Empowering Youth Support with Core+

Whether it's early-help interventions, education support, or youth justice pathways, the need for a joined-up, digital approach has never been greater. Local authorities must now deliver more with less, ensuring that every pound and every hour of professional time creates maximum impact for young people in need.

At The Access Group, we're helping organisations transform how they plan, deliver, and evidence youth support - putting young people at the centre of service design and delivery. Our Core+ platform provides a flexible, integrated solution to manage every aspect of youth engagement, enabling services to demonstrate outcomes, meet compliance requirements, and optimize resources even in challenging financial conditions. 

At The Access Group, we’re helping organisations transform how they plan, deliver, and evidence youth support putting young people at the centre of service design and delivery. Our Core+ platform provides a flexible, integrated solution to manage every aspect of youth engagement. 

Young people face increasingly complex challenges from mental health and substance misuse to disengagement from education and employment. Recent NHS data shows that around one in five children and young people aged 8-25 now has a mental health difficulty Facts and Figures | CYPMHC, while demand for Children and Young People's Mental Health Services continues to grow, with 958,200 children with active referrals in 2023-24 Children's Commissioner: Children’s mental health services 2023-24 (May 2025) - Children, young people and families - Patient Safety Learning - the hub. 

Concerningly, of the 1.4 million children estimated to have a probable mental health problem, less than half received even one contact with mental health services during 2022-23 Facts and Figures | CYPMHC. The challenges extend beyond mental health: there were 14,352 children and young people in alcohol and drug treatment between April 2023 and March 2024, representing a 16% increase from the previous year Children and young people's substance misuse treatment statistics 2023 to 2024: report - GOV.UK, while an estimated 987,000 young people aged 16 to 24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in late 2024, up from 877,000 the previous year Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), UK - Office for National Statistics. 

Local Authorities play a vital role in identifying needs early, coordinating support across multiple agencies, and helping young people thrive. However, with 61% of councils reporting that youth services spending has stayed the same or decreased over the past five years Youth services ‘under threat’ without government funding – LGA | Local Government Association, there has never been a more pressing need for digital solutions that enable services to work smarter, demonstrate impact, and ensure no young person falls through the gaps. 

Core+ brings together youth support, education, health, and safeguarding partners on a single platform. This creates a complete view of each young person's journey and enables faster, more informed decisions. 

Essex County Council's experience demonstrates these benefits in practice. Using Core+ Youth Justice, the Council has been able to maintain accurate profiles of young people, creating a dynamic picture of its caseload. The platform makes accurate data recording easier, reduces duplications, and saves time – freeing up practitioners to focus on what matters most: engaging with vulnerable young people. 

As Rob Brown, Information Manager at Essex Youth Offending Service, explains: "Local authorities tend to think it's easier to stick with the same supplier; because they are familiar, and they can avoid any migration headaches, but the easy option isn't always the right one. For us, it has been a very beneficial move, and the support from their Youth Services team has been second to none." 

The results speak for themselves: 

By bringing all aspects of youth justice case management into a single system, Essex's Youth Offending Teams can now coordinate intervention activities more effectively and maintain the complete picture needed to support each young person's journey. 

Built-in workflows align with statutory guidance and best practice, supporting secure information sharing while maintaining GDPR compliance. 

Access Core+ in Action - Manage All Youth Support in One System 

Access Core+ enables organisations to: 

• Record and manage individual cases across multiple service areas
• Track participation in youth activities and interventions
• Share information securely between teams (e.g. Youth Justice, Education, Health)
• Monitor outcomes and generate reports for commissioners and stakeholders
• Coordinate support for families and vulnerable groups 

Youth Activity 

Plan, record, and report on group activities such as youth clubs, reparation programmes, and outreach sessions. 

Benefits: 

• Enables targeted prevention strategies
• Tracks engagement and outcomes
• Simplifies group and individual data entry
• Improves visibility across services 

Work Experience 

Support schools and youth teams in placing students in meaningful work environments. 

Benefits: 

• Manages the full placement lifecycle
• Builds local business partnerships
• Helps reduce administrative workload and supports more effective placement outcomes 

Families 

Provide holistic support to families in need, with tools that integrate across youth services. 

Benefits: 

• Enables cross-service reporting and data sharing
• Improves access to up-to-date case information
• Supports early intervention and coordinated care