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Webinar

Youth Sector Practice Guidance – Approaches That Work

A Virtual Learning Café (VLC) run by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) as part of our YEF Evidence in Practice series.

We are pleased to invite local authority commissioners to the second session in our three-part Virtual Learning Café series focused on youth sector practice guidance and reducing violence.

Following our first session on targeting the right children, this session will focus on the approaches that work — exploring the evidence on the types of provision most likely to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence, and what this means for commissioning in practice.

With continued pressure on budgets, capacity, and outcomes, commissioners are making difficult decisions about where to invest. This session will provide practical, evidence-informed insight to support those decisions — helping ensure investment delivers meaningful impact in high-violence contexts.

What we’ll cover:

  • The evidence on youth clubs, mentoring, and positive activities
  • The role of mentoring in building trusted relationships with safe adults
  • The role of positive activities (e.g. sport and arts)
  • What high-quality, effective delivery looks like
  • Practical implications for commissioning and funding decisions
  • Open Q & A and discussion

Why this matters:

Access to trusted adults, safe spaces, and structured activities can play a critical role in preventing violence. The evidence shows that:

  • Youth clubs can reduce offending and provide safe, supportive environments
  • Closures of youth clubs are linked to increases in crime and worse outcomes
  • Vulnerable children and young people are more likely to attend youth clubs than their peers
  • Trusting relationships — particularly through mentoring — are key protective factors
  • Positive activities are most effective when they build skills, relationships, and engagement over time

However, access to these approaches is uneven, and provision is often patchy or short-term.

This session will explore how commissioners can:

  • Prioritise investment in approaches with the strongest evidence
  • Balance new provision with sustaining trusted, existing services
  • Commission for quality, duration, and reach — not just activity
  • Ensure provision is accessible at key times and in high-risk areas
  • Integrate open-access and targeted support effectively

Who should attend:

This session is designed for:

  • Local authority commissioners of youth provision
  • Children’s services commissioning teams
  • Young Futures Hubs / prevention panel leads
  • Police and Crime Commissioners
  • Violence Reduction Units
  • Housing Associations

Part of a 3-session series:

This is the second session in a three-part series on youth sector practice guidance:

Part 1: Focusing on the right children
Part 2: Approaches that work
Part 3: Commissioning for impact and sustainability

The event will run online using MS Teams on Monday 15th June 2026, 11:00–12:00.

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