Young people
We support young people to access learning and jobs. We help those in trouble to turn their lives around
Young people need chances to thrive – when they have this, it’s life-changing. Our services create opportunity. And they speak up for those left behind.
We help through:
- Placements, apprenticeships and skills workshops.
- Protecting young people from organised crime.
- Offering support in court or custody.
- Stepping in to stop young people becoming homeless.
We have 36 support services for young people, including youth justice, youth employment and youth support.
It’s important that young people feel able to choose a path in life. We support this through work placements, apprenticeships and skills workshops.
We make sure they have access to education opportunities, too. That includes vocational training for 14 to 19-year-olds. We support those excluded from school, or at risk of exclusion. And we give specialist support to young people with challenging or profound needs.
In 2022/23, 73% of young people using our youth employment service have improved employability skills to overcome barriers to training and employment
Our Serious Organised Crime Intervention Service is a landmark programme. It’s the first of its kind to use peer mentors to help young people at risk of falling into organised crime. It runs for high-risk 11 to 18-year-olds.
A teenager who had committed almost 600 offences hasn’t reoffended since they got support through the programme.
We have now expanded the service across the UK; it is now delivered in Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Dundee, Inverclyde and the Highlands.
Early intervention changes lives. It's crucial for young people who feel ignored by mainstream support. It also transforms communities.
The service supported 200 young people and families in 2022/23. The positive impacts included improved life skills, opportunities, and aspirations, as well as reduced offending behaviour and improved family relationships.
In Glasgow, the project also saved the city council more than half a million pounds over six months in 2022.
We want to reduce the number of young people involved in serious offences and give them the tools to get back on track. We also support the courts and children’s services.
We offer alternatives to custody, along with fostering and resettlement care – each has a role in reducing reoffending. And we’re there for young people who feel left behind.
Our Moving On programme supports young offenders, both while they’re in and out of prison. We help them find a place to live, claim benefits and register with a GP. We also give them training, from catering to mechanics and youth work, so they can find a job.
Since 2007, more than 80% of the young men who have taken part in Moving On have stayed out of prison.
We step in to stop young people becoming homeless. This could be due to a family or relationship breakdown, domestic violence or abuse.
We give young people practical and emotional support. This includes counselling, befriending services and help with things like making their own food. We also help them access housing and social care.
Our Preparation for Life Project gives homeless young people in West Dunbartonshire a safe place to sleep for up to 26 weeks. We then work with our partners to find them a permanent home.
Find out how to get involved
