Opportunity for Children and Young People
Families tell us they are stretched. Childcare costs too much. Support for children with additional needs takes too long. Activities are hard to find and harder to afford. For young people leaving school or college, the routes into good local jobs are not always visible or accessible. Unfortunately, where you grow up still shapes what you can become.
That is not good enough for a city with Sheffield’s ambition.
We have pushed hard on SEND failures — using casework and scrutiny to expose how many families are being let down, and lobbying government for better funding. The direction is clear: every child in Sheffield deserves a real chance, wherever they grow up.
Why This Matters for Our Principles
Getting the basics right — a council that works for you
For families navigating additional needs, childcare or school admissions, the council should be straightforward to work with — clear about what support exists and honest when things go wrong. Too often the reality is parents chasing referrals and families bouncing between teams. Getting the basics right means coherent services and a council that treats families as partners rather than problems to be managed.
Pride in Sheffield
Sheffield’s future depends on whether young people choose to stay — and whether they feel the city has chosen them. When young people leave for better opportunities elsewhere, it is not just a personal decision; it is a signal about what kind of city Sheffield is becoming. Investing in children and young people, making sure there are activities, pathways and possibilities here, is what keeps Sheffield a living, growing city rather than one that exports its talent and ambition.
Opportunity for all
Where you grow up in Sheffield should not determine what you can become. But too often it does. Children in some parts of the city face longer waits for SEND support, fewer activities on their doorstep, less access to work experience and weaker pathways into good local jobs. The ambition of this mission is simple: that every child in Sheffield — regardless of postcode, background or additional need — can see a future here worth staying for. That means getting support right in the early years, keeping young people engaged through their teens, and making sure the routes into good work are visible, accessible and real.
Key Changes:
• Better support for children with additional needs — because too many families are still left fighting the system alone, waiting too long, and not knowing where to turn. This includes a single, clear point of contact for SEND support so families stop being bounced between services.
• Create a visible Sheffield Youth offer — activities, libraries and community spaces that are actually promoted and accessible wherever you live.
• More work experience, more local opportunities — expand council placements and push businesses to take on Sheffield young people.
• Match skills training to Sheffield's growth industries — working with universities, colleges and employers so young people can build a career here.
• Keeping schools safe — making sure every school has the training and support it needs to protect all students.
• Better mental health support in schools — shorter CAMHS waits, school-based provision, and help navigating social media pressures.
• Support kinship carers — the grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends who step in when parents can't, giving them proper recognition and practical help rather than leaving them to figure it out alone.