Guidance for children and young people’s services: delivering financial wellbeing for children and young people in vulnerable circumstances

The guides aim to help local authorities and other children’s services staff working with children and young people in vulnerable circumstances embed opportunities for learning about money into the support they provide. They set out how financial wellbeing aligns with their wider duties and priorities for children and young people.

These children and young people can include for example, care-experienced young people, young people with mental or physical health needs, young people at risk of homelessness, young carers, and many others. Research shows that these children and young people may be at risk of having low levels of financial wellbeing and may need targeted financial education and guidance due to their circumstances.

Professionals who work with these children and young people on a day-to-day basis are well-placed to help them develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to make the most of their money now and into adulthood.

There are four guides in total and these constitute guidance for leaders and decision-makers of children and young people’s services in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The guides and toolkit have been informed by consultation with leaders of children and young people’s services, practitioners who work with children and young people in vulnerable circumstances and organisations that represent the voices of children and young people.

Download our regional guides

• EnglandOpens in a new window (PDF/A, 2MB)
• ScotlandOpens in a new window (PDF/A, 3MB)
• Northern IrelandOpens in a new window (PDF/A, 2MB)
• WalesOpens in a new window (PDF, 10MB)

MaPS has also developed a toolkit for practitioners across the UK, with tips on good practice and signposting to resources and services that can support them to talk to children and young people about money, deliver informal financial education and support access to money guidance.

Download the toolkits

• Practitioners toolkitOpens in a new window (PDF, 11MB)

To feedback on the guides and toolkit, share how they have been used in your work, or find out about our other financial education work please contact our children and young people’s policy team on [email protected]Opens in a new window.

You can find out more about MaPS’ work on delivering financial education to children and young people in our schools.

Also see

• Summary: What we know – and what we don’t know – about the financial wellbeing of children and young people in vulnerable circumstances - November 2023Opens in a new window