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Source · National Audit Office

Support for vulnerable adolescents

This study examines whether government understands what is needed to effectively identify and support vulnerable adolescents who are at risk of avoidable adverse outcomes, and who may need costly government interventions if their needs are not addressed.

Published: 11 Nov 2022 Recommendations: 4 Type: Value for Money NAO confirmed: 4 Department: Department for Education
Dept: Department for Education Topics: Childcare and children's servicesChildren’s health and welfare nao.org.uk →

Recommendations

4 items
4 accepted 3 implemented 1 in progress

Recommendation 1

Addressee: Department for Education · Source location: Page 11, 21a

We recommend that those central government departments involved should, through formal governance, work together to:
a) build on recent data-sharing exercises to understand better the relationship between risk factors and adverse outcomes for vulnerable adolescents;

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 03/2022 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 2

Addressee: Department for Education · Source location: Page 11, 21b

We recommend that those central government departments involved should, through formal governance, work together to:
b) address the gaps in the evidence base of what interventions work to support vulnerable adolescents;

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 09/2024 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 3

Addressee: Department for Education · Source location: Page 11, 21c

We recommend that those central government departments involved should, through formal governance, work together to:
c) agree some cross-government objectives and outcome measures for supporting those vulnerable adolescents most in need of support, along with data sources and methods of tracking progress, by June 2023

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 03/2024 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 4

Addressee: Department for Education · Source location: Page 11, 21d

We recommend that those central government departments involved should, through formal governance, work together to:
d) set out how they will support local bodies to improve local safeguarding arrangements and respond to the two recent reviews which found they were not yet adequately joined-up or effective.

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: In progress · 12/2026 · Confirmed by NAO

Public Accounts Committee follow-up

1 report

The Public Accounts Committee examined this NAO report and published its own recommendations. The government responds to PAC recommendations via Treasury Minutes.