Young Persons Advisory Service

What Young Persons Advisory Service does

Young Persons Advisory Service (YPAS) is a Merseyside-based registered charity (Charity Number 1002706) established in 1966 that provides mental health and emotional wellbeing services to children aged 5-15, young people aged 16-25, and their families across Merseyside. The organization operates from three locality community hubs (city centre headquarters on Bolton Street, plus North and South Liverpool hubs acquired through local authority asset transfer) and embeds therapeutic services across 48 primary schools, 21 secondary schools, GP surgeries, and broader community settings. Its service portfolio spans therapy (Individual Therapy, Seedlings for primary schools, Spinning World for refugees/asylum seekers, Quest for youth justice, Wings for domestic abuse), wellbeing services (drop-in, IAG, school clinics, primary care liaison), dedicated LGBTQ+ provision (GYRO, celebrating 50 years since 1976, and THE Action Youth for trans youth), and parental support programmes (Youth Connect 5, Incredible Years, Talking Teens, etc.). Digital offerings include the Toolbox resource library and the free 'Unlock Wellbeing' single-session online intervention.

YPAS is funded primarily through NHS England, Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group, and Liverpool City Council, with supplementary revenue from individual donations, fundraising grants, and corporate/community events (gala balls, Halloween balls). All services are free at point of access for eligible beneficiaries. The organization is a main third-sector delivery provider within the Liverpool CAMHS Partnership, has CORC accreditation in outcome and feedback measurement, and reached 2,112 children and young people, 415 parents/carers, and 310 families in 2016 – with over 3,000 referrals annually in current operations. The charity does not disclose revenue and has no proprietary technology platform; its core 'technology' is its clinical and community workforce rather than software.

The organization is led by Chief Executive Monique Collier, governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Andy Kerr, and employs 51-100 staff. It faces a strategic tension: it absorbed a 43% NHS funding reduction in 2017/18 yet continued geographic and programmatic expansion, and recent signals (20+ practitioner hires, 60th anniversary programming, finalist status at National Diversity Awards 2026, digital product launches) suggest organizational recovery.

Name

Young Persons Advisory Service

Legal name

Young Persons Advisory Service

Website

https://ypas.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

YPAS is a Merseyside-based registered charity (est. 1966) providing mental health, therapy, and wellbeing services to children aged 5-25 and families across three community hubs, 69 schools, and GP settings, funded primarily by NHS England, Liverpool CCG, and Liverpool City Council.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mental Health Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services) (HLAFACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Engagement & Caregiver Support Programs (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAK), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Behavior Support Apps (EDACANAD)

Keywords

• Youth mental health services
• Community therapy
• Children's wellbeing
• Family counselling
• CAMHS partnership

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. NHS and Government Funding: YPAS receives significant funding from NHS England, Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group, and Liverpool City Council. Services are funded to provide mental health support to children, young people, and families. Data is shared with NHS England using pseudonymised information for payment and service development purposes.
2. Donations and Fundraising: YPAS relies on fundraising grants and individual donations to supplement NHS funding. The charity runs donation campaigns with various giving levels (£5, £10, £15, £20, £50) to support creative arts materials, group activities, board games, and community re-engagement programs.
3. Corporate and Community Fundraising Events: The charity organizes fundraising events including gala balls, Halloween balls, and community challenges to generate additional revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

YPAS provides mental health and emotional wellbeing services for children aged 5-15 years, young people aged 16-25 years, and families across Merseyside. Services span therapy (individual therapy, play therapy, art therapy, counselling), wellbeing support (drop-in, advice, school clinics, GP liaison), targeted LGBTQ+ support (GYRO, THE Action Youth), and parental programmes. Delivery occurs through three community hubs, primary and secondary schools, GP surgeries, and digital resources.

Product overview

YPAS provides a comprehensive portfolio of mental health and emotional wellbeing services for Merseyside's children, young people (aged 5-25) and families. The organization operates through three locality community hubs (city centre, North, South), primary and secondary schools, GP surgeries, and community settings. The core service offering spans Therapy Services (Individual Therapy, Seedlings, Spinning World, Quest Youth Justice, Wings), Wellbeing Services (drop-in support, IAG, school clinics), and dedicated LGBTQ+ services (GYRO with 50 years of service, THE Action Youth for trans youth). Parental support programmes include Youth Connect 5, Incredible Years, and multiple other evidence-based interventions. Digital offerings include the Toolbox resource library and Unlock Wellbeing online intervention. Services are delivered as an integrated CAMHS partnership model with statutory and voluntary sector agencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GYRO: LGBTQ+ youth service providing safe and supportive spaces, one-to-one support, social groups and youth-led advocacy for young people aged 11-25 exploring their sexuality or gender identity.
• THE Action Youth
• YPAS Plus
• Seedlings
• Spinning World
• Quest
• Wings

