General Election 2024: What the children and young people's sector wants to see from the next government

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced 4 July as the date for the next general election.

The current Conservative government has introduced a range of policies for young people, including expanding the funded childcare offer and guidance on banning mobile phones in schools, which have been met with a mixed response.

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Training for speech and language development in children and more investment for youth work are among calls from charities for the next government to implement.

Ahead of the general election, CYP Now has compiled what the sector wants from those in power.

Speech and Language UK

Speech and Language UK is calling for speech, language and communication skills to be a top priority for all political parties, as 1.9 million children in the UK are struggling with talking and understanding words.

In a 10-point manifesto, the charity is calling for training for all staff working with young people on how to support communication skills. It also calls for a free tool in schools to spot children who are struggling in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, alongside guidance on evidence-based tools and programmes.

It also calls for better recognition throughout child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) of the high proportion of children with mental health problems who also have speech and language challenges, and a national campaign to undo the damage of the Covid-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis on communication skills.

Language development programmes in all family hubs, continuation of the early years professional development programme and an increased number of speech of language specialists helping children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are also called for.

National Youth Agency

The National Youth Agency is calling for better youth work services for all young people after funding cuts to the sector over the past decade.

Its six-point manifesto involves a call for a long-term national youth strategy, a dedicated youth minister at cabinet level who works across departments, and long-term, joined-up funding to reverse the £1 billion funding cuts over the past decade.

Amid recruitment and retention fears, the organisation also wants more innovative pathways into youth work alongside better training to meet demand. Alongside this, a new Statutory Youth Services Act is also called for to support local authorities to fulfil their statutory duty based on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's guidance published in 2023.

The organisation also calls for strengthened data, impact and evidence on youth work interventions through establishing a ‘challenge’ fund to pilot youth work interventions.

British Association of Social Work

The British Association of Social Work (BASW) has outlined 40 policy calls for the next government in a manifesto encompassing the treatment of everyone from children with learning disabilities to asylum-seeking children.

Investment into family and community services and scrapping the benefit cap and two-child limit on receiving means-tested financial support for any further children is among calls to help reduce poverty.

Better support for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is also noted in the manifesto, including scrapping the national age assessment board and stricter time limits to resolve the needs of children.

Ending the use of pain-inducing restraint on children in young offender institutions and supporting every looked-after child until they turn 18 is also called for, as well as making care experience a protected characteristic.

BASW also suggests £2.6 billion funding for children’s social care to match funding cuts in recent years.

Sports Think Tank

Play England, Street Games and Youth Sport Trust are among contributors to the Sports Think Tank manifesto for the next government.

The manifesto has over 150 policy ideas, including a stronger framework to ensure children are reaching the recommended amount of outdoor activity each day.

Recognition of community groups and appropriate approaches to building and planning are also recommended to make sports accessible.

Play England in particular has asked for the government to introduce 'Play Sufficiency' legislation, which would establish statutory guidance for local authorities to assess for and secure sufficient play and recreation opportunities. Regular play sufficiency reports are also recommended.

Girlguiding

Girlguiding launched its manifesto for the next government at a House of Commons event sponsored by Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Batley and Spen.

Calls in the manifesto include appointing a Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, increasing equality in sport, and ensuring every school and college across the UK has period products available throughout the school day, free of charge.

Mental health is another key factor in the manifesto, as the organisation calls for mental health professionals in every school.

There is also a focus on the environment, aligning with the organisation's recent environmental strategy, including tackling the impacts of fast fashion and ensuring equal access to outdoor spaces.

Scouts

Scouts has launched its 'Our Scouts' manifesto for the next government.

The document has nine key asks for government as the organisation says its waiting lists have over 100,000 young people on, with 40,000 volunteers needed.

It's asks involve a dedicated minister for young people at the Department for Education, a pupil premium equivalent for young people to take part in extra-curricular activities, and access to outdoor learning for all young people, as part of a permanent National Youth Guarantee.

It has also called for a national strategy and volunteering platform accredited by the government and protection for youth spaces.

Early Years Alliance

The Early Years Alliance has called for an emergency financial rescue package for early years providers in its manifesto for the next government.

The manifesto comes after the government's rollout of expanded early years entitlement. Other calls include a recruitment and retention strategy, practical and financial support for baby and toddler groups, and exemption for early years providers from business rates and paying VAT on purchases.

Adequate and timely support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and an increase in early years pupil premium to match primary funding levels are also key calls from the organisation.

County Council's Network

The County Councils Network (CCN) has called on the next government to reduce the costs of children's services.

Implementing a price cap on children’s residential care providers and reducing the cost of home to school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are among county council leaders’ calls for the next government.

The manifesto also highlights that 68% of the average county authority budget is consumed by adult social care and children’s services.

Fields in Trust

Fields in Trust exists to champion green spaces, parks and playgrounds. In their manifesto A Better Future for Parks and Green Spaces, the charity calls for a cross-government strategy that will protect recreational spaces and improve access to parks for all. This includes acting on the recommendations from the Select Committee inquiry into Children and the Built Environment.

The charity also join calls for a Children and Young People's Minister to be appointed.

National Education Union

The National Education Union (NEU) has called on the next government to make a range of reforms to education, including the abolishing of Ofsted and the scrapping of primary school government tests. 

They are also pushing for Westminster to tackle recruitment and retention issues and to increase spending on education to five per cent of GDP.

The manifesto also highlights a need to tackle child poverty through ending the two-child benefit cap and introducing free school meals for all pupils.

nurtureuk

Charity leaders and educators have called for inclusive education in a joint open letter, led by nurtureuk, to the next government. The Chair of the Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition, The Children's Society and the Centre for Mental Health are among the signatories.

The letter calls for the DfE to "develop a fully resourced, national implementation programme to support every school, college and university to adopt a whole-school relational approach to mental health and wellbeing" and "further research and evaluation into the impact nurturing, relational approaches make on pupil wellbeing and education".

It also calls for "the social, emotional and mental health needs of all pupils to be identified and addressed" as part of a "national commitment to creating inclusive, nurturing school communities".

• Has your organisation got a manifesto for children and young people? Contact us on amrit.virdi@markallengroup.com.