Improving life outcomes for young people in doubly disadvantaged neighbourhoods

New research commissioned by Local Trust investigates the experiences of children and young people growing up in our most deprived neighbourhoods. In this blog, policy and parliamentary officer Natasha Meldrum explores the impact of social fabric on young people’s wellbeing and the ways we can support children’s development at the community level.

At Local Trust, our experience of delivering the Big Local programme has highlighted what works to tackle social and economic decline at a neighbourhood level. One of the key insights we have found is that the Big Local areas who saw early success generally had access to social infrastructure.  

This has led to our recent body of work, investigating the life outcomes of young people living in areas experiencing the double disadvantage of high deprivation and a lack of social infrastructure. These neighbourhoods suffer from worse educational outcomes and fewer employment prospects, higher school absences, lower attainment in GCSEs, as well as higher levels of poverty – with an almost 40 per cent greater likelihood of children living in relative low-income families.  

In partnership with The Centre for Education and Youth (CFEY), we have commissioned research to explore how these factors can have broader impacts on young people’s wellbeing and their prospects for the future, and what can be done to create positive change.

The impact of social fabric on young people’s wellbeing

By definition, doubly disadvantaged neighbourhoods are lacking in civic assets, connectivity, and an active and engaged community. CFEY have collaborated with #BeeWell to investigate how these factors directly impact the wellbeing and prospects of the young people living in these areas. They found that: 

• A lack of civic assets means there are fewer chances for young people to do things they enjoy in their free time.18.4 per cent of young people in Greater Manchester’s doubly disadvantaged neighbourhoods believe there are not good places for them to spend their free time in their local area, in comparison to 14 per cent of young people living in other areas.  

• This issue is exacerbated by the lack of physical connectivity, causing longer travel times to key services by public transport and walking. Access to public transport is particularly vital for young people in these areas, as they have a higher chance of living in a household with no car. 

• Without an active and engaged community, young people can struggle to find support systems. 22.5 per cent of young people in Greater Manchester’s doubly disadvantaged neighbourhoods feel there are not people they can trust in their local area, compared to 17.6 per cent in other neighbourhoods. 17.6 per cent believe people in their local area do not support each other’s wellbeing. The impacts of this can be seen in the fact that young people living in these areas have a higher dissatisfaction with life, a greater feeling of not being safe, and experience more loneliness. 

Civic assets stand out as the area of greatest need for young people in terms of social infrastructure investment.”

The importance of ‘third spaces’ for young people

Young people need a ‘third space’, a place away from their homes and schools where they can socialise and build social capital.

However, during workshops held by CFEY and #BeeWell, young people discussed a common dissatisfaction with the poor quality of local facilities and their neighbourhood environment. Civic assets stand out as the area of greatest need for young people in terms of social infrastructure investment.

Third spaces can include churches, cafés, libraries, parks, and other places where people connect with their community. During the workshops, young people stated that their most used third spaces included local reservoirs and parks, food and drink establishments, shops, and sports facilities.

There is a great need to develop third spaces, but this must be done in collaboration with young people themselves, to ensure that the spaces are tailored to their needs.”

Many of these spaces can only be used seasonally, with the weather and lack of daylight in the winter making outdoor spaces unsafe. In fact, our research shows that young people in doubly disadvantaged neighbourhoods are more likely to report feeling unsafe in their neighbourhood.

This feeling of disconnect between young people and their communities highlights the importance of involving young people in co-creation and the need to uplift young people’s voices. There is a great need to develop third spaces, but this must be done in collaboration with young people themselves, to ensure that the spaces are tailored to their needs. We must create places where young people want to go, will have fun, and are safe.

Third spaces are also vital to support children’s early years development. Research from New Philanthropy Capital has found that community-led early years initiatives can produce better outcomes, not only for children, but for parents and the wider community as well.

However, civic assets are often a prerequisite for this to develop, as preexisting places and spaces to meet, as well as online connectivity, are vital for community groups to develop naturally.

CFEY and #BeeWell’s research outlines that targeted investment is needed to address these issues. Doubly disadvantaged neighbourhoods need investment to improve their local environments and to safeguard essential community spaces. These decisions must include young people’s voices and empower them to shape the future of their communities.

Read the report from CFEY and #BeeWell.

Read more on the topic of young people and opportunity:

• Read Local Trust’s paper exploring how to break down barriers to opportunity at the neighbourhood level 
• Read New Philanthropy Capital’s research on community-led early years initiatives

Featured image: Newington Big Local’s Chill Club offers space for young people to gain cooking skills, explore their creativity and connect with their community. Photo: Local Trust/Ben Langdon