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The Youth Services Strategy provides individually targeted services to help high-risk young people. About 8,000 young people in the 12 to 16 year age group come to the notice of Child, Youth and Family each year and are provided with a range of services depending on their circumstances. About two to three per cent of these young people are at such high risk of poor life outcomes that they need intensive levels of individual attention to avert a life cycle of persistent offending, behavioural problems and mental health illness including drug and alcohol abuse.
The Youth Services Strategy is designed to respond to the individual needs of all young people. However there are particular components of the Strategy that have been developed to address unique issues of high-risk youth and provide an increased range of specialist services. These include: community-based rehabilitation programmes, specialist family homes, specially trained one to one caregivers and structured specialist day programmes.
The Youth Services Strategy also ensures the young person is held accountable for their actions, is deterred from reoffending and is provided programmes to help to make changes and improve their chances of a more positive life.
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How does it work?
When a young person comes in contact with Child, Youth and Family the social worker tries to build up a rapport with them. To do this the social worker asks the young person and their family/whanau a number of carefully designed questions. The social worker also talks to other agencies and people with whom the young person may have contact.
From the responses to these conversations the social worker gathers a full and accurate profile of the young person and their life (eg, family, schooling, friends, mental state etc). This enables the social worker to assess the strengths and needs of that adolescent in relation to their whole environment and determine which of the services available under the Youth Services Strategy could help that young person develop a better life.
A plan of action is designed for the young person depending on the level and type of need. This may include accessing specialist services provided by other agencies.
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Who can get help?
Young people aged 12-16 who:
- break the law
- have behavioural issues
- are at risk of being abused
- are suicidal
- use drugs or alcohol.
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First steps with Child, Youth and Family
As a first step towards helping a child or young person, they will be:
- assessed for their needs and strengths
- assessed for risk of harm to themselves or others
- referred as necessary to other helping agencies.
Following these assessments and their outcome:
- no further action is taken
- the young person and their family help make plans for action
- a family group conference is called
- a court appearance is required.
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Services available through the Youth Services Strategy
Social workers use research-based practice tools to help identify the risks faced by a young person through the way they live and think. By gathering this information the social worker is better able to assess the young person’s strengths and needs and to develop a plan of action designed for that individual
These programmes are available for up to 350 young people and are accessed through the Youth Services Strategy’s individual funding packages.
Special rehabilitation programmes have been developed for high-risk young people who live with their family. These are referred to as community based rehabilitation programmes and are additional to education activities such as schooling. For example they might be in the form of parenting support sessions, drug and alcohol education, recreational or vocational activities and mentoring.
These programmes are available for up to 350 young people and are accessed through the Youth Services Strategy’s individual funding packages.
Specialist family homes cater for youth who can not stay with their family/whanau but who do not need the more secure environment of a residence. In total, there are places for up to 30 young people for a period of 12 to 18 months each.
For some young people, living with their family is not possible and neither are they suited to living in a specialist family home. Instead placements are available with a specialist one-to-one caregiver for 6 to 12 months. There are 45 places available with specialist caregivers.
The specialist family homes are managed by providers who are contracted to Child, Youth and Family as are the one-to-one caregivers. Special training has been developed for these carers so that they have the skills to manage this group of young people.
Structured specialist day programmes are available to support young people living in the specialist family homes or with a one-to-one caregiver. These programmes are individualised to meet the learning abilities and the specific needs and strengths of each young person.
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Implementation
Services available through the Youth Services Strategy were gradually phased in during 1999 and the early part of 2000. All services are now available for young people throughout the country.
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Evaluation
Part of Government’s requirement for funding the Youth Services Strategy is that it is measurably effective for young people – that is, it really does increase the quality of their life and reduce reoffending.
An evaluation of how well the Youth Services Strategy meets its objectives is being carried out by the Ministry of Social Policy and a final report will go to Government in September 2002.
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Development of the Youth Services Strategy
The Youth Services Strategy builds on the New Zealand youth justice system that was introduced through the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989.Some remarkable successes can be attributed to this system:
- Fewer children and young people are in care or institutions
- There are fewer court appearances by young people
- Family/whanau are able to actively participate in decision-making for their own young people
- There is no increase in youth offending as a proportion of total crime
- Victims of offending have greater rights and entitlements than previously.
However, a small number of young people continue to reoffend and develop criminal lifestyles. These young people are referred to as being at high-risk.
In late 1998 the government of the day made funding available which enabled the then Children, Young Persons and Their Families Agency (now Child, Youth and Family) to develop a strategy to provide better ways to recognise and meet the needs of these high-risk young people. This became known as the Youth Services Strategy.
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Further information
The Youth Services Strategy should not be seen in isolation from other programmes and initiatives with which Child, Youth and Family and the wider community is involved. For example, our Residential Services Strategy includes the development of new and separate facilities for youth justice and care and protection purposes, as well as more intensive and specialised programmes.
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