Engaging ‘hard to reach’ young people in adolescent teams: challenges and limitations deconstructed.

This research examines the relational dynamics influencing engagement with young people identified as ‘hard to reach’ within a local authority youth offending service in East London. Using a critical realist epistemology grounded in a decolonial ontology and a systemic perspective, the study explores how young individuals are characterised and positioned at both the organisational (‘macro’) and individual (‘micro’) levels. Using an intra-paradigm methodology, the research integrated ethnographic observations (adolescent team meetings and alternative education provision lunch breaks) with semi-structured interviews (two practitioners and two young people). A thematic discourse analysis, informed by Foucault and Quijano, investigated power dynamics, positioning, and constructions of ‘hard to reach’ youth. The analysis identified six interconnected themes: three micro-level themes (language and positioning, relational authenticity, and emotional well-being) and three macro-level themes (structural influences, organisational power, and contemporary service needs). The findings question the existing ‘hard to reach’ narrative, suggesting that services may present challenges in accommodating young people's needs within existing organisational structures. The research concludes with recommendations for services and practitioners to adopt more critical, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed practices that prioritise relational authenticity and address systemic inequalities.