The youth engagement service in Croydon is changing, with a greater emphasis on expanding the reach to more children and young people; improving support for older children and young adults and increasing efforts to capture the voice and lived experience of children and young people. To do this, Croydon Council will be working more closely with partners to provide support.
A decision to review the Council’s in-house youth engagement service and reduce core Council funding was taken in the March 2022 budget. The Council carried out the review last year, which found that the service was not providing best value for money to Croydon residents. In one year, only 75 children accessed the universal provision.
The Council consulted with young people who used the service, parents, staff and partners between 5 December 2024 to 25 April 2025, as part of the process.
The findings revealed that a more coordinated approach with other organisations would achieve better outcomes, especially for young people at risk. This is being achieved by providing a combination of early help, community safety initiatives and commissioning Council partners to deliver targeted, engagement work.
Croydon is opening a new Family Hub for older children and young adults at the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Centre in South Norwood this summer. This will help to expand its network of local, accessible services for families across Croydon.
Additionally, Croydon’s community safety service is investing £200k in grant funding from the Home Office and the London Violence Reduction Unit to deliver initiatives over the coming year to help young people stay safe.
“The decision to reduce core Council funding in youth engagement was taken in the March 2022 budget and, through this review, we have identified how we can provide the most effective and efficient service, with less funding.
“We want to make sure that our services reach those young people in our communities who are most at risk, and the opening of the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Centre in South Norwood this summer will support this vital work.
“I understand that changes to services can feel unsettling, but I remain committed to keeping our young people safe and we will continue to listen to our young people and their families.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
