Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
The Voice of Youth, 2015-2016 (VoY) was designed to complement the 2015 national evaluation of the National Citizens Service (NCS). NCS is a Government-backed initiative that brings together young people aged 15-17 from different backgrounds, giving them the chance to undertake a programme of personal and social development and community action. The national evaluation included a postal survey of young people who registered interest in NCS, including those who took part and a comparison group of those who registered interest but ultimately did not take part. Those who took part in the baseline survey were sent a follow-up survey 3 months later.The data was collected for two purposes. The primary purpose was to replicate the questions and timing of the UK National Citizen Service (NCS) 2015 participant evaluation. The VoY data aimed to capture the same information as that collected in the NCS evaluation. Furthermore, it was conducted over the same period as the participants were evaluated. In doing so, the aim was to generate a comparison group composed of a nationally representative sample of 16-17 year olds to use alongside the NCS evaluation data. This was designed to produce a non-equivalent control-group design study. The secondary purpose for which the data was collected was to explore, among a nationally-representative sample of young people, the relationships between the schools young people go to, and the neighbourhoods in which they live, and their dynamics of inter-group relations and wider social cohesion. The panel element of this survey aimed to provide opportunities to test these relationships longitudinally. Additional questions not present on the NCS evaluation were therefore also included in the survey to facilitate this secondary aim. Data collection took place with an average time interval of 4-5 months between the surveys. Background variables include ethnicity, youth household disadvantage measures, current activity status, health and well being. Variables capturing intergroup perceptions include feeling thermometers towards different groups and trust in different groups. Mixing opportunities and behaviours are captured using perceived school/neighbourhood diversity and measures of positive and negative inter-group contact.
Main Topics:
The questionnaires covered the following topics:questions about the respondent, including background information and information about their hobbies and activities;questions about the respondent’s personal relationships;questions about the respondent’s time at school;questions about the local area;the respondent’s views and opinions about social mixing and relationships;demographics (most asked only at baseline).
The sampling frame was the National Pupil Database (NPD), a comprehensive list of state-educated pupils maintained by the Department for Education. Special permissions were sought to use the NPD as a sampling frame for the current study. The NPD was ideal to use as a sampling frame, as it was up-to-date and included home address. To improve the accuracy of the sample information, the NPD sample was enhanced with postcode matching at Ipsos MORI, to correct postcodes that were obviously incorrect and to add missing postcodes based on the address information provided.
Postal survey
