Services for young people to return to Salford City Council

As part of Salford City Council’s commitment to becoming a Child Friendly City, ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to thrive, and its Good Growth priority to deliver the city’s employment and skills strategy, support for young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET) will return to the council.

The decision, approved on 23 September at the council’s Cabinet meeting, will see the service move in-house from spring 2026 and be delivered through the council’s Skills and Work team to help improve opportunities and outcomes for young people in Salford.

The move marks a significant shift in how the city supports some of its most vulnerable young residents with access to jobs and training. By integrating the service into the council, the aim is to deliver a more responsive, flexible and joined-up offer to young people, including stronger links to the adult element of Salford Employment Hub and other partners, helping to better meet the needs of young people.

Councillor Teresa Pepper, Lead Member for Skills, Work and Business Support at Salford City Council, said:

We want to do the best we can for our young people, and this decision is about putting them at the heart of the service and ensuring they get the right support at the right time. By bringing the service in-house, we can have the agility and ability to work together across council services to maximise the impact for young people.”

Salford City Council believes that bringing the service in-house will allow for better integration with existing services and stronger partnerships with schools, employers and youth services. The council is committed to working closely with all parties to ensure continuity and quality of support throughout the transitional period. The focus will remain firmly on improving the outcomes for young people, particularly those facing the greatest barriers to jobs and training.

Salford City Council will now begin preparations for the transition, including consultation with young people, staff and partners, with the new service expected to launch in April 2026.