Products and services

• Therapy Services Therapeutic interventions for children, young people (5-25 years) and families across Merseyside, covering individual therapy, early intervention in primary schools, refugee/asylum seeker support, youth justice pathways, and domestic abuse therapy.
• Wellbeing Services Open-access wellbeing support including information, advice and guidance for ages 10-25, crisis drop-in walk-in support hub, wellbeing clinics in secondary schools, and Primary Care Liaison Services embedded in GP surgeries.
• GYRO (Gay Youth Resources and Outreach) Dedicated LGBTQ+ youth service providing groups, safe spaces, one-to-one support, social groups, and youth-led advocacy for young people aged 11-25 exploring their sexuality or gender identity.
• THE Action Youth (TAY) Support groups and services for trans and gender-diverse young people, providing safe spaces and advocacy within YPAS.
• Parental Support Programmes Evidence-based parental support programmes including Youth Connect 5, Parent Conduct Programme, Incredible Years, You and Me Mum, Riding the Rapids, Talking Teens, and The Nurture Programme for parents and carers.
• YPAS Plus Community Hubs Three locality community hubs (city centre at 36 Bolton Street, North Liverpool, South Liverpool at Childwall) delivering integrated CAMHS services, providing links to health, education, and social care.
• Toolbox Digital Resource Online resource library with mental health guidance booklets, self-help guides, worksheets, and video content covering overwhelm, loneliness, anger, self-esteem, low mood, and self-harm support for young people and parents/carers.
• Unlock Wellbeing Online Intervention Free, anonymous single-session online intervention providing practical advice for young people to manage depression symptoms and build coping strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• CORC Accreditation in outcome and feedback measurement - among the first few services in the UK to receive this recognition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Homotopia Festival and Queer PlacescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2025Heritage-art partnership celebrating 50 years of LGBTQ+ youth work. The 'If These Walls Could Talk' project traces LGBTQ+ history through 36 Bolton Street, YPAS's city centre hub. Luke Fawcett of Queer Places created a sculptural collage and digital archive.
• 42nd Street (Manchester)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017Partner in the Make Our Rights Reality (MORR) initiative - a pioneering national programme equipping young people to take control of their problems through public legal education and youth social action. YPAS delivers MORR in Liverpool region.
• Youth AccessminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017National coordination body for the MORR project. Youth Access is the advice and counselling network leading the programme designed to connect young people with their rights and responsibilities.
• Tony Bellew and Steve RotheramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2017Boxing champion Tony Bellew and Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram officially opened the YPAS Plus North Hub, lending celebrity and political support to youth mental health services.
• Mersey Care NHS TrustminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017NHS Trust partner co-presenting with GYRO at LGBT History Month events on LGBT+ identities and mental health, sharing expertise on mental health experiences of LGBTQ+ young people.
• Luciana Berger MPminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2017Labour and Cooperative MP for Liverpool Wavertree who officially opened the YPAS Plus South Community Hub in February 2017, showing political support for youth mental health services.
• Liverpool CAMHS PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017YPAS is a main third sector delivery provider within the Liverpool Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Partnership. The partnership brings voluntary and statutory agencies together to provide integrated mental health services across three community hubs.
• The Proud TrustminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2016LGBT+ youth organization that coordinates the annual Pink Box competition. GYRO participates in this regional competition to showcase talents of young LGBT people and raise profile of issues they face.
• Tate LiverpoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2016Art gallery partner for the 'Look Closer: Altered Perceptions' exhibition exploring themes relevant to young women through art and dialogue. YPAS used Tate Exchange to share mental health themes with the public.
• Holly Lodge Girls CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2016Educational partner for the 'Look Closer: Altered Perceptions' exhibition at Tate Exchange Liverpool. Young women from YPAS and Holly Lodge collaborated to explore themes of mental health, sexuality, bullying, gender and identity.
• Street LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2016UK's leading sport for employment charity. YPAS Drop-In service supported young people by arranging meetings with Street League, which uses sport to teach key skills for employment and provides 8-week programmes for 16-24 year olds.
• PSS Spinning WorldcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Joint partnership with PSS delivering the SEEDLINGS project - an early intervention therapeutic service for primary school children. SEEDLINGS offers play therapy, counselling, and art therapy techniques to help children explore and process difficult feelings.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YPASLiverpool
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7W993DXvmPjazrUBAwVE_Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/ypasliverpool
• Instagraminstagram.com/ypasliverpool
• TikToktiktok.com/@ypasliverpool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Young Persons Advisory Service