Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

Delivering services to hard to reach families in On Track areas

On Track is an evidence-based preventative programme which aims to reduce and prevent crime by targeting early interventions at children's anti-social behaviour. This paper examines how service providers in a sample of On Track areas define and consult 'hard-to-reach' families and deliver services to them. It highlights a series of questions for practitioners to consider before extending these types of service to marginalised and vulnerable groups.

Title: Delivering services to hard to reach families in On Track areas: definition, consultation and needs assessment
Authors: Paul Doherty, Alison Stott and Kay Kinder (National Foundation for Educational Research)
Series: Home Office Development & Practice Report 15
Number of pages: 18
Date published: February 2004

Key findings

• Three broad definitions of hard-to-reach groups were used by projects and service deliverers: minority groups; those slipping through the net; and the service resistant.

• Services tended to be delivered according to the characteristics of each group rather than their perceived need.

• Direct consultation was occurring in less than a quarter of the interventions studied.

• Where consultation was occurring or planned, three main consultation strategies were reported: specifically targeting members of marginalised groups; making links with other professionals who offered services to these groups; and outreach work in community venues.

• The fact that the same people were repeatedly targeted in consultation exercises and asked to speak for all hard-to-reach groups was often seen as a barrier to effective consultation.

• Voluntary sector professionals were reluctant to use structured assessment tools, such as 'pen and paper' exercises, to assess need as they were seen to be 'alienating'.

Key recommendations

• When attempting to define 'hard-to-reach' groups practitioners should ensure that any definition is based on evidence and that it identifies and gives access to services for those in greatest need.

• Service providers should routinely factor in costs for consulting with marginalised groups.

• Practitioners should adopt consultation strategies which ensure that the views of the target 'hard-to-reach' population are heard.

• The methods used to assess the needs of marginalised groups should be non-stigmatising.

Getting a copy

Download 'Delivering services to hard to reach families in On Track areas: definition, consultation and needs assessment' from the Home Office RDS website PDF 72Kb

Last update: 26/02/04