Brent has seen a significant decrease in the rate of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET) for 16 and 17-year-olds, falling from 2.7% in 2025 to 2.4% in 2026. This improvement places Brent among the top-performing areas in England for this age group, outperforming the London average of 3.2%.
The Brent Youth Strategy 2025-2028, which focuses on youth participation, access to positive activities, wellbeing, and safety, has implemented several key initiatives contributing to this success. A post-16 (NEET) oversight group has been established to support re-engagement and strengthen targeted support for at-risk young people. Furthermore, a Youth Employment and Progression Taskforce is being established in partnership with the Young Brent Foundation to enhance collaborative efforts in this area.
Councillor Jake Rubin, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Employment and Climate Action, highlighted the strategy's focus on youth participation and a £4 million investment in youth infrastructure. This investment is being allocated to facilities including the OK Club, the Cricklewood Boxing Club, the Jason Roberts Foundation, and the Church and Youth Anchor in Councillor Rubin's ward. The Church Road Youth Anchor is also scheduled to open in the near future.
Key achievements in the first year include strengthening youth participation through the Brent Youth Parliament and other forums. Young people are influencing decisions via these channels, the UK Youth Parliament, scrutiny activity, the Brent Youth Strategy Delivery Group, Ofsted engagement, peer research, recruitment, and participation forums. The Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny committee has commended young people for their research, questions, and recommendations on various topics. Notably, the agenda for the September 2025 Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee was set by members of the Brent Youth Parliament, focusing on period dignity following a youth-led campaign. The second year of scrutiny will focus on evidencing participation, identifying under-represented voices, and assessing how young people's feedback has influenced decisions, commissioning, delivery, or outcomes.
For the upcoming year, priorities include broadening youth participation, particularly for vulnerable groups such as those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), care-experienced young people, those who are NEET, and marginalized communities. The strategy also aims to improve the visibility and coordination of youth opportunities, strengthen preventative wellbeing support, and enhance the partnership response to safeguarding issues.
Preventative wellbeing support is being bolstered through collaboration between mental health services, schools, Public Health, and community providers. This involves increasing awareness and accessibility of support services, expanding engagement in preventative activities like sports and arts, and addressing barriers such as social anxiety, safety concerns, and limited service access. Evidence of effectiveness includes the Brent Centre for Young People supporting 858 young people within the year, with over 80% reporting stabilization across anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and family relationships. The Wellbeing and Emotional Support Team (WEST) also reported 96% improved outcomes, highlighting the impact of early intervention.
Beyond the NEET rate, the Brent Youth Strategy tracks success through several key performance indicators (KPIs). These include:
- Being Heard and Taking Part: Measuring youth voice influence on practice and priorities, focusing on participation demographics, under-represented voices, and the impact of feedback on decisions, commissioning, delivery, or outcomes.
- Reaching Goals and Enjoying Yourself: Tracking reach, repeat engagement, and progression into education, employment, or training through the forthcoming Employment and Skills strategy, and assessing how investment benefits young people facing the greatest barriers.
- Feeling Good: Utilising shared outcome measures such as access, waiting times, sustained engagement, reduced deterioration, improved resilience, and young people's experience of support.
- Staying Safe: Monitoring risk, reach, protective factors, and evidence of impact, including cases through Best Start Family Hubs, online harm through Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs), and increased youth provision in safe spaces.
The strategy is a partnership-led initiative, with ongoing efforts to strengthen these collaborations to ensure comprehensive support for young people in Brent.
