Navigating the Relational Labyrinth: Systemic Insights Into Engaging ‘Hard to Reach' Youth in UK Adolescent Services

Abstract

This study employs a qualitative methodology to explore the relational dynamics influencing engagement with young people identified as hard to reach within a local authority youth offending service in East London. Grounded in critical realism and decolonial ontology, the study sought to uncover underlying social structures and power relations that shape engagement processes, whilst also valuing the lived experiences of both young people and practitioners. A Foucault and Quijano-informed thematic discourse analysis of ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews revealed a complex interplay of micro-level relational dynamics and macro-level structural and systemic influences. Findings highlight the limitations of the HTR label and punctuate the need for systemic interventions that address power imbalances, cultural assumptions, and historical injustices.