The organisation and provision of youth work services targeted at young people with long-term physical or mental health conditions in the United Kingdom: a service mapping study

Kirk, Susan, Marshall, Marie, Gordon, Rosie, Fraser, Claire, Rigby, Nicola, Bennett, Nicola ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5154-0478, Patel, Rajesh, Farre, Albert, Devine, Michael and Hilton, Donna 2026. The organisation and provision of youth work services targeted at young people with long-term physical or mental health conditions in the United Kingdom: a service mapping study. BMC Health Services Research 10.1186/s12913-026-14227-5

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Abstract

Background Increasing numbers of young people are living with long-term health conditions and there is evidence that they experience poorer psycho-social and educational outcomes than their healthy peers. The years between 11 and 25 can be a time of sub-optimal self-management, service disengagement and deteriorating health outcomes. However, services can struggle to provide appropriate support to ameliorate this situation. In the UK, youth workers have been introduced into healthcare and other settings to improve the support of young people with long-term health conditions but there is a lack of information about these services and their role with this group of young people. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by describing the characteristics of youth work services targeted at young people with long-term physical and/or mental health conditions. Methods Data about service characteristics were collected using a cross-sectional, online survey distributed via key organisations, networks and social media. This was supplemented by online searching to identify additional services. The data were analysed descriptively using SPSS. Results In total, 188 services met the eligibility criteria and were included in the analysis. There appears to be considerable variation in services in terms of their organisation, funding, size, and the specific groups of young people they support. Most services were targeted at young people who experience a physical health condition with far fewer targeted at young people who experience mental health difficulties. A small number of youth work services worked across physical and mental health services. Youth worker roles included emotional support, self-management support, service transition support, and advocacy. Services worked in a range of settings including hospitals, communities and schools/colleges. Conclusion This study contributes to knowledge by describing the characteristics of youth work services for young people with long-term physical and/or mental health conditions. Further research is now needed to understand how these services (and their characteristics) influence young people’s engagement and wellbeing and how youth work services work with the multi-disciplinary team and wider service system.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Healthcare Sciences
Publisher:	BioMed Central
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	3 March 2026
Date of Acceptance:	13 February 2026
Last Modified:	03 Mar 2026 14:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/185435

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