Detached and Outreach Youth Work

Detached Youth Work

Detached youth work operates without the use of a building or activity and takes place where young people “are at” both geographically and developmentally. It delivers informal and social education and addresses whatever needs are presented to or perceived by the youth worker. As Detached Youth Workers have no physical building or specific activity over which they have power or control, the relationship between young person and youth worker is entirely voluntary and constantly up for negotiation.

Outreach Youth Work

Outreach youth work also takes place on young people’s own territory and supports and compliments new and existing centre/project based youth work. Primarily used to inform young people of services that exist in their locality and to encourage them to use such services, outreach can also seek to identify, through consultation with young people, any gaps that exist in services aimed at meeting their needs.

The fundamental similarity of each is that they start with young people where they meet, whether that is on the street, in a park, on the beach or anywhere else. However, while the purpose of detached work is to find out the needs of young people as they experience them and attempt to deal with whatever they present, outreach is seen as an extension of building or activity based work. Youth workers who are either personally
involved in those buildings/activities or supporting others who are, go onto the streets with the purpose of usually encouraging young people to make use of existing provision by attending their organisation or activity.