Oxfordshire County Council commissioned the NYA to undertake a Peer Review of its Targeted Youth Support Service in January 2025.
The Service provides one-to-one and group support to young people aged 11–18 (up to 25 years for those with additional needs). An area of particular focus is providing support for young people at risk of antisocial behaviour and youth violence, helping to prevent problems from escalating, and leading to the police or social services having to get involved.
Why a Peer Review?
With young people facing a range of challenges which could affect their future life, the Council wanted to ensure its local services were trusted and accessible. A key aim was to evaluate whether the Youth Support Service was continuing to positively meet the diverse needs within the local community, and whether young people themselves felt it was effective.
The Peer Review focussed on:
- Practice and impact – assessing the quality of delivery and outcomes
- Sufficiency – reviewing the scope, accessibility, and resources of the offer
- Partnerships – evaluating collaboration across the local authority and voluntary sector
A sector-led, inclusive approach
The Peer Review was managed (or overseen) by the NYA’s Peer Review specialists with the support of a peer reviewer from Shropshire County Council, Helena Williams, Shropshire Youth Services youth support team manager. In line with the NYA’s commitment to youth participation, two NYA Young Reviewers, Kemi Odeyemi and Ivan Bronsan, both aged 18, supported the process ensuring the views of local young people were taken on board.
All those who successfully applied to be part of the Peer Review process – including elected members, youth work managers and local partners – received training from the NYA, including a 40 strong group of young people who brought their insights as service users to the process.
The review included site visits, session observations, documentation review and one-to-one conversations, offering a full picture of how the Service is delivered and received across the county.
Key findings
The Review highlighted the Services many strengths:
- A clear purpose and flexible, innovative delivery model
- High-quality detached youth work rooted in local communities
- Strong, trusted relationships between youth workers and young people – especially those from underrepresented groups
- A person-centred, strength-based approach valued by practitioners and young people alike
- Cross-party political backing and strong partnerships supporting delivery
- Youth voice at the centre
The NYA Young Reviewers praised Oxfordshire County Council’s commitment to improving youth services and listening to young people.
“It’s clear the Council is deeply committed to continuous improvement, and there’s a genuine focus on adapting services to meet young people’s needs.” said NYA Young Reviewer, Kemi Odeyemi.
NYA Young Reviewer, Ivan Bronsan added: “It was a pleasure to see the fantastic work happening across Oxfordshire. I was particularly impressed by the political support and positive culture.”
The Peer Review team also provided recommendations for how the Council could enhance further its youth offer, including:
- Improving access for youth workers and VCSE partners in schools
- Expanding youth participation
- Formalising youth worker career pathways and identifying training needs
- Developing a countywide Youth Work Charter to align understanding and practice
- Exploration into forming a youth alliance to enhance collaboration, resource sharing, and training across the sector
Reflections from leadership
Andy Lloyd, NYA’s Head of Quality and Standards, said:
“The Council should be applauded for its senior leadership, skilled and passionate workforce, and strong partnership arrangements, fostered to ensure effective service delivery. The SEND Youth Forum, in particular, was impressive.”
Learning through Peer Review
Peer Reviews are a trusted tool for driving improvement. By offering external evaluation and constructive feedback from sector experts, they can help local authority youth services and their partners to reflect, grow, and ultimately improve outcomes for young people.
Oxfordshire’s review affirmed the Targeted Youth Support Service at Oxfordshire County Council as an effective, inclusive, and respected service – with youth voice, skilled practice, and sector collaboration at its heart.
A limited number of Peer Reviews are available at no cost for Councils during 2025. Visit the Peer Review page for details and to express your interest.
The NYA also offers a range of consultancy services tailored to your Council’s specific needs and budgets. Find out more via with our Consultancy page.
