How to Consult Young People Without Survey Fatigue

A youth strategy is due, so the usual next step is a survey. Then comes the wait for responses that don't arrive, or arrive from the same few people.

Officers tell us the same thing in different words: young people are sick of surveys. One council asked a small group of young people how they wanted to be consulted. The advice came back plain: go where we already are, keep it simple, and don't be too councilly.

Why do young people ignore council surveys?

Usually because past answers seemed to vanish. A survey asks for effort and gives nothing back, and when nobody reports back on the last one, the next one gets ignored.

Most of that is decided before the first question is asked. Councils that get honest answers from a wide group of young people have usually settled a few things first:

• What decision this will actually inform, and who makes it
• Which young people they most need to hear from, including those outside school
• What young people get back for their time
• When, and how, they will report back

Where to start

The Youth Consultation Planner is a traffic light check across three stages: before you ask, while you ask and after you ask. Colour each sign red, amber or green and you'll see which stage is losing young people, before you design a single activity.

Download the free Youth Consultation Planner

If you're planning consultation for a youth strategy or Youth Week in 2027, we're happy to talk it through with you. Young people design and run our consultation sessions, and every participant leaves with a skill. Reach out if you need anything else.