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Project KAILO

Kailo · London Borough of Havering · 2025–2026

Listening to young people to understand belonging in Havering

Kailo is a programme of research and design that works with local communities to understand and address the wider issues — the ‘social determinants’ — that shape young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Youth Unity delivered Kailo in Havering alongside the Council and UCLPartners, putting young people in the lead.

11 young people aged 15–17, in the lead
14 weeks of sessions, Dec 2025–May 2026
1 youth-designed solution taken into implementation
The opportunity area we set out to explore

How can we help young people in Havering feel welcome, valued and connected — no matter their background, race, gender or sexuality?

How we worked

A youth-led process, in three phases

Rather than designing solutions for young people, Kailo is built around designing them with young people — moving from understanding the problem to shaping a response.

Phase 01

Early Discovery

Insights from people working with young people, plus the Havering Youth Wellbeing Census, surfaced the opportunity area to focus on.

Phase 02

Deeper Discovery & Co-design

A small circle of 11 young people explored the system behind belonging, then co-designed a response to a challenge they chose themselves.

Where this work focused
Phase 03

Implementation

Turning the young people’s idea — a Youth Employment Crash Course — into something that can be delivered across the borough.

The Kailo small circle

Young people did the thinking

From December 2025 to May 2026, eleven young people from Havering met across multiple sessions to map the system shaping connection in their borough — and to find where change might be possible.

11
young people in the small circle
15–17
the age range that shaped every session
4
system mechanisms they uncovered
What we heard

Four system mechanisms shaping connection

Young people’s sense of belonging in Havering is shaped by reinforcing forces that decide whether they can move, take part, connect and feel valued. They don’t act alone — they compound each other, but each also points to where change is possible.

Mechanism 01

Safety is the primary gatekeeper of connection

Feeling unsafe was described as a constant part of everyday life — linked to gangs, weapons and intimidation, gendered harassment, and unpredictable adult behaviour. Journeys home on overcrowded buses felt especially unsafe, and trust in formal systems of safety was low.

Safety concerns restrict
  • where young people go
  • who they see
  • whether they take part at all
The only time I feel safe in Romford is when it’s a Friday night and there are police everywhere.
— Kailo participant
Mechanism 02

Belonging is uneven because connection costs money

Social life centres on cafes and shopping centres where taking part means spending. Havering’s spread-out geography adds travel costs on top, and with few free, local, youth-oriented spaces, differences in money quickly turn into differences in who gets to belong.

A Havering-specific layer
  • “everything spread out” → dependence on buses
  • few free, local spaces for young people
It’s hard to go out with your friends because you can’t really afford it — or find a job.
— Kailo participant
Mechanism 03

Activities are the main route connection actually happens through

Sport and structured group settings — with trusted adults and a shared purpose — were some of the few places it felt natural to connect, and were closely tied to better wellbeing. But access is uneven: lost youth clubs, limited provision, and parks that don’t feel safe enough to use.

Activities help build
  • connection between young people
  • a greater sense of safety
  • positive mental wellbeing
There’s a real lack of welcoming spaces for young people. Even parks don’t feel safe.
— Kailo participant
Mechanism 04

Environments can constrain connection

Within schools, cliques, hierarchies and an exam-driven culture left little room to build relationships across groups. Beyond school, discrimination, stereotyping and inaccessible spaces shaped exclusion — and online spaces often reinforced the same divides.

Environments shape whether young people experience
  • connection and belonging
  • judgement and exclusion
  • chances to mix across groups
At school it often feels like people stick to groups with others from the same background.
— Kailo participant
What cuts across the system

The same pressures show up again and again

Across all four mechanisms, the same forces limit movement, reduce trust and narrow access. Navigating safety worries, money and social pressure all at once creates a cumulative strain — and often pushes young people to spend more time online and less time in shared physical spaces.

Restricted movementLower trustNarrowed accessMore time online
From insight to action

The young people chose where to focus — and designed the response

Mapping the system led the group to a clear, tractable challenge: a lack of local jobs means young people don’t have money to spend on the activities that build connection. Their answer was a workshop built for people their own age.

Youth-designed solution

Youth Employment Crash Course

Essential skills and strategies for young professionals — breaking employment down into manageable steps so that work feels achievable, not intimidating.

What young people said they need

  • To know what interview questions to expect, and how to answer with confidence
  • Insight into what employers actually want
  • Practical help with CVs and applications, even with little experience
  • Mistakes treated as part of learning, not a threat
  • Clear, actionable next steps — not vague encouragement

Who it’s for

  • Young people aged 15–17 at a key transition into work or further education
  • No prior CV or interview experience needed
  • Inclusive of diverse backgrounds and confidence levels
  • Small-group, youth-led sessions designed to ease anxiety

How it works

  • Learn by doing — hands-on practice over passive listening
  • Small groups so quieter voices take part
  • Built-in reflection and feedback
  • Mentors offering real-world perspective and reassurance
  • A safe, non-judgemental space with clear ground rules

What success looks like

Participants leave more confident speaking and interviewing, with a clearer understanding of employer expectations and application processes, and a concrete set of next steps — like updating a CV or applying for a role. Simple feedback tools, such as emoji scales and group reflections, keep success measurable. The course can run flexibly in schools, youth centres, community spaces or workplaces.

The journey

14 weeks, from belonging to a plan

A look at how the work moved across the phases. We didn’t write up every week — these are some of the milestones along the way.

Early Discovery

Where we started

Listening to people who work with young people, and drawing on the Havering Youth Wellbeing Census, to find the opportunity area.

Exploring the opportunity area

Framing the question of belonging — feeling welcomed, valued and connected, whoever you are.

Deeper Discovery & Co-design

Mapping the system

Starting with what belonging means to us, then mapping what gets in the way of feeling we belong in Havering.

Main themes & priority challenges

Surfacing the recurring themes — safety, cost, activities and environments.

Session 5 — Identifying change areas

Taking a step forward to pinpoint where change could realistically happen.

Session 7 — Exploring & selecting the change area

Settling on the link between local jobs, money and connection — and picturing a better future.

Generating & brainstorming ideas

Turning the chosen challenge into possible responses.

Our idea

The Youth Employment Crash Course takes shape — designed by young people, for young people.

Implementation

Designing for delivery

Shaping the workshop’s purpose, activities, safeguarding and a flexible delivery model.

Read selected weekly write-ups on the Youth Unity blog.

Acknowledgements

With thanks to the young people who led the way

Our deepest thanks to the young people of Havering who gave their time, energy, insight and honesty — and showed both the will and the capacity within the community to co-create change. Improving belonging in Havering calls for system-level change, but this work shows there is real momentum to build on.

Findings summarised from the report “What impacts young people’s mental health and wellbeing in Havering? Key themes from Kailo”, produced by UCLPartners.

Delivered & funded with
Youth Unity CIC London Borough of Havering UCLPartners UKPRP UCL Dartington Service Design Lab University of Exeter Anna Freud Centre
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