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CHAPTER TWO KEY FINDINGS FROM THE LITERATURE
2.1 This chapter draws on relevant literature in order to identify key messages relating to good practice in working with disaffected young people and those at risk of becoming NEET. The eight documents reviewed include research reports, literature reviews and good practice guides and relate to England, Scotland and the wider European context. This chapter presents the evidence of good practice of working with the "at risk" group under four broad headings:
- Engaging the at-risk group
- Keeping them engaged
- Progression and achievement
- Organisational issues
The following sections present key findings relating to each of these headings from the eight key documents reviewed as part of this study.
ENGAGING THE AT-RISK GROUP
Finding the "Magnet" to Attract Them
2.2 Most of the documents reviewed concurred that for young people disaffected with the world of learning and work to become re-engaged, it is vital that they are offered opportunities, activities and services that attract them. Bentley and Gurumurthy (1999) use the term "magnet" to describe the aspects of projects that initially attract young people to engage in them. They distinguish between;
- "Cultural magnets" (centred around the arts, music or sport)
- "Financial magnets" (using cash or vouchers as incentives)
- Work and income (offering access to employment)
- Quality services (such as free legal or housing advice or access to IT facilities). Generally, the research evidence suggests that projects are most successful at engaging young people if they offer "interesting activities which were meaningful and relevant to young people" (Golden et al. 2004).
Outreach
2.3 Some young people within the "at risk" group are easily identified - many of them have a history of disruption in schools or their local community and have often had a range of contact with local agencies or services. Others tend to go more unnoticed - not attending school because of fear of bullying, problems at home or disaffection with the delivery of education. Getting access to this latter group, who are effectively "out of the system", can be very challenging and requires effective outreach approaches. The literature stressed the need for project workers to engage in informal outreach work to meet young people in their own territory. Merton and Parrott (1999, p.13), for example, conclude that: "For many projects, especially in their early stages, there is no substitute for going to where the young adults are, and gaining their trust by talking with them". Such an approach was said to rely on "skilled workers who need to be patient, resilient and able to deploy inter-personal skills of a high order". Steer (2000) found that such approaches were particularly successful where project workers had an understanding of the community from which the young people came, be it a "geographical community" or a "community of interest". Alternatively, research by Golden et al . (2002) suggests that "using existing or previous clients to present, discuss and explain the project had been found to be an effective approach".
Voluntary participation
2.4 Most of the evidence reviewed found that projects or activities which rely on voluntary participation are more successful at engaging disaffected young people. As Steer (2000), based on a review of a recent research, concluded, project workers need to establish "an equal relationship, in which the participation of the young person is completely voluntary and they are entrusted with choices" (p. 16).
Keeping them engaged
Ensure buy-in/project ownership
2.5 Many of the documents reviewed emphasised that one of the key ways of keeping disaffected young people engaged in projects was to give them ownership, by involving them in decision-making and giving them opportunities to take responsibility. Steer (2000) argued, for example, that: "The key element is that the young person is given a say in the activities of the project, thereby giving them a sense of ownership over it" (p.17).
Importance of context and environment
2.6 Several evaluations suggest that it is the:
"Context rather than content, the hidden rather than the overt curriculum, which will make any projects and its learning programmes feel different from mainstream schooling." (Merton and Parrott, p.24).
In other words, it is sometimes less important what is delivered than how and where it is delivered. A study by Kendall et al. (2001) that focused on the delivery of the curriculum to disengaged young people in Scotland found, for example, that changing the context of learning was key to ensuring engagement. In this respect, several of the studies reviewed found that many disaffected learners had very negative experiences of school and concluded that being "not like school was an essential characteristic of successful programmes with disaffected young people" (Merton and Parrott, p.24). Similarly, Steer (2000) found that most evaluations suggest that disaffected young people benefit particularly from the kind of "individual attention and support of the kind that all too often is unavailable in school classroom" (p.18).
Holistic, person-centred approach/Individually tailored support
2.7 The evidence reviewed suggested that projects are most successful which recognise that disaffected young people have a variety of needs and aspirations, which must be addressed in a holistic way if they are to achieve educational and/or employment progress. A review of research and practice across nine European countries concluded that the most successful projects are those which put the needs of the young people at the heart of the approaches adopted (Kendall and Kinder, 2005). Similarly, Morris et al. (1999) argued that projects need to prioritise major life issues (such as housing, health and welfare), and focus on building self-esteem, confidence and motivation before addressing education and employment issues.
