What this unit covers

Effective communication is the foundation of youth work. You'll learn how to build trust and rapport with young people, use active listening, and adapt your communication style to different situations.

Key concepts

• Active listening — fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what's said. Use open body language, eye contact, and minimal encouragers ("mm-hmm", "go on").
• Open-ended questions — questions that can't be answered with yes/no. E.g. "How was that for you?" instead of "Was that okay?"
• Verbal & non-verbal communication — tone of voice, facial expressions, posture, and gestures all carry meaning. Young people are often highly attuned to non-verbal cues.
• Barriers to communication — judgement, interrupting, giving advice prematurely, cultural differences, power imbalances, environmental distractions.
• Rapport building — finding common ground, being authentic, showing genuine interest, respecting boundaries.

Practical strategies

• S.O.L.E.R — Sit squarely, Open posture, Lean in, Eye contact, Relax
• Paraphrasing — "So what I'm hearing you say is…" to confirm understanding
• Reflection of feeling — "It sounds like that was really frustrating for you"
• Summarising — pulling together key points at the end of a conversation

What this unit covers

Identifying signs of domestic and family violence (DFV), understanding its dynamics, responding appropriately, and referring to specialist services. This unit emphasises safety — yours and the young person's.

Key concepts

• Types of DFV — physical, emotional/psychological, sexual, financial, social, spiritual, coercive control, stalking
• Power and control wheel — a framework showing how abuse isn't just physical; it includes intimidation, isolation, using children, economic abuse, etc.
• Impact on young people — exposure to DFV is a form of child abuse. Effects include: anxiety, depression, behavioural issues, difficulty trusting adults, normalisation of violence
• Mandatory reporting — if a young person is at risk of significant harm, you have a legal obligation to report. Know your state/territory laws.
• Safety planning — helping a young person identify safe people, safe places, and a plan if they need to leave quickly

Your role (Dos & Don'ts)

• DO believe them, validate their experience, prioritise safety
• DO know your organisation's DFV policy and referral pathways
• DON'T investigate or try to "prove" the abuse — that's for police/protection workers
• DON'T promise confidentiality — be upfront about limits (safety concerns must be shared)
• DON'T confront the alleged perpetrator

What this unit covers

Understanding and respecting diversity in all its forms — cultural, linguistic, ability, gender, sexuality, age, socioeconomic background — and reflecting this in your youth work practice.

Key concepts

• Cultural competence — the ability to interact effectively with people from different cultures. It's a continuous learning process, not a destination.
• Intersectionality — young people have multiple overlapping identities (e.g. a young Indigenous queer person experiences the world differently than a white straight young person)
• Unconscious bias — the automatic stereotypes we hold that affect our decisions. Awareness is the first step to mitigating it.
• Inclusive language — using people-first language ("young person experiencing homelessness" not "homeless youth"), correct pronouns, and avoiding assumptions
• Universal design — designing programs and services to be accessible to everyone from the start, not retrofitting later

Key legislation & frameworks

• Racial Discrimination Act 1975
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992
• Sex Discrimination Act 1984
• Age Discrimination Act 2004
• Your organisation's Diversity and Inclusion Policy

What this unit covers

Understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, and the ongoing impacts of colonisation. Learning to create culturally safe spaces in youth work.

Key concepts

• Cultural safety — an environment that is safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: no assault, challenge, or denial of their identity or experience
• Cultural awareness → Cultural sensitivity → Cultural safety — these are a progression. Safety is the goal: the young person defines whether they feel safe.
• The Stolen Generations — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children forcibly removed from their families (1910–1970s). Intergenerational trauma continues today.
• Closing the Gap — a national strategy addressing Indigenous disadvantage across health, education, employment, and justice
• Self-determination — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have the right to make decisions about their own lives and communities

Practical strategies

• Use Acknowledgement of Country at events/meetings
• Build relationships with local Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs)
• Provide cultural awareness training for staff
• Use inclusive intake forms that ask about cultural identity respectfully
• Offer yarning circles as an alternative to formal meetings

What this unit covers

Designing, facilitating, and evaluating group programs for young people. This includes goal setting, activity planning, group facilitation skills, risk management, and evaluation.

