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Australian Youth Affairs Coalition604 / 28 Foveaux St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone: 02 9212 0500 Fax: 02 8079 6166
Email: [email protected]
www.ayac.org.au
AYAC Consultation Paper #2:A Draft Definition of
Youth Work in Australia
July 2013
BackgroundThis consultation paper is the second in the series that AYAC has released to the youth sector, as we move towards a nationally agreed definition of youth work in the Australian context. The first consultation paper, “Defining Youth Work in Australia: It’s what you do” was open for feedback over two weeks in May 2013.
This consultation paper contains the draft definition of youth work in Australia developed by the AYAC Policy Advisory Council (PAC). The PAC is the group of representatives elected annually from AYAC’s membership to provide the AYAC team with advice on research, policy, information and promotional activities of the organisation.
The draft definition is based on the review of available literature that was contained in the original consultation paper, as well as the feedback received from youth sector representatives throughout that consultation process. It is also heavily informed by the perspectives that each PAC member brought from around Australia, so we thank them for their input and guidance.
HistoryA large void has grown in available data and knowledge about the youth support sector across Australia, in large part due to the absence of a funded national youth affairs peak body for more than a decade between 1999 - 2010. After its establishment as a fully resourced national youth peak, it has been a part of the mandate of AYAC to contribute to debates on key industry issues, in order to fill this void and use this knowledge to make real progress for the youth sector.
The establishment of a national definition of youth work has long been acknowledged by the sector as desirable, although some discussion on this highlights some reservations.
AYAC recognises that defining youth work has its limitations. Youth work is complex and multifaceted, which is one of the reasons there has been such difficulty in producing a succinct and encapsulating description. However, the sector is facing a number of challenges and AYAC will need a clear definition of youth work in order to progress the youth work sector over the coming years.
ContextCurrently, youth work in Australia is at a crossroads, with education and training in decline, youth worker roles being subsumed into broader occupations and professions, occupational shortages (especially in rural and remote areas) and lack of coherent career pathways for youth workers. There is also the absence of a shared identity for youth workers, and no previously agreed national definition of youth work that recognises and articulates the unique and essential service that youth work contributes to the lives of young Australians.
There is also a strong sense that youth work is undervalued by the general public, other professionals, funders and decision makers in Australia. Perceptions of youth work amongst these groups – whilst not always overtly tainted – are seen as often ambivalent and underscored by a fundamental lack of understanding about the youth work field. As a result, youth workers believe they receive limited support for resourcing and funding the youth sector or for making training and development opportunities available to the sector to ensure the longevity of its workforce.
IntroductionAYAC has asked the sector to identify the definitive list of principles that articulate the common threads that unite all youth workers, chosen from those principles that have the strongest integrity and evidence base.
AYAC has worked with representatives from the youth sector to answer the question:How can we demonstrate the value of youth work and the critical importance of youth workers for the development of young people and communities that will improve the perception of youth work across Australia?
Importantly, AYAC has asked for the definition to be one that is:a) most useful to the Australian youth sector as a whole, rather than replicating the
definition used in any one jurisdiction, andb) one that fit best with the conditions and context we face here in Australia
The challenge for all involved in the process has been to bring together the diversity of views and voices, whilst remaining committed to uniting as a sector with a sense of common identity and purpose.
As such, not all the elements by which youth workers might define themselves have made it into the draft national definition of youth work, whilst others are contained within the definition with different words / labels used to describe them. Not all youth workers will agree with the words chosen, however...
...we ask that each youth worker considers whether a change to the definition is absolutely necessary, or if the current wording is close enough, when you are
providing feedback.
Whilst flexibility should always exists in how youth workers might define themselves, and what boundaries should be drawn, the core attributes of youth work must be claimed and clearly stated in a nationally agreed youth work definition, and differentiated from other people working with young people using different approaches than those that lay at the heart of youth work.
However, no definition should ever remain stagnant and the national definition of youth work is intended to be a living statement, evolving as the needs of young people and the youth sector change.
Further reading
Defining Youth Work in Australia: It’s what you doAYAC encourages all youth workers taking part in this discussion to have a look at the original consultation paper on defining youth work in Australia, available on the AYAC website.
The consultation paper contains a great summary of the concepts discussed in shaping our understanding of youth work in Australia today.
Go to:• http://www.ayac.org.au/uploads/AYAC%20Youth%20Work%20Definition
%20consultation%20paper%20FINAL.pdf or • http://bit.ly/13r4RbZ
Future Focussed - Youth Work in Australia: Reflections and AspirationsAYAC has previously compiled the Australian history of youth work, which can be found here: http://www.ayac.org.au/news/76/67/Future-focussed.html
Youth work in Australia has a long and rich history. Its history is integral to informing the basis of the identity of youth work today.
