Young Roots' external evaluation 2019-2022

undertaken by R Malfait Consultants

“I had a dream about coming to the UK - a dream for a better life and future. But it has been a struggle for the years that I have been here. I have had some terrible experiences. Young Roots have helped me get over some of those experiences and to look forward.” - Young person

Consultations were carried out with 49 external and internal stakeholders, and 36 young refugees who have been supported by Young Roots, and have accessed our Advice and Support Hubs in Brent and Croydon.

What young people said

that Young Roots has helped reduce their social isolation and loneliness

that Young Roots has helped reduce their social isolation and loneliness

that Young Roots has helped improve their mental health and wellbeing

that Young Roots has helped improve their mental health and wellbeing

that Young Roots has helped improve their self-confidence

that Young Roots has helped improve their self-confidence

that Young Roots has helped improve their English-language and communication skills

that Young Roots has helped improve their English-language and communication skills

that Young Roots has helped them understand their rights and entitlements

that Young Roots has helped them understand their rights and entitlements

What our team and our partners said

that Young Roots has helped reduce social isolation and loneliness for young refugees

that Young Roots has helped reduce social isolation and loneliness for young refugees

that Young Roots has helped improve the mental health and wellbeing of young refugees

that Young Roots has helped improve the mental health and wellbeing of young refugees

that Young Roots has helped improve the self-confidence of young refugees

that Young Roots has helped improve the self-confidence of young refugees

that Young Roots has helped improve the English-language and communication skills of young refugees

that Young Roots has helped improve the English-language and communication skills of young refugees

that Young Roots has helped young refugees understand their rights and entitlements

that Young Roots has helped young refugees understand their rights and entitlements

"(They provide) excellent wrap-around support for young people. They allow for friend-making, Casework and therapy to happen in a supportive environment and allow for some needs to be quickly met, and challenges to be worked through on an ongoing journey with staff and peers. I know that young people feel very safe there which is vital." - External Stakeholder

Young Roots’ Advice & Support Hubs in Brent and Croydon were launched in May 2019, integrating youth and sporting activities with English language mentoring, one-to-one Casework, and access to specialist therapeutic and legal support.

All stakeholders consistently emphasised that the integration of such activities and services was a highly accessible and effective model.

The strengths and impact of our Advice & Support Hubs

  • Young people clearly feel welcomed, valued, respected and safe when they engage with Hub activities and support. Several likened their relationship with Young Roots to having a second family. Similarly, several stakeholders commented that the Hub model, and Young Roots in general, create a strong sense of community amongst young people, staff and volunteers. This was identified as a crucial factor in encouraging regular attendance by young people and as a foundation upon which supportive relationships could be built with trusted adults.

  • The opportunity for young people to access sporting and youth activities, as well as trips, was identified by all evaluation stakeholder groups as a vital and key strength in attracting young people to the weekly Hubs, a starting point for relationship building, and link into Casework and specialist support if and when needed.

  • Young Roots actively encourages and values youth participation in shaping and informing its activities and services. These principles form the foundation of their work and the teams draw upon the ideas, skills and capabilities of young people.

  • Feedback from stakeholders stressed the value and effectiveness of creating space and activities that are accessible and sometimes exclusively for girls and young women. The development of a young women’s group, via a basketball project at the Brent Hub requested by young women, has been very effective in improving engagement.

  • The Hub model was frequently described as, and valued for, offering a 'holistic' or 'wrap-around' combination of activities and services. Many young people initially engage with the Young Roots Hubs because they are attracted to the social and sporting opportunities they offer. Young people may not initially require or ask for support, but many subsequently go on to access the services of Caseworkers or legal advice and mental health specialists that are integrated in the Hub delivery.

  • Young Roots recognises the importance of welcoming, valuing and listening to young people from their earliest contact with the organisation. Feedback from young people and staff consistently identified the Hub approach as enabling trust-based relationships between young people, team members and partners. Through these relationships, young people feel able to share their worries, or ask for support on any issues, ranging from their asylum case, age disputes, accommodation and vitally their mental and emotional wellbeing.

  • Stakeholders frequently commented on the impact, efficacy and value of the Hub model in enabling young people to meet others of a similar age and with similar life experiences. Whilst other opportunities no doubt exist for young refugees to meet other people their own age, few will be able to identify with and understand the trauma, bereavement and upheaval that many young refugees have experienced.

