As a youth outreach education link worker, I work with various young people aged 11-19 within their education setting and in the community. Generally, the young people I work with are vulnerable young people and those who are likely to have multiple professionals in their lives however, this is not always the case. Since 2021 the need for me to carry out the 1:1 mentoring element of my service has increased. The most common reason for the mentoring referral is school refusal (When a barrier, usually anxiety builds up to the point that a young person cannot go to school.) For the professionals that refer into our service, school refusal is one of their most pressing obstacles. School refusal is a major issue for education as it means that young people that are unable to attend school are missing out on vital parts of their learning. Young people that are academically advanced are at risk of leaving school with below average grades, potentially having a detrimental effect on their future prospects as schools are failing to meet the statutory requirements for education. In addition to this, young people are also at risk of further isolation and an increase in negative mental wellbeing and a decrease in their interpersonal skills as they are not interacting with their peers and teachers within the school setting.