Through parliamentary work, ministerial engagement, sector events, partnerships and national campaigns, we ensured that the voices of young people and practitioners shaped decisions at every level of government. Our work this year reinforced youth work’s essential role in education reform, prevention, wellbeing, community safety, human rights and local and national policy.

Cross-Party Engagement

• Continued as joint secretariat of the Cross Party Group on Children and Young People, shaping national conversations on education reform, childcare, child poverty and UNCRC incorporation.
• Contributed to the Cross Party Group on Volunteering, raising the profile of youth volunteering and youth-led social action.

Parliamentary Events & Youth Voice

• Hosted parliamentary receptions with strong MSP attendance.
• Supported the Scottish Youth Parliament Sitting, strengthening youth engagement and democratic participation.

Youth Work (Scotland) Bill

• Facilitated sector engagement and consultation responses.
• Held sessions with youth workers and young people to ensure their perspectives shaped the legislative process.

YouthLink Scotland engaged directly with ministers, senior civil servants and government policy teams to influence multiple national agendas.

Ministerial Engagement

• Graeme Dey MSP opened the Digital Youth Work Conference and met with young people.
• Siobhian Brown MSP met young people during Hate Crime Awareness Week and at a United Voices event.
• Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP engaged with YouthVIP participants on youth volunteering.
• YouthLink Scotland contributed to the First Minister’s Summit on Young Victims of Violence and a national event on anti-racism in education.

Scottish Government Engagement

We worked closely with government teams on:

• CLD policy and implementation of the Independent CLD Review
• The Scottish Attainment Challenge
• Learning for Sustainability
• Mental health, digital and political literacy
• UNCRC incorporation

We also delivered national youth engagement for the Transport Just Transition Plan, informing both the consultation and the Children’s Rights Impact Assessment.

Human Rights & Equality

• Hosted a Policy Special on the Human Rights Bill with the Scottish Government Bill Team.
• Contributed to evidence gathering for equality, human rights and suicide prevention work nationally.

Learning for Sustainability

• Supported development of the Learning for Sustainability Action Plan.
• Co-hosted the Power of Partnerships national roundtable with Education Scotland.

COVID Inquiry

• Submitted youth-work-focused evidence to the Scottish Covid Inquiry, highlighting the central role of trusted adults, safe spaces and community-based support.

CLD Review Sector Engagement

Following the publication of Learning for All, for Life, we led national engagement with youth work organisations to gather views on the Independent CLD Review. The sector strongly endorsed the value of youth work, the need for an entitlement, and alignment with education reform, while highlighting concerns about resources, volunteer registration and “one-size-fits-all” approaches.

YouthLink Scotland strengthened collaboration with partners across government, public bodies and national organisations.

Strategic Partnerships

We worked closely with:

• COSLA and local government
• Public Health Scotland
• Police Scotland
• ADPs
• National networks focused on prevention, community safety, skills and employability

YouthLink Scotland also published joint briefings on youth volunteering and contributed to national volunteering steering groups.

International Influence

We:

• Represented Scotland at Council of Europe Youth Department meetings
• Participated in the EU–UK Stronger Together Youth Policy Dialogue
• Presented at international conferences in Wales, Japan and with British Council partners
• Supported delegations from Europe and Asia visiting Scotland to learn from our youth work model

We closely monitor the policy horizon for the latest policy developments relevant to the youth work sector. Alongside members and broader stakeholders, we formulate consultation responses on the sector’s behalf and build the capacity of those with a stake in youth work services to do the same.

Over the past year we’ve maintained a strong social media presence, engaging youth workers, young people, and other key stakeholders in meaningful conversation and keeping them up to date with news, insights, and opinions from the sector. We gained over 850,000 impressions and nearly 42,000 engagements across our main social media channels. Though our impressions have decreased since last year, due to staffing changes and the start of the sector’s significant shift away from X (formerly Twitter), our strong engagement rate still reflects the sector’s reliance on our channels to stay informed and connect with others.

Notable growth across our social media platforms includes:

• 172% increase in LinkedIn impressions and 231% increase in LinkedIn engagements, making this our best performing digital channel in terms of engagement rate. This highlights the continuous importance of professional networks in the youth work sector.
• 143% increase in Instagram impressions and 814% increase in Instagram engagements, underlining our audience’s appetite for shareable and creative content that highlights the value of youth work.
• A net audience growth of 13.7%, achieving a following of nearly 35,000 across our social channels. This includes a significant 55% follower growth on LinkedIn.

This year strengthened youth work’s position across Scotland’s policy landscape. YouthLink Scotland ensured that young people’s voices and the expertise of youth workers shaped national decision-making. Relationships across Parliament, Government, local authorities and national partners are stronger than ever, helping build a policy environment that values youth work and understands its role in prevention, wellbeing, education and community safety. This work helps protect the sector’s future and ensures that youth work remains central to improving the lives of Scotland’s young people.