Children and Young People Market Research

Children and Young People Market Research

At M·E·L Research, we deliver specialist children and young people market research, social research, consultation, evaluation and learning partnerships that help public sector organisations, charities, funders, schools, youth services and policymakers understand the experiences, needs and aspirations of children, young people and families.

Our work supports organisations that want to improve outcomes for children and young people, strengthen services, understand lived experience and make evidence-based decisions that shape policy, commissioning and delivery.

Research and evaluation that improves outcomes for children and young people

We work across a wide range of children and young people’s services, supporting organisations to understand what works, for whom, and in what circumstances.

Our research supports better decision making in areas such as:

• Youth voice and participation
• Mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Online harms
• Education, skills, youth transitions, and employability
• Family support and family hubs
• Community safety and safeguarding
• Health inequalities
• Social action and volunteering
• Parks, leisure and community spaces

Our approach is thoughtful, inclusive and participatory, ensuring that children and young people are heard in ways that are meaningful, ethical and appropriate to their age and circumstances.

Trusted experts in children and young people research

Research involving children and young people requires specialist skills, safeguarding expertise and approaches that build trust and engagement.

Our work is grounded in:

• Child-centred, creative, and participatory research approaches
• Trauma-informed, ethical, and safeguarding-led practice
• Inclusive and accessible engagement methods
• Co-design and lived experience approaches
• Clear, practical recommendations that drive change

We work with children, young people, parents, carers, schools, colleges, youth organisations and professionals to generate evidence that informs services and policy.

Our children and young people market research, evaluation and learning partnerships

Youth voice and participation research

Children and young people are experts in their own experiences.

We help organisations place youth voice at the centre of decision making through:

• Youth consultations
• Young people’s surveys
• Focus groups and workshops
• Creative approaches to research
• Co-production and co-design
• Deliberative engagement
• Peer research approaches
• Online communities

Education, skills and employability research

We support schools, colleges, local authorities and training providers to understand educational experiences and pathways into employment.

This includes:

• Careers education
• Skills development programmes
• Youth employability initiatives
• Apprenticeships and training
• Further and higher education pathways
• Learner experiences

Children and youth exposure to harmful online content research

We’ve conducted specialist research exploring how children encounter and experience harmful content online.

This includes:

• Suicide and self-harm content
• Eating disorder related content
• Depression related content
• Algorithmic exposure and recommendation systems
• Emotional and behavioural impact
• Protective factors and digital literacy
• Research that informs child safety duties, safeguarding policy and preventative strategy.

Family, parenting and Family Hub research

We undertake research with parents, carers and families to understand needs, barriers and experiences of accessing support.

This includes:

• Family Hub awareness and usage
• Early years support
• Parenting experiences
• Access to services
• Community-based family support
• Family engagement strategies

Research that helps services become more accessible, responsive and effective.

Mental health and wellbeing research

We have extensive experience researching children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

This includes:

• Prevention and early intervention
• Community mental health programmes
• Perinatal and family wellbeing
• Suicide prevention
• Peer support services
• Emotional wellbeing programmes
• Mental health inequalities

Our evaluations help organisations understand how support can be improved for children, young people and families.

Children and young people research case studies

We have extensive experience conducting research, consultation and evaluation with children, young people and families. Here are just some of our recent case studies:

British Dyslexia Association: Young People and Dyslexia

The British Dyslexia Association commissioned M·E·L Research to conduct a major mixed-methods study exploring the lived experiences of dyslexic young people aged 13–18.

The research aimed to understand how dyslexia impacts young people’s lives, including their experiences within education, wellbeing, confidence and day-to-day life, alongside exploring changes young people and their families would like to see.

