Luton’s Targeted Youth Support team provides help for disadvantaged and vulnerable young people aged 8 to 18 and their families.

Support is offered as the result of assessment.

Who can the Targeted Youth Support team help?

Young people with multiple disadvantages

Support may be offered to young people who are particularly vulnerable as a result of multiple disadvantages.

These include:

• no parent in the family is in work
• family lives in poor quality or overcrowded housing
• no parent has any qualifications
• mother has mental health problems
• at least one parent has a long-standing limiting illness, disability or infirmity
• family has low income
• family cannot afford a number of food and clothing items
• young people who are carers for parents or siblings, particularly those who care for family members who misuse alcohol or substance.

Vulnerable young people

Support may be offered to vulnerable young people.

Vulnerability factors include young people with:

• poor emotional and social skills
• behavioural problems
• poor mental health
• learning difficulties and disabilities
• low self esteem
• poor aspirations
• poor family support, family conflict or problems such as parental substance misuse
• poor support networks

And young people who are:

• living in poverty
• not in education, employment or training (NEET).

Young people with other risk factors

Support may be offered to young people who are (or are in danger of) being involved in, becoming, or being affected by the following:

• anti-social behaviour / youth offending
• teenage conceptions and poor sexual health
• in inappropriate relationships
• homeless
• drug/alcohol misuse
• domestic abuse
• radicalisation or extremism
• bullying
• becoming ‘looked after’ by Luton Borough Council.