UK Youth Joined Up Institute

The Joined Up Institute is a free, funded year-long professional development programme designed to strengthen collaboration across the services that support young people in Leicester. This ambitious pilot will bring together 300 emerging leaders from various sectors to learn, build lasting relationships, and lead meaningful change.

🏫 About UK Youth Joined Up Institute

Young people’s lives are shaped by complex systems, from schools and health services to youth services and local government. However, these systems often fail to connect effectively. The Joined Up Institute aims to bridge these gaps by investing in leaders who want to make a real difference.

This programme is about doing things differently—working across boundaries, listening deeply, and building a stronger, more connected community for young people in Leicester. Regardless of your sector or whether you support young people directly or indirectly, the common goal is to improve young people’s lives and futures.

Participants will engage in:

• Three in-person learning days
• Online workshops
• Communities of practice, all shaped by local voices through a co-design process.

🎯 Eligibility Criteria

To join the programme, applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be working or volunteering in a youth-facing sector.
• Be carrying out this role in the city of Leicester.
• Be able to commit 6 days during working hours across the year to the programme. (It is strongly encouraged to discuss this with your Line Manager.)

The programme prioritizes applications from emerging leaders, which could mean:

• Holding a position (paid or voluntary) where you can influence others and shape positive outcomes for young people (e.g., middle leader, well-networked practitioner, or advisory group member).
• Aspiring to take an active leadership role in influencing others in the sector and decision-makers.
• Having a vision for how your role can evolve to shape youth futures.

🌟 Benefits of Joining

As a participant in the Joined Up Institute, you’ll:

• Build deeper relationships across sectors and communities.
• Learn what’s working in other areas and explore what could work better.
• Lead change in new and complex contexts.
• Grow personally and professionally as part of a supportive and diverse cohort.

📝 Application Process

Applications are reviewed based on potential over credentials. The selection process evaluates four key attributes:

1. Purpose: Personal/lived experience, values, and motivation.
2. Growth: Openness to learning, self-awareness, and desire for development.
3. Agency: Vision, commitment to change, and willingness to challenge the status quo.
4. Relationships: Collaboration, network-building, and a system leadership mindset.

Application Sections

The application process consists of four sections and takes approximately 30–45 minutes to complete:

1. Personal Details
   Provide standard information, including contact details, current employer/organisation, sector, and role details.

2. Application Questions
   Answer two questions (250 words each) or submit a 2-minute video/audio file for each question. Files should be emailed to joined_up@ukyouth.org with your full name in the file title.

3. Inclusion Section
   Share optional demographic details to ensure the programme is accessible to everyone. You may select "prefer not to say" for any question.

4. Consent
   Confirm your willingness to be contacted and for your data to be stored. View the full privacy policy here.

📅 Key Dates

• Date Published: June 14, 2025
• Application Deadline: July 16, 2025

📌 Additional Information

• Weekly Info Webinars: Join a webinar every Thursday at 10 AM to learn more about the programme and ask questions.
  Sign up for a webinar

• Applicant Pack: Download the applicant pack

• Application Form: Apply Now

🌐 Contact Information

For any queries, email joined_up@ukyouth.org.

Learn more about the programme on the UK Youth Joined Up Institute website.

This is your chance to make a meaningful impact on young people’s lives while growing as a leader. Apply today!

• Build deeper relationships across sectors and communities
• Learn what’s working in other areas and explore what could work better
• Lead change in new and complex contexts
• Grow personally and professionally as part of a supportive and diverse cohort