What we mean by Hard to Reach
By hard to reach, we mean young people who are not engaged with, or are disengaged from the usual range of education or other services for children and young people, activities or constructive leisure pursuits. In the context of reducing offending by young people, we are particularly concerned with young people who are at risk of offending due to their distance or exclusion from those services that help them to reach their potential and reduce the likelihood of them committing offences and causing harm to themselves and others.
The document Working with Hard-to-Reach Young People - A Practical Guide provides practical guidelines for professionals who seek to improve their engagement with hard-to-reach young people with a view to reducing offending. It is largely geared towards youth workers, in both the statutory and voluntary sectors who aim to reach young people on the streets. It is also an appropriate reference point for specialist organisations such as, the police, the fire service and health and education professionals, that wish to do targeted outreach work with specific groups of young people especially if this involves going out to where those young people are.
We want all young people in Scotland to benefit from positive opportunities, which make a real difference to their lives, and a youth work sector equipped and empowered to achieve ongoing positive outcomes for young people now and in the future.