Croydon East MP Natasha Irons said the council’s approach shut out the very voices that should have been heard.
The Council’s Youth Engagement Team (YET) provides support and education services to young people living, working, or attending schools in Croydon, as well as their families, who can access the services they need.
The team acts as a bridge between the council, voluntary organisations and young people, offering trusted and localised support.
However, Croydon’s plans to reduce this provision have aroused the fears of many parents and young people who rely on the services across the borough.
Matters have been made worse by accusations that Council officials have not properly engaged with the service users.
The YET supports young people across Croydon, including through a weekly youth hub in New Addington. Charlene, a parent from New Addington,
She raised concerns about how the council’s consultation was carried out and whether it genuinely captured young people’s views.
She said, “Two middle-aged white ladies came to the youth club. They didn’t ask things in a way that gave [my son] the opportunity to express what he really felt.”
Charlene described the New Addington youth club as essential to her children’s development outside the home. She added: “My children are learning to be resilient, how to deal with difficult conversations, how to manage conflict with others.”
She added: “The staff do such a good job at making everything seem conversational and natural. That’s what makes the team so phenomenal at what it does and why it’s so popular with the children.”
The council began internal consultation with staff in December 2024 following a decision by the previous Labour Council to reduce core funding for the YET in March 2022. Despite calls for a public consultation, no official announcement was made inviting families or residents to participate.
Irons called for wider community involvement but were told the consultation had already closed. Some families were only able to provide feedback with help from a local charity that collected and submitted their views.
Irons said in a statement, “The council’s failure to conduct a proper public consultation on the future of its youth engagement team is an insult to the young people, families, and voluntary organisations that rely on it for support and early intervention.”
She added, “Croydon deserves a transparent public consultation process, not this backdoor approach, which leaves us with more questions than answers.
“The report due to be published by the council this month must clearly outline how it plans to protect youth services in areas like New Addington and ensure that young people across Croydon have access to the support and resources they deserve.”
Irons continued. “I firmly believe that without a proper public consultation, Croydon Council risks losing the specialist knowledge of its youth engagement team and, ultimately, failing Croydon’s young people.”
Earlier this year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) spoke to members of the Croydon Youth Assembly (CYA), a youth campaigning and engagement group, who also face uncertainty over their future. At the time, CYA member Johan Prinsloo told the LDRS: “If there was a place that you should not take the youth services from, it would be Croydon.”
Despite this, Croydon Council have said its aim is to refocus the service to support those most in need once current funding ends in March 2025. A Croydon Council spokesperson told the LDRS: “We are seeking to change the service to maximise help and support for the young people who need it most and in the most effective way.”
The council said it consulted with staff, parents, schools, young people and voluntary sector partners throughout the review. “The consultation started on 5 December and was extended to give further opportunities for comments and questions,” the spokesperson added.
Croydon also highlighted its wider investment in youth services, including £271,000 in Violence Reduction Unit funding distributed in 2023. A further £200,000 has been committed for 2025 to 2026 to support youth outreach and mentoring through local community organisations.
The council’s consultation report will be discussed at the upcoming scrutiny meeting on 13 May. Meanwhile, residents are being encouraged to contact the council and share their concerns about the future of youth engagement in Croydon.
