A review of the intervention strategies and approaches used with young offenders: Southill Outreach a case study

This study reviewed the intervention strategies and approaches used with young offenders by gaining the perspectives of such interventions with Southill Outreach staff members, members of the Board of Management and young people. An intervention in the context of this study is a structured service or series of actions that aims to achieve change overtime when working with young offenders. The study presents findings from relevant national and international literature including findings from three interviews carried out with clients and from a focus group comprising of staff and members of the Board of Management in Southill Outreach. A thematic analysis identified relevant themes that arose during the focus group and interview group regarding effective intervention strategies used when working with young offenders. Findings suggest that there are multiple interventions and approaches that are effective when working with young offenders. Examples include; Motivational Interviewing, Family Interventions, Relationship Building, Tailored interventions and the importance of the recognition of, and work to address, individual needs in order to engage young people who offend. The findings illustrate that an effective system for measuring outcomes would be of great benefit to the agency. Furthermore, it was identified by participants that there was a real need to encourage the use of effective self-care strategies and further utilise supervision as part of this process