East Lothian's Youth Work Strategy young person survey

We’d like to thank all the young people, organisations and teams involved in the development of the Youth Vision, including those who took part in the public consultation. Your contributed time, insight, and expertise have helped shape a document that reflects the needs and aspirations of young people.

The Youth Work Strategy was co-developed by young people, youth organisations, East Lothian Council, and key partners.

A Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG) worked with professionals between 2021 and 2022 to consult their peers and draft an initial Youth Vision. In 2025, a Short Life Working Group engaged with around 200 young people to revisit this draft and explore what they wanted from Youth Work across East Lothian.

Children and young people told us they wanted to feel safe, heard, and included.

A revised Youth Vision was then produced and shared for consultation. In Autumn 2025, 74 young people and 42 adults—including youth workers, parents and carers, and partner organisations—took part in the public consultation, leading to final amendments.

The East Lothian Youth Vision was approved by East Lothian Education and Children’s Services Committee in November 2025. The East Lothian Youth Vision is our Strategy for Youth Work over the three years from 2026 to 2029

East Lothian Youth Vision

This document sets out our goals for 2026–2029. It outlines how we will deliver positive impacts for young people, focusing on three core goals:

• Children and young people feel safer in their communities
• Children and young people’s ideas and experiences will be heard, listened to and acted upon
• Children and young people feel included in their communities

To make this happen, we’ll work collaboratively and track progress through an oversight group. Each year, we’ll publish an Impact Report to celebrate achievements, share stories, achievements and reflect on challenges.

One of our first priorities in 2026 will be to work with a group of young people to produce a young person-friendly version for the Youth Vision.