Unit of competency details

Descriptor 

This unit describes the knowledge and skills required to assist young people to identify the challenges and opportunities in their lives and to work towards their goals on an individual or group level

Application 

This unit applies to work undertaken in all youth work roles where the young person is the primary client

Work with young people maybe individual or group with a participatory approach

Employability Skills 

This unit contains Employability Skills

Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Build respectful and trusting working relationships with young people

1.1 Facilitate safe  individual or group processes  with young people and apply principles of youth work practice 

1.2 Identify the conditions necessary for young people to change and grow

1.3 Actively listen to the young person's stories and experiences to clarify issues

1.4 Identify and explore strengths and exceptions

1.5 Encourage and support young people to identify relationships between their issues and social structures

1.6 Identify and avoid colonising practices

2. Work with young people to identify their needs, rights, strengths, hopes and opportunities

2.1 Clarify the young person's expressed, demonstrated, or felt needs and concerns

2.2 Explore exceptions, identify strengths and resources

2.3 Problem solve immediate issues or concerns

2.4 Work with client to create their own reframe of current circumstances

2.5 Work to externalise the young person's issue or problem

2.6 Acknowledge circumstances outside of the young person's control

3. Define identified goals

3.1 Ensure the young person has been heard and problems acknowledged before moving to future planning

3.2 Assist young people to explore future possibilities and ways of being

3.3 Use creative methods , processes  and questions to consider and create possibilities

3.4 Identify barriers  that hinder the way young people would like changes to take place

3.5 Establish with the young person their desired outcomes

4. Develop and implement action plans

4.1 Utilise a range of youth work interventions  to create future opportunities

4.2 Explore additional resources  needed to achieve goals

4.3 Develop proposals and strategies for action plans

4.4 Measure and ensure change is noticed

4.5 Document intervention  work as required

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge :

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include knowledge of:

• Aspects of human behaviour and development related to young people, their personal and social development and relationships
• Dynamics and principles of group work
• Identification of personal values and their impact on performance
• Knowledge of statutory requirements and application of the concept of duty of care and child protection
• Organisation reporting procedures and practice
• Principles of case planning practices
• Principles of effective communication
• Principles/relevant cultural practices and customs of the community and the young people in the service
• Relevant organisation procedures and policies related to program, service and personal support for young people, referral, reporting of young people's issues and experiences
• Strengths-based practices
• Support services and specialists and their guidelines for access and service provision

Essential skills :

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

• Demonstrate knowledge and application of relevant organisation procedures and policies related to individual and group support/interventions with young people
• Identify personal values and their impact on performance
• Interact with young people from different cultural backgrounds in individual and group settings
• Support vulnerable young people and those with special needs and risks to participate in the decision-making and planning of actions and opportunities
• Support young people according to their circumstances and the objectives of the young persons desired goals, individual needs, risks and circumstances, including education and employment

In addition, the candidate must be able to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include the ability to:

• Demonstrate application of skills in:

• case planning skills
• general counselling strategies/techniques
• group facilitation skills
• listening and assessing information presented by young people in individual or group setting
• negotiation and conflict management skills
• referral and advocacy

• Maintain documentation as required, including effective use of relevant information technology in line with occupational health and safety (OHS) guidelines

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency :

• The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
• Performance can be demonstrated through assessment of evidence generated from work practice

Access and equity considerations :

• All workers in community services should be aware of access, equity and human rights issues in relation to their own area of work
• All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
• In recognition of particular issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities

Context of and specific resources for assessment :

• This unit can be assessed independently, however holistic assessment practice with other community services units of competency is encouraged
• Resource requirements for assessment of this unit include access to:

• a workplace or an accurately simulated environment where assessment may take place

Method of assessment :

• Knowledge testing and simulation exercises conducted in a training program
• Knowledge tested or inferred from explanations and performance in workplace applications
• Observation of performance in routine workplace activities
• Documentation and products produced as part of routine work activities
• Observation and documentation from specially conducted assignments based on routine work requirements
• Observations from supervisors, colleagues and clients

RANGE STATEMENT 

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

This Range Statement reflects the very diverse nature of young people and family needs and circumstances and different services provided in and for community services. Selection from the Range Statement will reflect the specific requirements of the work site and the defined work role.

The variables of performance will depend on whether the context of assessment is institutional or community based

Safe group work practices include :

• Advocating for groups of young people
• Basic conflict management skills
• Basic group dynamics
• Basic negotiation skills
• Basic stages of group development
• Different types of groups
• Empowering young people in groups
• Facilitation skills
• How different people learn
• Responding top the dynamics between young people
• Situational analysis skills

Principles of youth work practice include :

• Being non-judgemental
• Considering the whole context of the young person
• Engaging with diversity and difference
• Focusing on the strength and capacities
• Integrity, acceptance, equity and equality
• Noticing change and achievement
• Recognising the person first not just the issues
• Self agency/young person directed practice
• Social justice, rights, access, equity and youth participation, fairness, honesty and respect
• Transparency and transparent boundaries
• Valuing the person
• Working collaboratively
• Working towards 'power with' rather than 'power over' young people
• Working with young people in partnership

Creative methods and processes may include :

• Creative use of questioning, hypothetical and 'what if' questions
• Creative visualisation, future imagining,
• Identify the young person's relationship with hope and use processes that ensure safety and respect
• Other creative processes and activities to validate young people's experiences and explore other possible perspectives for the same event, experience or story
• Story telling, writing, drawing, arts, music, and other forms of creative expression

Barriers may include , but are not limited to :

• Age
• Behaviours and attitudes of others
• Cultural
• Financial and other resource constraints
• Geographical
• Health
• Intellectual
• Limited opportunities
• Linguistic
• Political
• Self belief
• Situational
• Social
• Societal stereotypes
• Young person's behaviours and choices

Youth work interventions include :

• Brief interventions
• Community development
• Facilitating change
• Group work
• Individual work
• Problem solving

Additional resources may include 

• Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander liaison
• Counsellors
• Drug and alcohol services
• Education/training/skills development
• Employment/career development
• Intervention and behaviour management programs
• Medical
• Physical, mental, social and emotional developmental programs and strategies
• Program coordinator
• Recreation/sporting groups
• Religious/spiritual adviser
• Resources in the client's natural networks
• Special support needs
• Specialist cultural liaison and support
• Welfare organisations

Document intervention may include :

• Assists good practice
• Assists, compliments and demystifies the change process
• Enable the young person or groups story to emerge
• Enable young people and groups to own the records
• Enable young people or the group to write, participate in and keep records
• Ensure the young person or group knows about the records
• Keep records open and available to young people
• Maintain youth work accountability to the young person or group
• Record in a manner that benefits the young person, the youth workers and the organisation