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Councils are spending too much time focusing on teenagers judged to be at risk and not devoting enough resources to supporting needs of the majority of young people, it has been claimed.

In Supporting young people: an evaluation of recent reforms to youth support services in 11 local areas, Ofsted said that local authorities have a responsibility to ensure there are valuable activities available for all young people to take part in.

According to Ofsted, local authorities find it difficult “to strike a balance between targeting support on specific groups and individuals on the one hand and providing positive activities for the full range of young people on the other”.

It was judged that local authorities were not spending enough time “helping all young people to develop good personal skills and positive relationships” although work for those who were seen to be at risk had meant these vulnerable young people now had improved options for support.

After analysing the youth work of 11 local authorities, the report also highlighted the need for the increased involvement of the voluntary sector and better data-gathering to judge which programmes were having the greatest effects.