Measuring what matters: what good looks like for community Hubs for young people
Everyone working with young people wants to know they're making a difference. But knowing what difference we are making - and how we can do better - is not always straightforward, especially for Hubs*.
Hubs are complex systems, not a single intervention: a multi-component model blending counselling, youth work, information and advice, practical support, and systems navigation, built to meet young people's overlapping needs across employment, housing, relationships, mental health and beyond.
A strong impact culture celebrates progress in all its forms, uses evidence to improve practice, and tells honest stories about both success and challenge. That's the starting point for the Youth Access Quality Framework, which sets out what good looks like for Hubs across 18 areas grouped into three categories: Principles (ethos, values and relational foundation), Foundations (the operational elements that keep services safe and sustainable), and Services (the support on offer and how it's delivered and coordinated).
Outcomes and Impact is one of those 18 areas of focus. It highlights the value of combining both qualitative insights and quantitative data, including validated measures - CORE-YP, WEMWBS, Goal-Based Outcomes – and recognises the CORC Best Practice Framework and Badges of Recognition as strong benchmarks for high-quality outcomes practice. It connects directly to a further area, Service Learning and Improvement, which takes this further – supporting services to utilise evidence and feedback to adapt and improve.
Some of what matters most to young people's experiences - trusted relationships, collaboration, values and culture - can feel less tangible when it comes to measuring impact or demonstrating high-quality practice. That's exactly why a thoughtful approach to impact matters across all areas of provision.
aurora, a digital self assessment tool launching in October, transforms the multiple components of the Quality Framework into a practical roadmap for improvement.
Whether you're looking at youth voice; accessibility, equity and anti-oppressive practice, or clinical governance and risk management or any other area of the Quality Framework, aurora helps services recognise their strengths, identify opportunities for development and turn their commitment to young people into meaningful, continuous improvement.
Join us at the launch to see where aurora shows you're shining - and where the next breakthrough could be.
You can sign up for this free event on 20 October at 10.30am here:
Youth Access: introducing aurora event
*Services providing the Youth Access model of advice and counselling are also known as YIACS, early support hubs, youth mental health hubs, drop-in services, integrated health and wellbeing models, and one-stop-shops. Sometimes they get referred to simply as “hubs”. We know that “hubs” is a popular term to describe many different types of service. When we use it, we specifically mean community-based open-access advice and counselling services for young people aged 11 to 25.