Key concepts

• Group stages (Tuckman's model) — Forming → Storming → Norming → Performing → Adjourning. Know what behaviours to expect at each stage.
• Group norms — agreed rules/behaviours for the group (set these early with the group's input)
• Facilitation vs. teaching — facilitation guides the group's own learning; teaching imparts knowledge from the expert
• Risk assessment — identify hazards (physical, emotional, reputational), assess likelihood/consequence, put controls in place
• Program logic — inputs → activities → outputs → outcomes → impact. Used to plan and justify programs.

Activity planning checklist

1. Identify the purpose and intended outcomes
2. Know your target group (age, interests, needs)
3. Develop risk management plan
4. Arrange resources (venue, materials, transport, food)
5. Plan timeline and session structure (warm-up, main activity, debrief)
6. Prepare facilitation notes
7. Plan evaluation (did it achieve what it set out to do?)

What this unit covers

The legal and ethical framework youth workers operate within — your obligations, boundaries, codes of conduct, confidentiality, and how to handle ethical dilemmas.

Key concepts

• Duty of care — your legal obligation to take reasonable steps to protect young people from foreseeable harm
• Confidentiality and privacy — young people's information must be kept private unless there's a risk of harm (then it must be shared with appropriate authorities)
• Informed consent — young people have the right to understand what's happening and agree to it. For minors, parental consent may also be needed.
• Mandatory reporting — legal obligation to report suspected child abuse or neglect to child protection authorities
• Code of conduct — your organisation's expected standards of behaviour (professional boundaries, dress code, social media policy, conflict of interest)
• Ethical decision-making framework — identify the issue → who is affected → what principles are involved → consider options → choose, act, review

Common ethical dilemmas in youth work

• Young person discloses they're breaking the law — when to report vs. maintain trust?
• Young person asks you to keep a secret that involves risk
• Boundary issues — is it okay to be friends on social media?
• Gift giving/receiving — when is it appropriate?
• Working with a young person you know personally

What this unit covers

Understanding common mental health issues affecting young people, providing initial support, reducing stigma, and connecting young people to appropriate services.

Key concepts

• Mental health continuum — mental health exists on a spectrum from healthy to illness. Everyone moves along it. A mental health issue ≠ mental illness.
• Common adolescent mental health issues — anxiety disorders, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, psychosis (less common but serious)
• Stigma — discrimination and negative stereotypes around mental health. Youth workers actively combat this through normalising conversations.
• Recovery-oriented practice — a strengths-based approach focusing on the young person's goals, not just symptom reduction
• When to refer — you are NOT a clinician. Know your scope: support, listen, connect to care. If there's risk of harm, escalate immediately.

REDIRECT framework (responding to distress)

1. Recognise — notice signs of distress
2. Engage — connect calmly and respectfully
3. Determine — assess immediate safety
4. Inform — share relevant info (within confidentiality limits)
5. Refer — connect to appropriate support
6. Encourage — offer hope and next steps
7. Communication — document and follow up

What this unit covers

Understanding trauma, its impact on young people's development and behaviour, and how to apply trauma-informed principles in your work.

Key concepts

• What is trauma? — an event or series of events that is overwhelming, threatening, and exceeds a person's ability to cope. It's about the individual's experience of the event, not the event itself.
• Trauma-informed care (TIC) core principles — Safety, Trustworthiness, Choice, Collaboration, and Empowerment
• Trauma and the brain — trauma affects the developing brain, particularly the amygdala (alarm system), hippocampus (memory), and prefrontal cortex (decision-making). Young people may appear "reactive" or "shut down".
• Trauma responses — Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn. Behaviour that looks "defiant" or "withdrawn" may be a trauma response.
• Vicarious trauma/secondary trauma — the emotional toll on youth workers from hearing about trauma. Self-care and supervision are essential.
• Strengths-based approach — focus on resilience and coping strategies, not deficits and pathology

Trauma-informed practice in action

• Ask "What happened to you?" not "What's wrong with you?"
• Predictability — consistent schedules, clear expectations, advance notice of changes
• Offer choice wherever possible to restore a sense of control
• Avoid restraint, punishment, or power-over approaches
• Regulate, then relate, then reason — help a young person calm down emotionally before trying to problem-solve

What this unit covers

Recognising signs of abuse and neglect, understanding your reporting obligations, and following organisational procedures to protect young people.

