Detached & Outreach Youth Work
Detached youth work creates a unique environment for non-formal and social education to take place within the community. During lockdown it was found to be one of the most effective ways of keeping in contact with young people and engaging some of the most vulnerable. From building confidence, self-awareness and teamwork to developing life and employability skills, detached work encourages young people to get their voices heard about the issues that matter to them locally, nationally and globally.
Invest in detached and outreach training for your team with these all new interactive webinars. Eveything you'd expect from a VR Youthwork course but online, in your own home or youth centre. With three workshops to choose from, there is something to learn for both experienced workers and those new to detached. You can book one or get discount by booking all three to get your team ready to go and effectively engage with young people, in the places they choose to meet.
Please contact Vanessa to request a programme or more information.
Workshop 1: Detached Youth Work for Beginners
This is a practical workshop for anyone new to detached work. Exploring the different development stages from assessing young peoples’ need, making contact and participation through to evaluating effectiveness and planning exit strategies, this training provides a sound understanding of the ethos and practice of detached youth work.
The workshop also offers good practice guidelines for effective detached projects, including staying safe on the streets, maintaining boundaries in public spaces and partnership work.
Learning outcomes
Participants will know:
- What ‘detached youth work’ is and how it differs from other youth work
- The difference between detached, outreach and mobile youth work
- The roles and responsibilities of a detached worker
- How to develop detached youth work projects using the process of mapping, assessing need and evidence based practice
- Tips and tricks for engaging young people effectively.
Please note: an adapted version is available to train young people in detached work too, which can add real value to a youth consultation or peer education project. Suitable for 14 19 year olds (up to 25 with additional needs) this is another way for young people to volunteer and get involved, potentially linked to work experience or accreditation.
Workshop 2: Effective Detached & Outreach Youth Work
This workshop considers developing effective street-based projects to build positive relationships with young people who choose not to use building-based provision. We look at the challenges of setting and maintaining professional boundaries and confidentiality on the street and working together as a team. It considers risk assessments and effective guidelines for staying safe, managing challenging behaviour and understanding your rights and responsibilities in public spaces.
Learning outcomes
Participants will have a wider understanding of:
- Challenges and targets for street-based youth work
- Setting and maintaining professional boundaries and confidentiality in the community
- Rights and responsibilities for staying safe: detached youth work & the law
- Managing challenging behaviour and working together as a team
- Overcoming barriers to develop positive relationships with young people.
Workshop 3: Targeted Detached Youth Work
Detached youth work has long been recognised as an effective way to engage those young people considered vulnerable or 'at risk' who choose not to access building based youth provision. In the past few months this has been especially true with lockdown restrictions in place and a media focus on young people in relation to Covid-19. This workshop starts by exploring why some young people are considered more vulnerable than others, the legislation and police powers that affect them (including stop & search) and the impact of peers, family and community on decisions made. It moves on to consider how detached youth work can engage effectively to help to build the resilience to make safer choices. This is an opportunity for practitioners to explore risk and protective factors, the impact of ACE's and discuss effective ways to engage young people and share good practice.
Learning outcomes
Participants will:
- Consider how current legislation affects young people and the role of the media in perpetuating negative stereotypes
- Why some young people are considered more ‘at risk’ than others and the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
- Explore situational safeguarding on the street: potential indicators of child criminal exploitation (CCE) and child sexual exploitation (CSE).
- Identify ways to work with partners to reduce risk in the community
- Consider effective ways to target vulnerable young people and engage them in youth work to build resilience.
101 Things to do on the Street remains ‘the’ handbook for detached and outreach youth workers. Specifically written for street-based projects, it really does have 101 different activities, games and discussion ideas to motivate and engage young people, wherever you are meeting them.
1 Mon - Thursday, usual T&C apply