Youth Work

At our Children’s Hospital, our team of Youth Workers act as ‘Professional Friends’ to young people, aged ten and above.  

It’s a term used by our colleagues as the sessions they lead are relaxed and informal. Although the relationship is informal, our Youth Workers are professionals and have a duty to safeguard if any disclosures are made. 

They receive referrals for several reasons, such as a lack of peer support, difficult family dynamics, treatment adherence, low-level mental health, isolation, extensive hospital admission and palliative care.  
The requirements for the support they offer are fluid and they assist other professionals across the Trust ensuring they offer the most appropriate support they can. 

What do Youth Workers do? 

The purpose of youth work is to connect young people to their communities and overcome barriers in their personal lives.  

Our Youth Workers like to ‘social prescribe’ by signposting to relevant organisations - bridging the gap between the clinical environment and their community. 
And as well as doing all that, in between, they offer a lot of advice, guidance, advocacy, emotional support and validation.  

Our team supports young people to gain emotional literacy and emotional intelligence; allowing them to have freedom and make choices of their own.  

The sessions they lead with young people are fluid and can change each time to suit what the young person is feeling. They use a host of methods to open conversations and build relationships, such as arts, crafts and games.