Councils ordered to improve tracking of 'phantom NEETs' as new risk tool launched

Councils across England are facing new government directives to address gaps in tracking so-called 'phantom NEETs'—young people aged 16 to 18 who have disengaged from education, employment or training without appearing in official local authority records. The initiative responds to growing concerns that thousands of young people are effectively disappearing from institutional oversight after compulsory schooling, leaving them without support and at risk of long-term unemployment or social exclusion. Under the new requirements, local authorities must implement six-month improvement plans to strengthen their data collection and monitoring systems. This includes the deployment of a new risk assessment tool designed to flag teenagers who show signs of disengaging from education or training pathways before they officially drop out, enabling earlier intervention and support. The measures place significant responsibility on councils to bridge the gap between school leavers and post-16 destinations, ensuring that every young person is accounted for in the transition to adulthood. For Lead Members, this represents both a data governance challenge and an opportunity to demonstrate how local systems can prevent vulnerable young people from slipping through the net.