The Toolkit provides a clear and accessible blueprint for best practice in youth work and is designed to be used in all aspects of youth work delivery ranging from voluntary clubs and groups to regional youth services with employed staff.
The contents of the Toolkit are:
Essential Guidelines for Good Youth Work Practice
These essential guidelines cover three areas of youth work practice:
- Youth worker and young person
- Programme provision & development
- Policy & service development
Other Resources
The Other Resources section contains the following range of aids and supports to help enhance your policy and practice. These are intended to be used in conjunction with the Essential Guidelines for Good Youth Work Practice.
Advocacy
This guide will help in developing a policy on how to understand and implement good advocacy practice
Behaviour Management
This guide will help in developing policies and procedures for creating an environment that promotes mutual respect and modes positive behaviour
Child Protection and Welfare
This guide will help in developing a policy on child protection and welfare that is consistent with current legislation and national guidelines
Critical Incident Management
This guide will help in developing policies and procedures for when an unexpected and traumatic event occurs
Detached Work
This guide will help in developing a policy on youth work programmes that happen in places that are not controlled or managed by the youth worker
Diversity and Equality
This guide will help in developing a policy on managing diversity and equality issues within the youth project/service
Drugs and Alcohol
This guide will help in developing a policy on the effects of drugs and alcohol use on those attending or working in the youth project/service
Group Work
This guide will help in developing a policy and guidelines on good youth work practice for youth workers
Health & Safety
This guide will help in developing a clear and effective Health & Safety policy for the youth project/service
Interactive Technology
This guide will help in developing a policy on the proper use of interactive technology with the youth project/service
One to One Work
This guide will help in developing a policy on One-to-One work for youth workers in the youth project/service
Outreach Work
This guide will help in developing a policy on outreach work for youth workers in the youth project/service
Providing Information
This guide will help in developing a policy on providing information to and about young people taking into account legal and ethical considerations
Recording Information
This guide will help in developing a policy on recording information in which the rights of individuals are safeguarded in relation to the processing of their personal records and data
Residentials / Trips Away
This guide will help in developing a policy a clear and effective policy on activities outside of the youth project/service premises
Training
This guide will help in developing a planned, systematic and strategic training policy for youth workers
Volunteering
This guide will help in developing a volunteer policy for your youth project/service incorporating clear guidelines and protocols both for the volunteer and for the professional colleague working alongside them
Working with other Agencies
This guide will set out some of the issues involved in developing a clear and systematic approach to interagency work
Sample Forms
This document contains a range of useful sample forms many of which are based on forms currently in use in youth projects/services
Framework for Potential and Needs Assessment
This framework provides guidance to help youth workers carry out a potential and needs assessment process with young people
Framework for Complaints Procedure
This framework will provide guidance to create a clearly defined complaints procedure for the youth project/service
Framework for Charter of Rights
This framework provides guidance to create a formal statement that clearly states the rights that young people have within the youth project/service
Framework for Report on a Young Person
This framework provides useful guidance on preparing a report on a young person
