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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 12:22 pm
Time: 12:22 pm
Results for at-risk youth (australia)
1 results foundAuthor: Barrett, Anna Title: Building Relationships for Better Outcomes: Peninsula Youth Connections Evaluation Stage 2 Report Summary: This research constitutes the second part of a three-stage evaluation of the Peninsula Youth Connections (PYC) program. PYC is the local expression of a program funded by the Australian Government to assist young people at risk of disengaging from education and training. Operating in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula region south-east of Melbourne, PYC includes intensive case management, outreach and re-engagement activities for young people, and seeks to build the capacity of local youth services. Key points • Overall, young people’s needs were addressed effectively through the intensive case management approach. The majority of participants—84.5 per cent—achieved at least one kind of outcome, and at follow-up, 72.5 per cent were engaged in education. The program approach was particularly beneficial for young people facing mental health issues/stressors, interpersonal issues and learning issues. Young people with unstable family and financial contexts and risky behaviours also benefited, but faced greater ongoing challenges. The difficulties faced by young people from unstable contexts were echoed at a broader level by the finding that young people living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods were more severely disengaged from education, and achieved fewer outcomes. • Complex and intersecting relationships exist between young people’s characteristics, backgrounds, barriers to education, and the outcomes they achieve. The findings from this research demonstrated the complexity and diversity of issues faced by young people disengaging from education and training. Relationships were found between demographic characteristics (such as age, gender and area socioeconomic disadvantage), barriers faced, and outcomes achieved, illustrating the necessity for programs to provide integrated and holistic services which can be adapted and individualised to fit the needs of young people negotiating varied pathways through education and service structures. • Young people particularly valued the relational aspects of the PYC program. The young people interviewed and surveyed were positive in their assessment of the program and the benefits they derived from participation (Figure 1). They identified the following as strengths of the program: friendliness, personal support, encouragement, informality, flexibility, persistence and enjoyment. By far the most prominent message from young people was that the individualised and personal support they received through the relationship with their case manager was a vital factor in their successful engagement with the program. • Gains made from PYC participation appeared to be sustained, in the face of ongoing challenges. Most of the young people followed up after exit were engaged in work or study. However, they faced ongoing challenges around housing and finances, as well as mental health and self-esteem. • Disengagement from school left a powerfully negative impression on young people, and was an experience which in itself formed a barrier to future engagement. Although PYC had largely positive impacts on participants, a re-engagement program cannot fully mitigate the negative impact of these earlier experiences on young people’s self-esteem and confidence. The systemic issues underlying these experiences will be considered in Stage 3 of the PYC evaluation. Details: Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia: Brotherhood of St Laurence, 2012. 67p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 9, 2012 at: http://www.bsl.org.au/pdfs/Barrett_Building_relationships_for_better_outcomes_PYC_Stage_2_evaluation_report_2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.bsl.org.au/pdfs/Barrett_Building_relationships_for_better_outcomes_PYC_Stage_2_evaluation_report_2012.pdf Shelf Number: 126902 Keywords: At-Risk Youth (Australia)Disadvantaged YouthJuvenile Delinquency Prevention |