It has been inspired and carried out by many different groups and in many different ways: by way of social movements, faith-groups, youth organisations and associations, by the non-government sector and as part of national, state and territory based, regional and local policy. Throughout this history, youth work has been done by both paid and voluntary workers from a range of ideological and value bases, and in a range of environments.
Next Steps for the National Definition of Youth WorkAYAC is releasing this consultation paper to gather your feedback on the draft national definition of youth work. Our intention for this process will be to achieve:
1. agreement on the national definition of youth work2. increased awareness of the unique role of youth work3. increased public understanding of the value of youth work4. a foundation for ongoing discussion on the role of youth work in Australia
We want the definition to be a vehicle for positive change across the youth sector and be of real benefit to the young people we work with. We invite all members of the youth sector to jump on board this process and work together to reach that destination.
As noted above, the draft national definition is not intended to be the final conception of youth work for all time, but the common starting point for all ongoing discussions relating to youth work in Australia. It does not seek to be everything to everyone, but contains all that we agree upon about what the all types of youth work have in common and what makes youth work special.
AYAC strongly believes the definition of youth work in Australia must be owned by the youth work sector – not governments or funding bodies or any other groups – so that it reflects the needs of the sector and serves as an expression of the shared identity of the sector.
All of you who are interested in the youth work sector are encouraged to provide AYAC with your thoughts on the definition, including whether it’s useful to you, what you think could be done with the definition to help progress the state of youth work today and how the definition can help shape our identity as a sector.
The next steps for the definition are as follows:1. Until Sunday 28 July - AYAC is seeking your thoughts and feedback on the draft
definition of youth work, based on the discussion questions below.2. Wednesday 7 August - Your feedback on draft definition will be discussed by
youth sector representatives from across Australia, at the AYAC 2013 National Youth Affairs Conference in Adelaide. The outcomes of these discussions will inform future directions for the definition.
3. Late August - Possible future directions of definition of youth work will be disseminated to sector and implemented, as appropriate
How to send your feedback to AYACYour feedback can be emailed to [email protected] or posted to:
Ms Jacqui MckenzieActing Deputy Director (Youth Sector)Australian Youth Affairs Coalition604/28 Foveaux StreetSurry Hills, NSW, 2010
Any questions in regards to the definition can be directed to Rey Reodica ([email protected]) or Jacqui McKenzie ([email protected]) or via 02 9212 0500.
We’ll also be working on an online feedback form, so check out http://www.ayac.org.au/youthworkdefinition.html to see if we’ve managed to put it up yet!
Questions for your feedback
Does the draft definition of youth work apply to youth work in the context you work in? Why / Why not?
What other elements / concepts do you think are important for defining youth work in Australia? Why are these important?
How could a national definition of youth work help support your work and the role of youth workers in your community?
What could be done with the definition of youth work in order to shape and support the role and perception of youth work in Australia?
What other feedback do you have on the youth work definition?
Demographic questionsWe’d like to know some general information about you, so in responding to the discussion paper, please ensure to include the following information:
How old are you?25 and under26-‐3536-‐4546-‐5556 and over
What gender are you?FemaleMalePrefer not to say
Do you identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Island person?
Aboriginal but not Torres Straight Island personTorres Straight Island but not Aboriginal personBoth Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island personNeither Aboriginal nor Torres Straight Island person
Where do you live?ACTNSWQLDNTWASAVICTASOther, please specify...
Do you live in regional, rural or remote Australia?
YesNo
Do you currently work in the youth sector?
YesNoNo -‐ but I have worked in the youth sector in the last __ years
How many years have you worked in youth work positions?____ years
What is your job role?Youth WorkerSocial WorkerAcademic/researcherPolicy officerOther, please specify...
Which best describes your current employing agency?
Indigenous Community OrganisaTon Community OrgansiaTonState based NGO NaTonal NGO Local Government State Government Federal Government Private company (e.g. ITEC Health)Other, please specify:
What age range does your service work with? (Tick all that apply)
9 and under10 -‐ 14 years old15 -‐ 19 years old20 -‐ 24 years old25 +Not applicable
Australian Youth Affairs Coalition604 / 28 Foveaux St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone: 02 9212 0500 Fax: 02 8079 6166
Email: [email protected]
www.ayac.org.au
THE DRAFT DEFINITION: YOUTH WORK IN AUSTRALIA
Youth Work / yo ͞oTH wəәrk / (say yoohth werk) - noun -
Youth work is the practice that has young people as its primary constituents.
Youth work is relational and works alongside young people in their context.
Youth work facilitates young people’s agency, connectedness and the realisation of their rights.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Young people give youth workers consent to work with and for them. While the consent (authorisation) is often informal, it creates some particular responsibilities for the youth worker.
Youth workers also have responsibilities to a large range of other people:
bosses, government, communities, police, parents, organisations, funders and many others. All of these bodies have interests in the work that youth workers do.
