A place to grow is the second report in the Health Foundation’s Young People’s Future Health Inquiry and is the result of engagement with over 600 young people aged 16–24 years from five distinct areas across the UK.
This report marks the next step of the Health Foundation’s inquiry, investigating some of the key issues impacting young people’s transition into adulthood.
A key part of this research was to work with young adults to identify the ‘assets’ needed for a healthy life:
Right skills and qualifications: whether they had gained the academic or technical qualifications needed to pursue their preferred career.
Personal connections: whether they had confidence in themselves and access to social networks or mentors able to offer them appropriate advice and guidance on navigating the adult world.
Financial and practical support: direct financial support from their parents or carers, such as being able to live at home at no cost as well as practical assistance, including help with childcare.
Emotional support: having someone to talk to, be open and honest with and who supports their goals in life. This could include parents or carers, partners and friends, as well as mentors.
In addition to these four assets, the housing and labour markets were repeatedly identified as external factors that affect their chances of a healthy future.
The research has shown that not all young people have access to these assets which therefore has a fundamental impact on their transition into adulthood. Young people are often proud of the place in which they live yet understood that their life chances were determined by the community and economy of their home.
Read the full report here
