibly supportive of one another and used few other advice sources
• It was felt there was a lack of support for people their age and that young people in rural locations are somewhat isolated
“There’s quite a few family problems on my Dad’s side. As in, there was a
couple of deaths in the family in quite close proximity. And then the
recession came, and my parents were struggling for money. So they had to cut back on quite a lot of stuff that I
was used to. ” (Michael, 16)
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)
‘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)
No further education: Newcastle• In contrast to other groups, there were few
mentions of education and career-relate issues
• Concerns centred around money, unemployment, housing and debt
• Most felt that finding work is about ‘who you know not what you know’ and were sceptical about education
• Most would return to education if they could but felt they lack the resources and support needed to do so
“You don’t know where your next job’s from at the minute, you’ve just got to take what you can get. You’re losing [contracts] all the time. At the minute, you’re working for next to nothing, to try and undercut the other person, because they’re all doing the same. The companies, obviously, they can get credit. But if you can’t get the credit because of things that happened, there’s
no way that you can do it.” (Craig, 25)
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)
Help-seeking behaviour…
Personal support sources
Formal support services
Impersonal sources of support
Parents
Friends
Teachers
Personal support services
“They know you, don’t they?” - a double-edged
sword
• An insider’s perspective• Useful for issues where the reactions or mindset of the young person is important (e.g. careers or relationships) • Best interests at heart• Life experience (e.g. finance)
Pros• Bias and control• Only consider what’s best from ‘their’
perspective• Lack of knowledge about ‘specialist subjects’ • No good for ‘embarrassing’ subjects
Cons
Careers advisors
Social workers
Health services
Formal support services
“They don’t really care” – experience and
perception
• Generally available face to face • Detailed information on ‘specialist subjects’• Usually confidential so useful for ‘embarrassing’ issues• Trusted and accurate information
• No personal interest in outcome for the young person• Often perceived to be acting in their own interests • Can be patronising and dismissive• Sometimes paying ‘Lip service’ to a problem
Pros Cons
Banks
Impersonal sources of support
“You know the information is quality if
it’s published”
• Completely anonymous• Assumed accuracy• Some forms are easily accessible• Trusted information
•Too generic, especially for personal issues
• ‘Old-fashioned’ and tedious• Can be time-consuming• May be out-of-date
Pros Cons
Television
Magazines
Books
Internet
As a social organisation and communication tool
A study tool
A life management tool
The role of the internet…
A source of information, advice and guidance
The internet for information, advice
and guidance
“The internet doesn’t judge you, you know? You can go and look at
whatever you want…they don’t say ‘why are you looking at this?’”
Non-judgemental
Anonymity
“It’s always private and confidential. It never like, unless it –
you look at it, and it’s just there, isn’t it, for you to take in. And no
one knows you’re looking at it. No one knows what your problem is. ”
“Just as an example, you wouldn’t want to go to your mum and say, oh, what’s testicular cancer, because you might be embarrassed. And on the
internet, you can just go on and find out anything. It can be absolutely anything – maybe
something you wouldn’t even want to talk to your friends about.”
Embarrassing topics
Choice
“And a lot of the time the internet has a
broader perspective.”
“Because the internet’s got everything, hasn’t it?”
What makes a good website?
• A clean, uncluttered appearance• An accessible, functional search box• Clear section headings• Limited use of text• Limited website depth – just 3 clicks!
Simplicity
Indicators of quality• Visible indicators of website traffic• Clarity regarding website origins• Prominent feedback mechanisms • Attention to detail• Regular updates
“I think it’s got to have a search bar at the top, for keywords. Because there can be so much information on a website, so you can just type in a key word at the topand it’ll take you straight to that article.”
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
Julie ReynoldsHead of Appeal Development
TheSite has helped me in so many ways that any opportunity to reach out to more young people is always going to be worthwhile.It's not simply that it helps people with short term problems - concerns about career or exam worries - it provides long term support and does so in a welcoming and supportive community environment
To continue to be an up-to-the-minute and accurate service to young people, who are increasingly using the internet as their first port of call for advice and guidance.
To promote and encourage young people to use TheSite to get information they need but may not be able to ask for in the real world. Young people need a place where they can find support and information
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