Local Youth Transformation Programme (LYTP) and Young Futures Hubs (YFH)
The Local Youth Transformation Programme (LYTP) is a national pilot funded with an investment of £8 million by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in 2025 and delivered by the National Youth Agency (NYA) in partnership with key sector organisations. It is supporting 12 ‘Pathfinder’ local authorities to rebuild a high-quality offer for young people and transition back to local youth services leadership.
As lead delivery partner, the NYA are supported by a consortium of national youth sector strategic partners – UK Youth, The Network of Regional Youth Work Units, Centre for Young Lives, the Local Government Association, Young People’s Foundation Trust, Street Games, SOLVE and Youth Access.
12 Pathfinder areas (Cornwall, Derbyshire, Doncaster, Hartlepool, Islington, Knowsley, Liverpool, Oxfordshire, Peterborough, Shropshire, Southwark and Stoke on Trent) were selected to pilot the LYT approach, which included a landscape review of the local youth offer, with recommendations to support development planning, capability building and systems change. The approach aimed to strengthen local authority capacity and support areas to better meet their statutory duty to provide youth services.
Eight LYT areas were then selected as ‘Early Adopters’, receiving additional funding alongside their LYT grant to implement a Young Futures Hub in their area. These areas are: Birmingham, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, County Durham, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Tower Hamlets.
The Young Futures Hubs are co-designed with young people, statutory services, the voluntary and community sector and wider local agencies, to bring services together through a hyper-local offer which focuses on opportunities, mental health and wellbeing and crime prevention.
The programme combines a structured system review with place-based delivery to rebuild high-quality, needs-led youth services.
Through area profiling and local youth service review visits, the NYA surveyed young people and local providers and ran focus groups with various stakeholders, identifying gaps and co-developing long-term transformation plans, which reflect local authority strategic priorities and direction.
The pilot was designed to deepen understanding of the challenges and opportunities local authorities face, and to identify how they can be supported to build capability and meet their Statutory Duty under Section 507B of the Education Act 1996.
Pathfinder and Early Adopter Insights Report
The Insights Report published in Gorffennaf 2026 provides an analysis of responses from 672 providers and engagement with 4,694 young people, taken from the LYT area profiles, highlighting useful early learning from across the programme.
It highlights gaps in provision and shows how partnership working, youth voice and targeted investment can build more coordinated, accessible local youth systems.
Key Findings
The initial LYT reviews highlighted high demand for support around mental health, education, employment and youth justice, reinforcing the importance of Young Futures Hubs in bringing services together around local need.
Across implementation plans, five core development themes emerged: Workforce Development and Strategy, Quality of Youth Work, Voluntary Sector Support and Partnerships, Youth Voice and Digital Developments:
- Workforce is the standout theme: all 20 areas identified skills gaps, with 17 funding qualifications or training.
- Quality is being strengthened: most areas are using LYT to set clearer expectations across local authority, commissioned and VCFS provision.
- VCFS partnerships are central: areas are investing in capacity building, commissioning support, networks and collaborative funding.
- Youth voice is growing: participation infrastructure is being strengthened, with Young Assessors supporting reviews, focus groups, visits and reporting.
- Digital is gaining traction: especially among Early Adopters, improving access, referrals, safeguarding, data and communication.
- Readiness matters: strong leadership, partnerships, governance, capacity and data are driving more cohesive delivery.
Young Futures Hubs
The Young Futures Hubs are locally designed partnerships that bring together youth work, community organisations and public services to provide joined-up support for young people.
Combining open access youth provision with targeted interventions, the Hubs create safe spaces where young people can access activities, trusted relationships and practical support, alongside coordinated pathways into mental health, education, employment and wider services.
As part of the Government’s National Youth Strategy, the programme aims to improve young people’s wellbeing, opportunities and life outcomes through place-based, youth-led approaches that respond to local need.
Timeline of activity
Priorities for the next phase until Mawrth 2027 include supporting the existing Early Adopters to implement their LYT transformation plans and providing guidance as they develop and embed the Young Futures Hub model.
The Young Futures Hubs are a hyper-local model of multi-agency partnership working, bringing together services to provide coordinated support across three key areas: mental health and wellbeing, opportunities and employability and crime prevention; alongside open access provision and activities.
Central to their success is embedding youth voice in governance and decision-making, helping areas reflect, adapt and embed change that is driven by and reflects the needs of young people.
It will also strengthen partnerships with VCFS organisations, make the most of capital and digital investment to improve access and coordination, support a skilled and sustainable workforce, and embed consistent quality standards and evaluation approaches.