Structure versus flexibility
2.8 There was no conclusive evidence to suggest whether more structured or flexible projects were more successful. In his review of the literature, Steer (2000) concluded that: "It seems likely that there isn't a true opposition here, but rather that it is a question of getting the right balance of structure and informality according to the needs of particular groups or individuals" (p.18).
Progression and achievement
Setting clear targets and monitoring progress
2.9 There is a danger that emphasising the need to adopt approaches while engaging young people in projects can lead to provider staff losing sight of the ultimate aims of their work. Thus, there was a clear consensus in the literature that achieving successful outcomes relies on setting clear targets and monitoring progress made. A review of research relating to strategies aimed at tackling disadvantaged youth by Morris et al. (1999), for example, found that there was evidence to suggest that projects were more successful which focused on the individual through target- and goal-setting, action planning, progress reviewing and mentoring.
Recognition of achievement
2.10 The review of the literature indicates the importance of recognising the achievements of young people via nationally recognised or less formal certificates or qualifications. However, Steer (2000) emphasised the importance of being responsive to the participants' needs and recommended "that achievements are celebrated and that assessment is undertaken primarily as a process that can be used to aid the development of young people" (p.17). Projects need to recognise, though, that many disaffected young people have been put off qualifications and exams and that too much emphasis on these early on could have a negative effect. As Merton and Parrott (1999) point out:
"In schools, as disaffected young people know all too well, assessment is frequently used for other purposes than recognising achievement. It is used to select winners and losers and classify people." (p.45).
Links with other agencies
2.11 Several studies found that successful outcomes could often not be achieved or sustained without establishing strong links with other local programmes, and other agencies which could support young people in their transition. Strong links with outside agencies were also seen as important to address issues that went beyond the experience and capabilities of project staff, such as housing, drug or alcohol-related issues. In the words of Merton and Parrott (1999): "Joined up problems require joined up solutions".
Sustaining successful outcomes
2.12 Many projects targeted at the "at risk" group aim at moving them onto other education, employment or training However, several of the studies reviewed found that this transition is rarely smooth and that young people need a lot of support to prevent them from dropping out subsequently. This includes "pre-transition support" to prepare them for leaving, as well as "post-transition support". As regards the latter, research by Golden et al. (2004) concluded that maintaining contact with the young person once they had left the project, including providing guidance if they chose to change destination, was key in helping young people to sustain their transition.
Organisational issues
Staff support
2.13 Almost all of the documents reviewed emphasised that the skills and abilities of project staff were key to the success of projects. However, studies emphasised the need to recognise that working with disaffected young people can be very stressful and intensive and that effective support for project workers, through mutual support and good teamwork, is essential (Steer, 2000). Similarly, Kendall and Kinder (2005) stressed the need to provide teachers and other staff engaged in such projects with the necessary training to develop their skills to work with disengaged pupils.
Monitoring and evaluation
2.14 A common conclusion of much of the literature reviewed was that projects aimed at re-engaging disaffected young people are often not sufficiently evaluated and monitored. Steer (2000), for example, commented on the fact that there is often a lack of monitoring relating to long-term outcomes as well as so called "soft outcomes", in favour of an over-emphasis on short-measures and hard outcomes.
Main findings
2.15 This chapter presented key messages relating to good practice in working with disaffected young people and those at risk of becoming NEET based on a review of the literature. Key findings were that:
- Disaffected young people need to be offered activities which are meaningful and relevant to them and which they can participate in on a voluntary basis
- Projects are more likely to keep disaffected young people engaged which give them ownership, provide an alternative learning environment from school, and address the needs of the individuals in a holistic way
- Previous evaluations have shown that projects are more likely to achieve and sustain successful outcomes which set clear targets, offer opportunities of recognising young people's achievements, work together with other agencies and support participants in their transitions into other education, training or employment options
- The skills and qualities of project staff are key to re-engaging, motivating and helping disaffected young people to progress. To this end, they need appropriate support and training to achieve maximum impact.
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