Functionality of the youth exclusion prevention service system and the effectiveness of the services

MDI was involved in the process of carrying out an investigation commissioned by the Parliamentary Audit Committee to examine services related to youth exclusion prevention. The basis of the study was to examine the services and benefits structures that prevent exclusion, the financial contribution used in them and cooperation between different actors. In addition, the study examined monitoring of the effects of public funds used to prevent exclusion. The study was conducted by Nordic Healthcare Group and in collaboration with Juvenia, the Youth Research and Development Centre of the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences.

The study analysed the current state of the exclusion prevention service system, the allocation of resources used to prevent exclusion and the effects generated by funding. The key sources of data were the draft budget for 2020 and the financial statements of the target municipalities selected for 2019 and 2020. The study analysed direct and indirect flows of money allocated to young people and conducted interviews with representatives of the state government as well as young people themselves.

The overall result of the study is that individual services do not prevent young people from being excluded, but the most effective means are different and, above all, well-functioning chains of services. The study showed that at present no entity takes full responsibility for youth exclusion prevention. Cooperation in the state government does not work well and at municipal level it would be hoped to create comprehensive coordination and ownership of youth exclusion services throughout Finland.