Civil Society Council meets in Manchester on youth plan
If you hear ministers talk about civil society and wonder who they mean, think of charities, faith groups, volunteers and community organisations people already know and trust. That was the backdrop on Thursday 15 October 2026, when the Civil Society Council met at the King’s Trust in Manchester. According to the Government’s readout, this was not just a routine meeting. It was used to make a larger case: that public policy works better when it starts where people actually live, with the groups they already turn to for help.
The Prime Minister opened by recognising the role civil society organisations play in local communities. He linked that to a wider government aim: a whole-government, whole-society approach to helping people as they grow up and to tackling youth unemployment, ahead of a 10-year plan due later this year. **What this means:** ministers are presenting youth policy as something bigger than schools, colleges or jobcentres on their own. The message from Manchester was that support for young people should be built with local organisations, not simply delivered to them from above.
The Prime Minister also argued that better outcomes come when government and civil society are trying to solve the same problems together, with communities trusted to find their own answers. In the Government’s account, he pointed back to the Covid period and the part played by faith communities in supporting people quickly and locally. That matters because it hints at the model being promoted here. Civil society is being described not only as helpful after decisions are made, but as a partner that should be involved earlier, when ideas are still being shaped.
One of the clearest examples discussed was Live Well in Greater Manchester. The Prime Minister pointed to it as a joined-up, person-centred approach in which civil society is treated as an equal partner and people can reach the support they need without being pushed from one service to another. Council members responded by proposing a closer look at the principles behind Live Well and other community-led models. That work is set to move forward through a coalition of partners with sponsorship from the Department of Health and Social Care, feeding into wider work on the shift towards neighbourhood health. **What this means:** officials appear to be looking for local models they can learn from, not just slogans they can repeat.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said organisations dealing with the realities of people’s lives every day should be respected and trusted partners of government at every level. She tied that point directly to devolution, arguing that as power is pushed away from Westminster, civil society should have a serious role in what comes next. Sally Jameson, the minister for Number 10’s North Devolution strategy, then joined a discussion on rewiring the state. In plain terms, that meant asking what structures, skills and incentives are needed if power is genuinely going to move closer to communities rather than simply being renamed.
Later, Vicky Foxcroft, the minister for civil society and youth, discussed how government and civil society can work together to help young people move into the world of work. The focus was on confidence, skills and support, which tells you this was not framed only as an employment issue, but as a wider question of how young people are prepared for adult life. For readers following this area, that is an important detail. It suggests ministers want youth transitions to be seen as social policy as well as economic policy, with community organisations helping to bridge the gap between formal services and everyday life.
Council chair Kate Lee closed the meeting by thanking members and reflecting on progress since the previous session. The Government’s readout says that progress has included civil service capability building, work to embed public participation, changes to procurement processes and work on volunteering rates, with further actions agreed before the next meeting. The larger takeaway from Manchester is simple. The Government is trying to present civil society as more than a delivery arm for good causes; it wants these organisations involved in youth policy, health reform and devolution itself. The test now is whether that language is matched by real authority, proper resources and a willingness to share decision-making with the people closest to the problem.