Centre for Young Lives – Ambitious for Young People
The Centre for Young Lives outlines a vision for transforming youth provision in the UK, emphasizing safe spaces, engaging activities, and trusted adult relationships. The proposed Young Futures programme includes 1,000 youth centres, year-round activities, and 10,000 trained youth practitioners. This investment, costing £1.46 billion over three years, aims to address challenges like youth crime, mental health crises, and educational disparities. Alma Economics estimates a £2.40 return for every £1 invested, with benefits in education, mental health, and crime reduction. The report calls for sustainable funding and a coordinated national strategy to ensure equitable opportunities for all young people.
Youth Work Matters – youth provision and life outcomes – a systemic literature review
A Youth Evidence Base report by SQW and the University of Warwick for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
This review located and screened over 25,000 studies from across 22 major research databases and repositories. A total of 77 studies met the review criteria for relevance and suitability. Studies were quality assessed, organised within six activity areas, and analysed in-depth by area to better understand the impacts of open access youth activities
Youth Work Matters – youth provision and life outcomes – a study of longitudinal research
A Youth Evidence Base report for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Our research used five datasets to explore the effects of weekly participation in youth clubs on outcomes later in life. Four of the five datasets were longitudinal studies; the fifth was a rolling annual survey. The studies covered different generations of young people from the 1970s to 2000s, and the timing of outcome measurements reflected this.
Supported transfer of care from hospitals: Evaluating people’s experiences to help shape improvements in care – Healthwatch Somerset – April 2023
Healthwatch Somerset explores the quality of the transfer of care process in Somerset and use the experiences of people who have been discharged from hospital to inform the organisations involved to support change and improve the process.
Dentistry in Somerset: Access, affordability and the impact on oral health – Healthwatch Somerset – March 2024
In January 2022, we released a commentary about the Lack of NHS Dentists in Somerset highlighting the concerning shortage of accessible dental care in the county, and the
pressing issue of limited access to NHS dentists which was causing widespread public concern. The inability to secure dentist appointments has led to frustration, disproportionately
affecting vulnerable groups like parents seeking care for their children, pregnant women, and those reliant on benefits for whom private dental care is financially unattainable.
Reaching out: Looking at mental health support for young people in Somerset – Healthwatch Somerset – Oct 2023
The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people (CYP) has been investigated both nationally and regionally. There is a wealth of data and
many reports that demonstrate the effects on CYP over the course of several years.
Neuro Rehabilitation in Somerset for People with an Acquired Brain Injury
In 2022 Healthwatch Somerset worked with NHS Somerset ICB to create a series of case studies, to support a business case for change, by interviewing people who had lived
experience of an acquired brain injury (ABI) and neurological rehabilitation.
The Doctor Will See You Now – Healthwatch Somerset
A look at booking an appointment with your GP in Somerset
Ageing Well Report
This report draws on community consultation to tell us how our funding could support older people across Somerset
State of the Sector (2024)
The Somerset State of the Sector report for 2024 was commissioned by Spark Somerset and builds on the work of similar reports published in 2017 and 2020.1
It examines the size and shape of the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector in Somerset.