Understanding service engagement: Young people’s experience of service use

Abstract

Summary

This article explores young people’s experiences of service use and their life experiences, including exposure to harmful events and environments, such as abuse, violence, addictions, disengagement from school and mental health issues. It draws on the findings of a New Zealand study that used a mixed methods approach to investigate young people’s (aged between 13 and 17) experience of service use. These young people were multiple service users of statutory and non-governmental services including: child welfare services, juvenile justice services, remedial education services and mental health services. The first phase involved the administration of a survey (n = 605) and the qualitative phase (n = 109) used a semi-structured interview schedule to explore the service use experience of these young people. The qualitative interviews took place over 14 months which reflects the time it took to locate the young people and complete interviews. This article briefly reports on the quantitative phase and then focuses on a key finding from the qualitative phase, service engagement.

Findings

The findings identified the resources and strategies young people used to mitigate the effects of harmful events and environments in order to achieve their goals. The study produced rich accounts of service encounters: what was positive in these encounters and the barriers to successful engagement with services. Key themes focused on what happens for young people when there is confusion about service provision and when provision is intermittent. The findings emphasise the important role of social workers in creating positive service encounters for young people.

Applications

The findings underline the importance of the relationship between social workers and their clients as a foundation for successful interventions. It reiterates the need for social workers to take the time to understand young people’s contexts and how young people make sense of these contexts.