Key concepts

• Types of abuse — physical, emotional/psychological, sexual, neglect, exposure to domestic violence
• Indicators of abuse — physical signs (bruises, injuries), behavioural signs (withdrawal, aggression, sexualised behaviour), environmental indicators (poor hygiene, lack of supervision)
• Mandatory reporting — legal obligation to report suspected abuse. Requirements vary by state/territory. In most states: teachers, doctors, nurses, police are mandatory reporters. Youth workers may be depending on context.
• Child Safe Standards — National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (10 standards). Your organisation must embed these.
• Child protection vs. family support — your role is to identify concerns and report to Child Protection, who investigate. Family support services work with families voluntarily.

Reporting steps

1. Observe — document what you see/hear (facts only, not opinions)
2. Consult — speak with your supervisor/child safety officer
3. Report — contact Child Protection and/or Police (depending on urgency)
4. Document — record the report thoroughly, including who you spoke to, when, and what they said
5. Support — continue to support the young person during the process

What this unit covers

This is the heart of youth work practice — how to genuinely connect with young people in a way that is respectful, empowering, and builds trust.

Key concepts

• Youth-centred practice — the young person is the expert on their own life. You work with them, not on them.
• Respect — honouring the young person's dignity, autonomy, culture, and choices (even when you disagree)
• Engagement vs. enforcement — engagement comes through trust and relationship, not through rules or threats
• Meeting young people where they're at — literally (drop-in, street outreach) and figuratively (emotional state, readiness to change)
• Professional boundaries — clear, consistent boundaries build safety. Explain boundaries with warmth, not rigidity.

Engagement strategies

• Be present — put your phone away, give full attention
• Be reliable — show up when you say you will, follow through
• Be authentic — young people can spot insincerity instantly
• Don't take behaviour personally — challenging behaviour is often a trauma response or a test of trust
• Use informal contact effectively — conversations over a game of pool or a walk can be more powerful than office-based chats

What this unit covers

The professional context of youth work — understanding the youth sector, your organisation's role, different practice settings, and your professional identity as a youth worker.

Key concepts

• Youth sector in Australia — government (e.g. Youth Justice, Child Protection), non-government (NGOs, community orgs), and for-profit providers. Each has different mandates.
• Youth work vs. other helping professions — youth workers focus on empowerment, advocacy, and relationship. Different from teaching (curriculum), psychology (therapy), or social work (case management focus).
• Youth development framework — programs and services that support young people's positive development across multiple domains: physical, social, emotional, cognitive, spiritual
• Youth participation — genuinely involving young people in decisions that affect them. The ladder of participation (Roger Hart) ranges from tokenism to youth-led decision-making.
• Case management — coordinating multiple services for a young person (housing, health, education, justice). Your role may be primary case manager or support worker.

Key documents to know

• Your organisation's Youth Work Policy & Procedure Manual
• National Youth Work Code of Ethics (YACVic / YANQ / YACWA etc. — depending on your state)
• Your state's Youth Strategy
• Child Safe Standards

What this unit covers

Empowering young people to identify their strengths, set goals, and take action to create positive change and opportunities in their lives.