Youth workers are clear that of all of the interests out there, the interests of the young people they work with always come first.
PAC Notes: 91.3% of youth workers in the AYAC National Snapshot of Youth Work agreed with the statement, “Youth workers must always place the young person at the centre of their work, as their primary client”. The PAC considered a number of variations on this theme, however no perfect phrase could be agreed upon.
Considerations included “at the centre”, “primary client”, “primary stakeholders” and “primary consideration” - however each was disregarded as either:-‐ being too permissive and not addressing the need for boundaries within the relationship, -‐ treating young people like a commodity, -‐ lacking the sense of responsibility and accountability that the youth worker has for the young
person, and/or -‐ not denoting how this link affects the actions of the youth worker.
The words “primary constituent” was seen as the closest label for this concept by the PAC, however it is acknowledged that the phrase is imperfect.
Youth work is founded in relationships. It is the strong, respectful, trust-based relationship between youth workers and young people that allows youth workers to do their jobs.
PAC Notes: The relational aspect of youth work came through strongly in the consultation process towards a definition of youth work by the Youth Affairs Network of Queensland, and other source documents. This concept denotes the a key aspect of the youth work approach, in that it places primacy on the relationships that young people have, including the
“PRIMARY CONSTITUENTS”
Primary /praɪməәrɪ/ (say kon'stichoohuhnt) -
1. first in importance, degree, rank, etc.
Constituent /kɒnˈstɪtʃuəәnt/
(say kon'stichoohuhnt) 1. one that authorises another to act as a
representative; a client.
“RELATIONAL” /rəәˈleɪʃəәnəәl/ (say ruh'layshuhnuhl)1. of or relating to relations. 2. indicating or specifying some relation.
relationship with their family and community context, with the youth worker, and with society in general.
The working relations between youth worker and young person are paramount to the way in which youth workers achieve positive outcomes for young people. Improving and supporting the relations between young people and those around them are also key to achieving the outcomes of youth work.
Youth workers work alongside young people in their context. This means youth workers recognise the impact of that context when working. Context includes things at all levels; place, culture, family, peer group, community, society. Youth workers don’t just limit their work
to the individual young person.
PAC Notes: The PAC recognises that no young person is an island. Young people are affected by their context and shape their context. Therefore youth work must be both mindful of context and have an impact on this context where appropriate. Whilst recognising young people as the primary constituent, the sphere of intervention of the youth worker may also include work with their families, their communities, school systems, government decisions that affect their constituents, etc.
In youth work, ‘Agency’ encompasses the concepts of empowerment, independence and participation. If a young person has ‘Agency’ they are able to take control of their experience and make informed decisions. They can own their identity and pursue the lives they choose. They are able to participate in the decisions that impact their lives, whether that be day to day experiences, or the decisions that are part of being an adult citizen, such as input into services, or who runs the government. Youth workers work to facilitate that empowerment, independence and participation.
PAC Notes: The PAC felt that agency was the best term to encompass the important elements of youth work, although it was recognised that the term is not yet commonly used or understood across all parts of the sector. It also encompasses the important role of identity in the lives of young people.
The PAC also discussed the importance of a “non-judgmental” approach to facilitating the agency of young people. Whilst there are a number of circumstances where actions and behaviours by young people will require the exercise of judgment based on youth work expertise, the agency of the young person should not be called into question by the youth worker.
“CONTEXT” /ˈkɒntɛkst/
(say 'kontekst)
1. the circumstances or facts that
surround a particular situation, event,
etc.
“AGENCY” /ˈeɪdʒəәnsi/ (say 'ayjuhnsee) 1. the state of being in action or of exerting power; action; operation: the agency of Providence. 2. a mode of exerting power; a means of producing effects; instrumentality: by the agency of friends.
Youth workers work to facilitate the connection of young people to others around them (family, community, peer groups, society). Usually, the youth worker is a connection in place only for a defined period and those other, long term connections are needed for young people to
thrive.
PAC Notes: PAC members noted that positive youth work continues to maintain and support the connections between young people and the people around them, that can play an important role in their lives.
Because of their age or social standing, young people’s rights are often not protected. For example, this can include their legal, civic, economic, social, cultural, political, or human rights. Youth workers work to protect the rights young people have and to facilitate young people receiving the rights they are due.
PAC Notes: Victorian and Queensland frameworks contain strong connections to the rights-based approach to youth work, which can also be seen throughout the history of youth work in Australia. The approach ensures that anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practices are maintained, as it recognises young people as whole human beings with inherent rights that youth workers assist in realising.
“CONNECTEDNESS” /kəәˈnɛktəәdnəәs
(say kuh'nektuhdnis)Derivative of “connected”
Connected /kəәˈnɛktəәd/ (say kuh'nektuhd)
1. joined together
“RIGHTS” /raɪt/ (say ruyt) 1. that which is due to anyone by just claim: to give one his right or his rights.
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