Reaching vulnerable children across England and Wales through Detached Youth Work

Detached Youth Work (DYW) is a widespread approach undertaken by typically underfunded youth sector practitioners to reach vulnerable children who are at high risk of being affected by violence, offending and/or exploitation. It is designed to reach those who often fall through the cracks of traditional support systems – eg children highly unlikely to engage with statutory services or local youth services - and who need targeted approaches to support them effectively.

Despite its popularity, the evidence regarding its effectiveness in keeping children and young people safe from violence is limited. One reason is the lack of robust evaluation because it’s so difficult to do. Delivery is often very different in different areas and is strongly influenced by the needs of young people and what’s happening in their local area. Given these difficulties, we are seeking to leverage joint resources and expertise by collaborating with other national and local organisations on a multi-year evaluation.

To better understand how DYW is delivered and – ultimately – how we might effectively research and evaluate its impact, the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) engaged and consulted key practitioners, influencers, policy leaders and researchers who have experience of the practice. Building on these consultations, we partnered with the Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI), YMCA George Williams College and Bryson Purdon Social Research to undertake a 10-month feasibility study from March to December 2023 (to be published in July 2024).

Having assessed the need and determined how best to effectively evaluate DYW, we now want to hear from foundations, philanthropic funders, government departments, local authorities and others who want to collaborate on this ~£5m opportunity. By joining forces, we can inform future DYW policy and best practice across England and Wales to support and enable our most vulnerable young people to thrive. 

Key stages:

• Co-design phase (November 2024-March 2025)
• Internal pilot (April 2025-March 2026)
• Efficacy trial (April 2026-March 2028)
• Report publication (April 2029)