Detached youth work: On The Streets

"Initially, it's about observation," explains Dave Hollinghurst.

"Just getting the layout of the place into your head is important because some estates are like rabbit warrens."

He is talking about "the reconnaissance phase", the vital first step for a detached youth worker establishing a project. Hollinghurst is city-wide manager for detached work in Salford, supervising six teams that operate in areas such as the Weaste Estate, Eccles, Charlestown, Kersal, Langworthy, Seedley, Clarendon and Lower Broughton.

Three of the projects began in 2002 after money was secured through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. Following the success of these, Salford City Council invested 180,000 in setting up a further three schemes. Each of these teams has one full-time post supported by 10 further sessions.

Read the signs

Hollinghurst explains that they start the process of setting up a project by making contact with key local people in a patch and picking up clues about young people. "Maybe you see empty cans or graffiti," he says. "As a detached youth worker you learn to spot things others might not - simple things like the height of the graffiti. If it's three foot off the ground you'll probably be dealing with a younger group. It's also a good way of picking up on some names."

The detached workers will then go out at different times of the day, eventually setting up a pattern.

"That consistency is important," says Hollinghurst. "As you start to build the relationships the basis for work emerges."

Hollinghurst and his team have a repertoire of resources and techniques for engagement. This includes games and flash cards to start a discussion.

"We'll even pick things out of Young People Now," he says. "But a detached worker needs to be good at making things up as they go along."

As with other youth work, there is an element of curriculum to detached projects, but the key for Hollinghurst is the flexibility of response.

When he recently sought to raise issues of health and fitness with a group, the obvious route was to respond to their interest in football. "After a while we were able to point out to them that they'd done enough to get accreditation," he says.

The attraction for young people is obvious - the detached youth projects provide them with something to do. Jay, 19, is on the dole and is otherwise hanging around the streets. "We've been rock climbing, to the Lake District, go-karting, canoeing. I've learned new skills and got more confidence."

Mike, 17, adds: "We've done teambuilding exercises, sexual health stuff, and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award. We can talk to the detached youth workers about anything."

The long haul

Local police and neighbourhood managers are the first to confirm the teams have had an impact on antisocial behaviour. But because of the long-term nature of detached youth work, it can be difficult to prove the projects have made an immediate difference.

"Detached youth work needs to be seen as preventive work," says Hollinghurst. "That said, it is important to be involved. A detached worker can be the only person at meetings who says, 'hang on a minute, if you'd all back off for a bit and give us some space we can turn this situation around'."

Nationally, there is some concern that detached work projects can be pushed off course. Jon Niblo, chair of the Federation for Detached Youth Work, says: "Experienced practitioners will manage to negotiate a good deal for young people. My concern is for workers who are under-supported, short of basic training and lacking in direction. These colleagues will be seduced into short-term work without investing in the true detached youth work process.

"The challenge," he continues, "is to stand firm on your values and beliefs while ensuring accountability and making it clear you are contributing to the Every Child Matters five outcomes."

FACTS AND FIGURES

- A 2004 study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation managed to make contact with 564 detached youth work projects, with geographical coverage far from even and funding insecure

- The Federation for Detached Youth Work has no figures on the number of workers that are employed in the sector, but the Joseph Rowntree Foundation research suggests there are at least 1,000.