Youth-Led Change: Breaking Barriers and Rebuilding Trust with Systems That Have Failed Young People
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Across the UK, thousands of young people are growing up facing systemic barriers that limit access to opportunity. Many are labelled NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). Others move through care systems, youth justice pathways, alternative provision, or short-term interventions that promise support but rarely deliver long-term transformation.
The issue is not a lack of programmes.
It is a lack of trust.
For too many opportunity-excluded young people, systems feel like they are ticking boxes rather than changing lives.
If we are serious about youth empowerment, youth-led change, and breaking down barriers, we must confront an uncomfortable truth:
Young people have lost trust in the very systems designed to support them.
The Trust Deficit: When Systems Feel Transactional
Young people navigating structural inequality often describe a cycle of intervention without meaningful impact.
They attend meetings.
They complete forms.
They repeat their story.
They are assessed, referred, signposted.
But too often, nothing fundamentally changes.
One young person shared:
“They write things down about you, but they don’t really know you.”
Another said:
“It feels like they just need to show they’ve done something.”
Sam Smith, Co-Director of Genuine Futures CIC, reflects:
“When a young person has had to tell their story ten times and nothing changes, they don’t disengage because they don’t care. They disengage because they’ve lost belief in the system.”
Mike Alleyne, Co-Director of Genuine Futures CIC, adds:
“Young people aren’t hard to reach. Systems are hard to navigate. If we simplify access and prioritise relationships, engagement follows.”
This compliance-driven culture — focused on outputs rather than outcomes — erodes trust.
Youth-Led Change: From Control to Collaboration
Youth-led change requires a fundamental shift.
Instead of asking:
“How do we fix this young person?”
We ask:
“How do we build with this young person?”
Youth-led change means:
- Involving young people in decision-making
- Co-designing programmes
- Embedding lived experience into governance
- Creating leadership pathways
- Offering responsibility, not just supervision
Sam explains:
“We don’t lower expectations for young people facing systemic barriers. We raise belief and provide structured opportunity. High standards with genuine support change lives.”
A young participant described the impact:
“This is the first place where I feel trusted to lead something, not just told what to do.”
When ownership increases, behaviour improves. Engagement strengthens. Outcomes become sustainable.
A teacher recently observed:
“The difference was that they felt heard and respected. That shifted everything.”
Breaking Down Structural Barriers
If we are serious about reform, we must address the barriers that keep opportunity-excluded young people disconnected.
1. Low Expectations
Labels can become limiting identities.
“Disruptive.”
“At risk.”
“Hard to reach.”
Mike states:
“The moment a young person internalises a label, we’ve limited their future. Our responsibility is to replace labels with leadership.”
One young leader shared:
“When someone expects more from you, you start expecting more from yourself.”
2. Fragmented Systems
Young people often move between:
- Education
- Social care
- Mental health services
- Youth justice
- Housing support
But these systems rarely operate seamlessly together.
Sam reflects:
“We talk about joined-up services, yet young people still feel passed from pillar to post. True reform requires coordinated, consistent relationships.”
Integrated, relationship-led approaches build stability and clarity.
3. Reactive Intervention
Much public funding remains crisis-led.
Support frequently begins after:
- School exclusion
- Arrest
- Homelessness
- Mental health crisis
Mike emphasises:
“If we only invest when crisis hits, we will continue paying the highest social and economic price.”
Earlier intervention must include:
- Enterprise education
- Employability pathways
- Real work experience
- Digital and creative skills
- Leadership development
A young participant reflected:
“When I started building skills and earning at the same time, I stopped thinking short term. I started thinking future.”
A Call to Authorities: Move Beyond Compliance
Local authorities, education leaders, and commissioners must look beyond metrics alone.
Governance matters. Safeguarding matters. Compliance matters.
But relational trust must sit at the centre.
Mike notes:
“We measure attendance and outputs, but do we measure trust? Without trust, long-term impact is impossible.”
Sam adds:
“Young people facing systemic barriers don’t need more assessments. They need systems that believe in them and stay consistent.”
Authorities should ask:
- Are young people shaping services?
- Are we investing in prevention or managing crisis?
- Are funding cycles enabling continuity?
- Do young people feel respected within our environments?
Trust cannot be built on short-term pilots and uncertainty.
Youth Voice Must Be Structural
There is a significant difference between inviting young people to speak and embedding youth voice in governance.
One young leader said:
“Don’t just ask us what we think. Show us it matters.”