Dorset Council’s Targeted Youth Workers are actively exploring the places, spaces, and situations in your local area where young people may be out and about. 
The Targeted Youth Workers will be easily recognisable as they will be wearing yellow Dorset Council backpacks when conducting work within the community.
Our Targeted Youth Workers use an informal approach to engage with children and young people, to make sure they feel safe. They build relationships with them, seek to understand their problems, and provide support and signpost to help when needed.
Although most young people are just wanting to spend time with friends, we know that sometimes young people can end up in situations that they do not want to be in. This could lead to them being exploited, offending, or causing harm to themselves or other people in the community.
Our Targeted Youth Workers engage with young people and assess if they are at risk of harm. They work closely with partner organisations to ensure young people get the right support, at the right time.
Cllr Andrew Parry, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Children, Education and Early Help, said; “Our Targeted Youth Workers play a vital role within our communities when it comes to safeguarding Dorset’s young people.
“Unfortunately, young people and children are vulnerable to abuse beyond their front doors. The work that our Targeted Youth Workers do is so important because it improves our understanding of these risks and enables us to engage with children and young people to help keep them safe.”
How you can help
We all have a responsibility to keep our young people safe. You may see, hear, or experience things to do with young people in your local area, and if something does not feel right, or you have concerns, then please tell us about it.
The information you share will help us plan our work to keep young people safe. If you’d like to share some information with us, then please get in touch with your area’s locality team.
If you’re worried about the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person who lives in Dorset, contact our Children’s Advice and Duty Service (ChAD) on 01305 228866.
If a child is in immediate danger, please call the police immediately on 999. To report a crime, do it online: www.dorset.police.uk/do-it-online
