Youth services

CHCYTH010 Provide services for young people appropriate to their needs and circumstances

This unit is about providing guidance and role models to young people and their families to maintain positive and supportive relationships. It also involves identifying problems and establishing goals for change based on maintaining support from family and the general community.

 

How you will be assessed

CA, RE

You will be assessed on the job in at least one of the following contexts:

  1. centre-based work
  2. drop-in centres, recreational facilities
  3. housing and residential services
  4. outreach and home visits, street, parks
  5. schools
  6. online youth work, web-based, emails, discussion rooms
  7. telephone contact

Show your assessor your workplace and the forms and procedures. Explain how it works as you go. Your assessor may ask you any questions on how it works. Most organizations have clear procedures, but you will still be responsible to exercise judgement.

You must show that you have:

  1. identified and responded to the needs of at least two young people, including:
    1. given information to young people and families
    2. listened to young person's issues, concerns and feelings
    3. set goals and plans with young people to achieve goals
    4. discussed, identified and encouraged young people to access services
    5. referred young people to alternative services
  2. advocated for at least two young people, including:
    1. negotiated goals, role and scope of advocacy work with young people
    2. accompanied young people during the first stages of service access
    3. represented young people's interests and kept them informed of representation processes
  3. completed all relevant documentation and reports accurately and completely
  4. communicated with young people clearly and accurately.

 

Interview/assignment questions

RK

  1. What is the target group of your activity or program?
  2. What is the legal and safety requirements of your youth work activities and programs? (Some have particular requirements.)
  3. How are your youth work activities and programs funded?
  4. Explain your communication strategies in youth work.
  5. Explain negotiation strategies and how to use them.
  6. Explain conflict resolution strategies and how to use them.
  7. Give an overview of your organization's ethical standards.
  8. Wat defies "quality services" in your organization?
  9. Give a overview of your organization's policies and procedures.

Note: Your assessor may also ask you a variety of what if questions.

 

Detailed requirements

1. Identify and address immediate needs and circumstances of young people. El 1/PC, RS O,In

  1. Identify and respond to immediate needs of young people according to nature and degree of urgency.
  2. Give young people and their families information that is tailored to their capacity to understand and designed to calm and reassure.
  3. Observe and note any signs of distress, anxiety, aggression and apathy.
  4. Look for and note signs of impairment of functioning in individuals and relationships.

2. Explore and clarify issues facing the young person and the nature of support they are seeking. El 2/PC, RS, O,In

  1. Offer the young person adequate opportunity to explore and clarify the issues facing her/him.
  2. Negotiate involvement of other parties as required by young person and worker.
  3. Listen actively and positively to young person’s issues, needs, views and feelings about their issues and accepting support.
  4. Make renewed attempts through appropriately modified approaches or responses if communication is difficult.
  5. Describe and analyse the nature and scope of the issues and check with the young person for completeness and accuracy.
  6. Clearly explain to the young person your role and capacity to give help and support.
  7. Where appropriate, get relevant available information from others about the young person’s potential need for support, consistent with their right to access information and to approve or disapprove of your actions.

3. Facilitate goal setting and action planning. El 3/PC, RS. O,In

  1. Encourage and support the young person to work out their own goals and priorities and to assess feasibility.
  2. Identify and explain in a supportive manner any risks arising from the young person’s choices.
  3. Offer further options to the young person without imposition or pressure where appropriate.
  4. Emphasise and negotiate clients’ responsibility for determining and achieving their goals.
  5. Encourage clients to identify and prioritise long- and short-term goals based on individual responsibility and personal choice.
  6. Support the young person to develop strategies to act on goals set.
  7. Encourage clients to identify and analyse factors that have contributed to past behaviour and obstacles to achieving individual and family goals.
  8. Identify any unrealistic expectations, challenge negative attitudes and unacceptable objectives and re-negotiate plans when required.

4. Give targeted help and referral El 4/PC, RS. O,In, W

  1. Discuss the availability, type and nature of services and resources in a way that is appropriate to the young person’s right of choices.
  2. Encourage the young person to use services and resources appropriate to their needs in line with legal, statutory and organizational requirements.
  3. Advise the young person about legal and statutory provisions that might affect their situation and confirm that they understand it.
  4. Establish systems to ensure information and referral sources within your organization are up-to-date, comprehensive, accurate, accessible and relevant to clients.
  5. Continually monitor the effectiveness of services; resolve problems of access, services or resources as appropriate.
  6. Ensure all documentation and reporting follows organization procedures.

5. Act as an advocate on request. El 5/PC, RS. O,In

  1. If the young person requests the worker to act as an advocate, identify the scope and goals of the possible role and outline and negotiate them with the young person.
  2. If requested and possible, support the young person and accompany them during first stages accessing services so that they gain confidence to go alone.
  3. Represent the young person’s interests clearly and accurately in a way that is consistent with the identified agreement between them and the worker.
  4. Explain to the young person all representations made on their behalf in a manner and language appropriate to their information needs and circumstances and confirm their understanding.
  5. Ensure decisions and/or actions taken on behalf of the young person are consistent with their expressed or implied preferences and interests.

6. Other.

  1. Manage tasks and contingencies on the job
  2. N/a. Follow Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards, and industry codes of practice.

 

Code for unit reqts:
CA: Conditions of assessment
El/PC: Element & criteria
RE: Required evidence
RK: Required knowledge
RS: Required skills

Code for Foundation skills:
L: Learning
Id: Identify beliefs & thinking
R: Reading
W: Writing

N: Numeracy
O: Oral communication
N: Navigate world of work
In: Interact with others
G: Get work done