The study included:

• A large-scale online survey with 500 young people aged 13–18 and their parents
• Dyslexia-accessible survey design including plain coloured screen background, accessible font and audio read-out options for questions
• Flexible response formats including the option to audio record open-text responses instead of typing
• In-depth interviews with young people
• Online focus groups with parents and carers
• Inclusive recruitment and consent processes

The final report, titled ‘Set Up For Somebody Else‘ was launched at the Palace of Westminster with contributions from young people, parliamentarians and national stakeholders. The findings have helped shape the British Dyslexia Association’s national strategy aimed at unlocking the potential of dyslexic individuals.

University of Cambridge: Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance

The University of Cambridge commissioned M·E·L Research to support a longitudinal study exploring emotionally based school non-attendance among young people aged 11–18 across the UK. The research aimed to understand anxiety-related barriers to school attendance, including school refusal, school phobia, and partial attendance behaviours, while building evidence to inform future support and policy development.

The study included:

• An online survey with 250 young people aged 11–18 who had experienced anxiety-related school avoidance
• Parent-mediated recruitment and consent processes
• Measures covering school attendance, wellbeing, mental health, and school experiences
• Use of validated assessment tools and scales
• A longitudinal design enabling participant follow-up after 12 months

The baseline study established a robust cohort for ongoing research, providing valuable insight into an under-researched area and supporting a greater understanding of the factors influencing school non-attendance.

Molly Rose Foundation: Children’s Exposure to Suicide and Self Harm Content on Social Media

M·E·L Research was commissioned to understand the exposure that children have to self-harm, suicide, depression and eating disorder content on social media. This work contributed to strengthening protections for children in digital spaces.

The research supported understanding of:

• How harmful content is surfaced and encountered
• The role of recommendation systems
• The lived experience and emotional impact on young people
• Implications for prevention and policy reform

Barnardo’s: Evaluation of Children’s Mental Health Service

Barnardo’s commissioned M·E·L Research to carry out an independent evaluation of the Children that We Care For (CtWCF) Mental Health and Wellbeing (MHWB) pilot service in Sandwell. The service was delivered in partnership with Sandwell Children’s Trust and aimed to address a clear gap in emotional and mental health support for children that are cared for and care experienced young people.

NSPCC: Child Online Safety in Diverse Family Settings

M·E·L Research was commissioned by NSPCC to explore how different family structures experience and manage child online safety, helping to inform more inclusive support and safeguarding strategies. This work contributed to strengthening child online safety by ensuring support and guidance better reflects the realities and needs of diverse family experiences.

The research supported understanding of:

• How online safety concerns vary across diverse family types, including single-parent, foster, adopted, blended, extended and separated families.
• Parents’ experiences of managing online risks such as grooming, exploitation, harmful content and excessive screen time.
• The challenges families face when discussing online safety, setting boundaries and navigating changing household dynamics.
• The support, resources and opportunities needed to help families keep children safe online

Doncaster Council: Evaluation of Alternative Education Provision

City of Doncaster Council commissioned M·E·L Research to evaluate an alternative provision service for children and young people who were struggling to engage in mainstream education.

The alternative provision comprised of two settings (Big Picture Doncaster and Vega College) and was based on the Big Picture Learning philosophy that originated in the US. It is a model of learning that focuses on one student at a time, with small class sizes and a curriculum taught in a way that is centred on the passions and interests of children and young people. Based on evidence of impact in the US, the Council believed it had the potential to re-engage young people in learning, and ultimately improve their long-term life chances and outcomes.

Why organisations choose M·E·L Research for children and young people market research

• Extensive experience researching with children, young people and families
• Strong safeguarding and ethical research expertise
• Child-centred and participatory approaches
• Expertise across education, health, wellbeing and family services
• Mixed methods and evaluation specialists
• Clear reporting and actionable recommendations
• Experience working with local authorities, charities, government and funders

Talk to us about children and young people market research

Whether you are developing a new service, evaluating a programme, consulting with children and young people or seeking evidence to inform policy and commissioning decisions, we would love to work with you.

Get in touch to discuss how M·E·L Research can support your next children and young people research, consultation, evaluation or learning partnership.