Key concepts

• Strengths-based approach — focus on what's strong, not what's wrong. Every young person has existing skills, resources, and resilience.
• Goal setting (SMART goals) — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. Break big goals into small steps.
• Motivational Interviewing (MI) — a collaborative conversation style to strengthen a person's own motivation for change. Key techniques: OARS (Open questions, Affirmations, Reflections, Summaries).
• Stages of Change (Transtheoretical Model) — Precontemplation → Contemplation → Preparation → Action → Maintenance → Relapse (normal part of change). Match your approach to the stage.
• Advocacy — speaking with (or on behalf of) a young person to help them access their rights, services, or opportunities

What this unit covers

Recognising and responding to critical incidents — suicide risk, self-harm, medical emergencies, violence, child protection crises. This unit focuses on keeping everyone safe.

Key concepts

• Crisis vs. critical incident — a crisis is personal (someone's world is falling apart); a critical incident is an event requiring an organisational response (death, violence, disaster)
• Suicide risk assessment — ask directly: "Are you thinking about suicide?" Research shows asking does NOT put the idea in someone's head. Assessment: thoughts → intent → plan → means → timeframe.
• Self-harm vs. suicide — self-harm is often a coping mechanism, not a suicide attempt. BUT any self-harm should be taken seriously and assessed.
• De-escalation techniques — stay calm, use a quiet voice, give space, validate feelings, offer choices, don't argue or threaten. Know when to disengage and get help.
• Post-incident support — debrief with your team, access supervision, attend to your own wellbeing. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) may be arranged.

Immediate response protocol

1. Ensure safety — remove danger if possible, call 000 if immediate risk
2. Stay calm and present — the young person needs a grounded adult
3. Assess — what's happening? Who's involved? Level of risk?
4. Engage support — supervisor, ambulance, police, mental health triage
5. Document — complete incident report as soon as it's safe to do so
6. Debrief — with supervisor and/or team

What this unit covers

Assessing young people's needs holistically, developing support plans, coordinating services, and evaluating outcomes. This is about case management and service delivery.

Key concepts

• Holistic needs assessment — looking at the whole young person: housing, health, education, employment, relationships, identity, legal, finances, recreation
• Support planning — collaborative plan identifying goals, actions, responsible persons, and timelines. The young person should co-author it.
• Service coordination — linking a young person to multiple services and ensuring those services work together, not in silos
• Referral pathways — knowing what services exist in your community and how to access them. Maintain an up-to-date resource directory.
• Monitoring and review — checking in on progress, adjusting plans as circumstances change, celebrating successes
• Transition planning — supporting young people through key transitions (school to work, care to independence, youth to adult services)

Assessment framework (remember HEADS)

• Home — where do they live? Who with? Stable?
• Education/Employment — school, TAFE, work? Attendance, engagement?
• Activities — hobbies, social connections, recreation
• Drugs & Alcohol — use patterns, dependency, impact
• Sexuality & Safety — relationships, sexual health, safety concerns

What this unit covers

Your WHS rights and responsibilities, identifying hazards, managing risks, emergency procedures, and contributing to a safe workplace.

Key concepts

• PCBU — Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (your employer). They have the primary duty of care under WHS laws.
• Worker responsibilities — take reasonable care for your own health and safety, follow reasonable instructions, use PPE, report hazards and incidents
• Hazard vs. Risk — hazard = anything that can cause harm; risk = the likelihood and consequence of that harm occurring
• Hierarchy of controls — from most effective: Elimination → Substitution → Engineering controls → Administrative controls → PPE
• Emergency procedures — fire, medical emergency, evacuation, lockdown. Know your organisation's emergency plan and your role in it.
• Incident reporting — report near misses, injuries, and hazards to your supervisor. Incident reports help prevent future harm.
• Psychological safety at work — WHS now includes psychosocial hazards: stress, vicarious trauma, bullying, excessive workload. Your employer must manage these too.

Common WHS hazards in youth work

• Home visits (unsafe neighbourhoods, aggressive animals, unknown situations)
• Lone worker safety (working alone in an office or in the field)
• Aggressive or intoxicated clients
• Manual handling (setting up event equipment)
• Psychosocial hazards (compassion fatigue, exposure to trauma)
• Infectious diseases (needles, bodily fluids)