At local authorities across the country, officers and councillors are faced with a challenge: how to prevent future youth unemployment.

Knowing which young people are most at risk can be difficult. If we could identify a small group of children who were most likely to be in the not in education, employment or training (NEET) group later in life we could target services better and, through knowing who they are, ensure services were designed to suit their needs.

New research from Social Finance and Newcastle City Council, in partnership with Impetus-PEF, points to young people who are known to social care as the bulk of the NEET population later in life. 67% of 17-19-year-old NEETS in the city had repeated contact with children's social care services.