13.09.2022

What does a day in the life of Detached Youth Work look like? Spotlight Youth Worker Nazim breaks it down.

Detached or street-based youth work is about bringing youth work to where young people are.

Spotlight’s detached team encourage young people to upskill, find pathways into education or work, and engage in local services.

This is all made possible by the face-to-face work, out in their community.

Tell us about yourself, how did you get into detached youth work?

“I got into detached youth work because I understand the importance of it. The value it holds of going out of your way to engage with young people. I strongly believe Spotlight has something available for all young people. What I mean by that is due to the range of high-level sessions/programmes we provide, we can offer young people amazing opportunities to Get Creative, Get Active, Get Supported and Get Inspired. So, when I first was told about this type of youth work, it was no-brainer.”

What is a typical day in the life of a detached youth worker?

“Every detached session is different, every day is different. You cover different areas and come across different young people. You have to be willing to engage with young people, try to develop a rapport with them as well as plenty of walking!”

What do you enjoy most about detached youth work?

“One of the main reasons why I love detached Youth Work is because it gives me the platform to engage with young people who are not known to me, who don’t access Spotlight services or are unaware of Spotlight. This allows me to inform them of all the amazing things we have at Spotlight across the service.”

If you could send a message to EVERYONE in the UK – What is one thing you wish everyone knew about detached youth work?

“Detached Youth Work allows you to bring Youth Work to the young people. It allows you to inform them about the things they can access, the opportunities available, the support they can receive and so much more. Detached Youth Work plays an integral part in engaging the youth of today.”