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Participate in networking in youth work

Level / 4
Credits / 3

PurposePeople credited with this unit standard are able to: describe and prioritise networking needs in youth work; identify networks in the community as a youth worker; and participate in a selected network in the community as a youth worker.

Subfield / Social Services
Domain / Youth Work
Status / Registered
Status date / 26 November 2007
Date version published / 26 November 2007
Planned review date / 31 December 2012
Entry information / Open.
Accreditation / Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and industry.
Standard setting body (SSB) / Community Support Services ITO Limited (Careerforce)
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference / 0222

This AMAP can be accessed at

Special notes

1People awarded credit for this unit standard are able to describe the meaning of the articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and the relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to youth work. They are able to apply this competence to the context of assessment against this unit standard. For further clarification, please refer to Unit 16844,Describe the meaning and relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in youth work.

2Glossary:

Characteristics and needs of youthmay be physical, spiritual, or mental. Characteristics include: age and stage of development, coping strategies, culture, disabilities, experience and knowledge, gender, health status, personal history, language, sexual orientation, socio-economic situation, risk and resiliency factors. Needs include physical comfort, safety, and privacy.

Community may include but is not limited to: a community of interest, a community of locality, a cultural community, a youth culture, or a kin group. People awarded credit for this unit standard demonstrate competence in one context.

Networking needs may include but are not limited to: consultation purposes; most effective service delivery; referral needs; cooperation and collaboration; support for youth; resources; information; education; peer group support; personal support and supervision for the youth worker.

A peer group may be based upon peer status that includes but is not limited to a common factor or combination of common factors such as: age; class; culture; employment; gender; health status; political or religious belief; sexual orientation.

3All communications with youth and networks are treated confidentially. The scope and limits of confidentiality are defined through negotiation and informed consent, and criteria established by legislation, ethical practice, and youth work agencyguidelines. In the context of this unit standard, sources of criteria established by legislation, ethical practice, and youth work agency guidelines include but are not limited to: Official Information Act 1982, Privacy Act 1993, youth work agencycodes of conduct, codes of practice issued by the Privacy Commissioner, youth work codes of ethics, and youth work agency protocols, staff manuals, strategic plans. Relevant additional legislation and the codes of conduct, and youth work agency guidelines will be determined according to the context of assessment.

4Resources:

aMinistry of Youth Affairs. 2002. Youth development strategy Aotearoa – Action for child and youth development. Wellington: Ministry of Youth Affairs. Available online from the Ministry of Youth Development ( along with supporting documents.

bUnited Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child and Convention on the Rights of the Child, which may be found online at:

Elements and performance criteria

Element 1

Describe and prioritise networking needs in youth work.

Performance criteria

1.1The networking needs of the youth work agency and youth worker are identified and described.

Rangeevidence is required of two networking needs.

1.2The identified networking needs are ranked according to the work priorities of the youth work agency and the youth worker.

Element 2

Identify networks in the community as a youth worker.

Performance criteria

2.1Networks in the community are identified by the youth worker in terms of relevance to identified networking needs.

Rangeevidence is required of identification of two networks that link to identified networking needs.

Element 3

Participate in a selected network in the community as a youth worker.

Performance criteria

3.1A network in the community is selected according to the identified networking priorities.

3.2The youth worker's participation in the network demonstrates the ability to engage in reciprocal relationships with other network members.

3.3Communications with the network maintain confidentiality according to criteria established by legislation, code of conduct, and youth work agency guidelines.

3.4Participation is evaluated in terms of the benefits and costs of participation and the networking priorities of the youth worker.

Rangebenefits and costs of participation may include but are not limited to – benefits and costs to the youth work agency, the youth worker, and youth; professional development; financial costs; human resources; workload.

Evidence is required of two benefits and two costs.

Please note

Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.

Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.

Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.

Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.

Comments on this unit standard

Please contact the Community Support Services ITO Limited (Careerforce) if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.

 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018