  • Both internal and external stakeholders stressed the importance of being able to identify and respond to the emotional wellbeing and mental health needs of young refugees. Young Roots is recognised and credited across all stakeholder groups with developing the knowledge and skill base of its staff and volunteers in relation to trauma-informed practice, including through the provision of training and information in this area.

  • All stakeholders emphasised the effectiveness, value and positive impact of integrating specialist mental health provision, including psychological support, and counselling, at the Hubs.

  • The ability to speak and communicate in English is widely acknowledged as one of the most important factors in enabling refugees of all ages to independently understand and interact with their rights and entitlements, to access education and employment and service provision in the UK. Several young people commented that coming to Young Roots had helped them to learn and understand the different cultures and way of life in the UK.

  • All stakeholder groups agree the Hub model creates an environment and relationships that enable young people to discuss and access support with diverse issues. This involves linking a young person into Young Roots’ Casework service, and specialist legal advice from partners like Bindmans LLP in Brent and CORAM Children's Legal Centre in Croydon.

"I was so nervous about coming but you don’t meet strangers at Young Roots – we’re a family here." - Young person

“Without this (the Casework service), these young people could be at significant risk of not understanding their rights and entitlements in the UK, not accessing necessary legal support, not

accessing basic essentials, and not accessing education, training or employment.”

- External stakeholder

Young Roots’ Casework service, launched in 2016, provides intensive one-to-one support to young people to navigate the complex legal, social care, health, housing, welfare and education systems, while developing young people’s understanding of their rights and ability to self-advocate.

External stakeholders and young people consistently confirmed that the type of support provided through Young Roots’ Casework service is highly valued and will continue to be vital in the future.

The strengths and impact of our Casework service

  • External stakeholders consistently commented on the high level of expertise and knowledge evidenced by Young Roots' Caseworkers. Feedback from legal advisers identified their good understanding of legal processes and asylum issues as a key strength, enabling Caseworkers to correctly assess case needs, spot potential issues and make timely referrals for specialist legal support.

    Young Roots’ Casework knowledge and client advocacy is skillfully applied across a wide range of client needs: age assessments and disputes, accommodation, accessing rights and entitlements, often leading to successful challenges.

    The dedication of Caseworkers and their willingness to 'go the extra mile' on behalf of young refugees and asylum seekers was also a strong theme in feedback from all stakeholder groups.

  • Evaluation feedback emphasised the value and effectiveness of the Casework service being integrated into the Advice and Support Hub model. Young people who may initially visit and engage with Young Roots activities through the weekly Hubs build relationships with the Casework and Youth Development teams. The building of trust, with the consistent presence of Young Roots’ team members each week, makes it easy for young people to raise issues, share concerns and ask for support in the safety and familiar environment of the Hub.

  • Stakeholders identified the effectiveness of the Hub model in enabling young people to be quickly linked into specialist legal advice as a key strength. Feedback from legal advisers highly valued the role of Young Roots both in providing generic Casework support and the holistic support that young people benefit from through the Hubs. This includes explaining to young people aspects of their legal case, the asylum and decision-making processes, age assessments and disputes, and other support needs that legal advisers don't have time to fully cover.

  • External stakeholders, particularly in legal advice roles, highly valued the expertise of the Youth Development and Casework teams in supporting young people through age assessment disputes. The correct and fair assessment of a young person's age is fundamental to their ability to live safely and to access appropriate entitlements, rights and age-appropriate accommodation and support.

  • When asked to reflect on the efficacy of the internal and external referral process, stakeholders responded that the referral forms work well and are easy to use. Most external stakeholders also felt that the criteria and process for making a referral are clear and that the speed of response from Young Roots was good, although sometimes a young person could not be immediately taken on by the Casework service when capacity was full.

  • Most stakeholders strongly advocated that the breadth of issues and needs that the Casework service, with Youth Development team support, currently responds to, is one of its key strengths. Very keen support was also expressed for the maintenance of strong links with legal advice and specialist mental health provision.

  • Stakeholders identified Young Roots’ approach to providing support to young people between the ages of 11 and 25, as an important strength. This long-term, open-door accessibility responds to Young Roots' experience that many young refugees encounter significant challenges during their transition into adulthood, relating to changes in their immigration status, employment or wider integration.