Information for professionals

The purpose of outreach youth work is to reach young people in need aged 16–28 and help them contact services and support that promote their development, independence and access to education and employment.

Outreach youth work is carried out mainly based on the information provided by the young person and their own assessment of their support needs. Our work is always based on the young person’s consent, even when we are contacted by someone other than the young person themselves. The outreach youth workers are committed to professional secrecy.

Sharing a young person’s contact information with Helsinki outreach youth work:

  • Authorities will disclose the identification and contact information of young Helsinki residents in need of outreach youth work via the electronic Enter system.
  • Contact information of outreach youth workers and the operators involved:
  • Our postal address is: Stadin etsivät / Helsinki’s outreach youth work unit, PO Box 13455, 00099 Helsinki
  • Any questions? Our e-mail service etsivanuorisotyo@hel.fi and phone service (040 184 3175, weekdays at 9:00–15:00) can help you with all difficult situations.

Cooperation between upper secondary schools and outreach youth work in Helsinki

Download the information package about cooperation between schools and outreach youth work, the youth workers, and their operating models: Helsinki’s outreach youth work – information for student welfare services, spring 2020

If you are a university student looking for an internship, please note!

  1. We receive a lot of applications for internships at outreach youth work. The internship positions for autumn 2021 are now full. We will accept new interns in 2022. We are happy to have interns with us whenever possible!
  2. You can still do an internship with the mobile youth work in 2021.

Outreach youth work in the Youth Act of Finland

1285/2016, Section 10, Outreach youth work

  • The identifying information and contact details disclosed for outreach youth work purposes may be provided in electronic format.
  • The information obtained in the course of outreach youth work or otherwise may be combined in order to identify the young people in need of support and to carry out the duties of outreach youth services
  • When the affairs of any individual young person are addressed in the context of outreach youth work, records shall be made of the party disclosing the identifying information and contact details of the young person, any further measures to be taken, the type of information disclosed and the parties to which such information is released.
  • The file controller responsible for the processing and management of the personal information is the local municipality.

When the local government engages in outreach youth work, it shall designate a local government official or other person contracted by the local government to assume responsibility for the implementation of outreach youth work. The outreach youth worker shall have adequate training for and experience in working with young people. Outreach youth work may be provided by a single municipality or several municipalities together. The municipality may organise outreach youth work by acquiring the services from an entity providing youth services. If so, the municipality shall ensure that the services are provided in accordance with this Act.

Outreach youth work shall primarily be initiated in response to the information provided by the young person him- or herself or his or her own assessment of the need for support. Additionally, outreach youth work may be initiated in response to information provided by other authorities.

Section 11, Disclosure of information for outreach youth work purposes

No information may be disclosed for outreach youth work purposes except with the young person’s consent unless otherwise provided in this Act or other laws.

Regardless of non-disclosure provisions, information identifying the young person involved and his or her contact details shall be disclosed to the young person’s home municipality for outreach youth work purposes as follows:

  1. An education provider shall disclose information on a young person who has completed his or her basic education but who is not pursuing any studies beyond the completed basic education;
  2. An education provider shall disclose information on a young person who ceases to participate in vocational education or general upper secondary education;
  3. The Defence Forces and the Centre for Non-Military Service shall disclose information on a young person who is exempted from military or non-military service because of lack of fitness or who decides not to complete military or non-military service.

The education or training provider, Defence Forces and the Centre for Non-Military Service may decide not to disclose information on the young person referred to in subsection 2, if they – considering the information available and the young person’s situation and his or her need for support in the light of all the relevant circumstances – determine that he or she is not in need of services and other support within the meaning of section 10.

Additionally, an authority other than an authority defined in this section or the Social Insurance Institution of Finland Kela may, regardless of non-disclosure provisions, disclose information identifying the young person involved and his or her contact details, if such an authority or Kela – considering the information available and the young person’s situation and his or her need for support in the light of all the relevant circumstances – determine that the young person is in need of immediate support in order to access the services and other support.

If a registered association, foundation or other organisation offering free-time activities determine that a young person is in need of outreach youth services, they may, subject to the express consent of the young person or the consent of the guardian of a minor young person, disclose information identifying the young person and his or her contact details for outreach youth work purposes.

Those disclosing information pursuant to this section shall, in advance and using an appropriate means of communication, notify the young person or the guardian of a minor young person that information on the young person may, in the cases referred to in subsection 2 and 4, be disclosed for outreach youth work purposes.

Provisions on child welfare notices and anticipatory child welfare notices are set out in sections 25 and 25c of the Child Welfare Act (417/2007). Provisions on contacting social services for the purpose of assessing the need for support are set out in section 35 of the Social Welfare Act (1301/2014). If a party required by law to disclose information has contacted an authority comparable to social services, no notification need to be filed with outreach youth work services based on the same information.

Section 12, Processing of information on young people by outreach youth services

The identifying information and contact details disclosed for outreach youth work purposes may be provided in electronic format. The information obtained in the course of outreach youth work or otherwise may be combined in order to identify the young people in need of support and to carry out the duties of outreach youth services When the affairs of any individual young person are addressed in the context of outreach youth work, records shall be made of the party disclosing the identifying information and contact details of the young person, any further measures to be taken, the type of information disclosed and the parties to which such information is released. The file controller responsible for the processing and management of the personal information is the local municipality.

Information obtained in the course of outreach youth work may only be disclosed to another authority with the consent of the young person, or if he or she is a minor, with the consent of his or her guardian. However, a minor may make decisions regarding the disclosure of his or her personal information according to their level of maturity. All the information shall be promptly destroyed when no longer necessary for the performance of duties.

A person engaged in outreach youth work may not, without the consent of the young person involved, or if he or she is a minor, without the consent of his or her guardian, disclose to third parties any information that may come to his or her attention in the course of the duties foreseen in this Act regarding the young person’s personal circumstances, state of health, benefits received, supportive action or financial position.