Practitioners from multiple agencies map young people’s journeys to get insights into multi-generational issues

Journey mapping was a powerful way to deepen understanding of how young people were not being served by agencies.

Services in this pathfinder authority were aware that a generational cycle of deprivation and a culture of dependency had built up. A focus of the targeted youth support (TYS) project was to deepen understanding of this, especially around the way agencies supported young people.

The TYS team wanted to work on something with local people that was practical and would enable change. Central to this was the journey mapping activity in its multi-agency workshop.

Rich learning came from involving frontline professionals who weren't used to working together, including learning mentors, CAMHS workers, a Connexions manager and people from a voluntary sector project addressing domestic violence.

Participants were enthusiastic about the process. It enabled them to meet professionals working with the same community of young people, sometimes for the first time. It also generated some quick wins, including a process for Connexions to refer directly to CAMHS. 

Comments

The group identified learning difficulties, abuse and pregnancy or birth issues as the most important risk factors for young people in their scope area, and relationships (particularly with families) as the most important resilience factor. It also identified events around birth and early childhood.

One important finding was that where there is not a family member to confide in, services are often failing to fill the gap. Another finding was that professionals are not trained to promote resilience, but to focus on problems. This provided the starting point for the next stage of the change process.

Further information

Click for further case studies relevant to the Deepen stage of the targeted youth support change process.