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Publication
Overview
2013-2015
The project largely targeted 11-19 year olds, and some older groups including those with a disability and Care Leavers, in partnership with No Limits in Southampton (operating across Hampshire), Off Centre in Hackney, and The Market Place in Leeds.
Impact
The project successfully built relationships with local statutory services to develop the role of Youth Advice, Information and Counselling Services (YIACS) and their contribution to local safeguarding and child protection strategies.
An independent evaluation of the project found that it reached increased numbers of very vulnerable young people with complex needs, and more specifically found that:
- 742 young people - mostly with multiple difficulties, including a high frequency of safeguarding concerns - were engaged with the project
- More than half of the young people were in contact for between one and three months, with the remainder in contact for four months or longer
- The majority reported a range of positive outcomes, including feeling safer
- More work was needed to build stronger links between statutory services and voluntary services to improve the offer to young people
- Insecure funding streams added to the complexity of provision in this area