Disaffected youth in multi-cultural areas ‘are missed or ignored by support services’

Young people most in need of support as they begin their adult lives risk being missed, misunderstood or simply igno red by official agencies whose job is to help them. Disaffected teenagers from minority ethnic communities and those being ‘looked after’ by local authorities are especially likely to fall through the net, according to research for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

The study of vulnerable 16- and 17-year-olds, carried out in parts of London and a large northern city, finds that significant numbers of young people in difficulties are unknown to, and unregistered with, the Careers Service and other agencies. It also suggests that too little account is taken of racism and other special difficulties encountered by young people from minority ethnic groups.

In-depth interviews with more than 60 disaffected young people found they were often suspicious or even hostile towards professional help. Where there was contact, it could be very limited because of mismatched expectations. For example, young people complained that the advice on offer from the Careers Service mostly concerned training and further education rather than jobs.

The report concludes that the Government’s new Connexions service for 13- to 19-year-olds faces major challenges in meeting its objective of delivering personal support to young people most at risk of social exclusion. Paul Convery, Director of the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion, a co-author of the report, said: "We know from this research how difficult it is to make and retain contact with disaffected young people, even for a short time. Connexions, if it is to deliver sustained and comprehensive support as planned, will need to achieve a major shift away from the style and working methods of the old careers services."

The sample of disaffected young people, interviewed by a joint research team from the Universities of York and Hull and the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion, included equal numbers of women and men, but was deliberately chosen so those from minority ethnic communities were over-represented. The study found that:

• Many vulnerable young people had begun to drop out of school from an early age, while nearly half the sample had been excluded. More than a quarter had been ‘looked after’ by local authorities at some time in their lives.
• Disengagement from school had often coincided with major proble ms at home, including abuse, bereavement and objections to arranged marriages.
• Teenagers from minority ethnic groups had often experienced racism in school and while in care. However, in spite of bad experiences, some had clearly felt supported by individual teachers, carers or peers at critical points in their lives.
• There were profound gender differences between the experiences of young Pakistani and Bangladeshi people in the northern city. Young men said they had received tolerance and support from their families when out of school or unemployed. This contrasted with the turmoil and pressure from parents described by young women in relation to attempted or actual arranged marriages.
• Voluntary and community organisations were often the only agencies in contact with the young people. Their help was accepted and appreciated, especially by those from minority ethnic groups.

Prof. Gary Craig, of the University of Hull, a co-author of the report, said: "Young people rarely made the connection between difficulties at home and problems at school. Yet their home lives were often turbulent and unstable, characterised by violence and disrupted family relationships. Since education professionals did not appear to have made the link with events at home either, it seems the causes of educational disaffection are often poorly understood and under-explored."