Working with Young People with Complex Needs: Practitioners’ Views

Background: We report the findings of a descriptive study exploring the views of practitioners working with young people with especially challenging and complex problems, currently cared for by children's services across Yorkshire. We present data on a sample of 79 young people with complex needs, aged 7 to 16 years, in contact with one or more of the children's services. Method: We identified the practitioner working most closely with each of these young people. The practitioners were interviewed using a semi‐structured interview schedule designed to encourage professionals to reflect on working practices. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and themes categorized using a coding framework. Results and conclusions: We describe and discuss the key themes in the context of current strategic developments of children's services.