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Title / Develop and maintain intentional relationships with young people in youth development settings
Level / 5 / Credits / 15
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: discuss the central role relationships play in supporting positive youth development, and the key considerations and limitations with regards to forming intentional relationships with young people; evaluate strategies and communication technologies used to build and maintain intentional relationships with individuals and groups of young people;propose and justify a strategy to engage, establish connection and build rapport with young people taking into account their key characteristics; build an intentional face to face relationship with young people and maintain it over time; and use practice supervision to reflect on building intentional relationships with young people to support positive youth development and plan for further professional development.
Classification / Social Services > Youth Development
Available grade / Achieved
Entry information
Recommended skills and knowledge / Unit 26124, Use understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi to propose a Treaty partnership approach to youth development; Unit 26125, Use knowledge of human development theory to develop positive youth development practice; and Unit 26126, Use theory and knowledge of youth culture and identity formation to prepare for youth development work; or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1This unit standard is underpinned by the principle in the Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa[1] (YDSA) that youth development “happens through quality relationships”. It prepares people to use their knowledge and understanding of youth development practice to work with young people, and to practice accountably within established organisational policies, procedures and protocols.
2When contributing to achievement of a degree or any degree-related qualification, assessment of this unit standard must be integrated within an approved programme of study. Those providers wishing to offer a degree programme containing this standard are referred to CMR 0222 for further information on requirements.
3Glossary:
Communication technologies are technologies used to facilitate communication. They include but are not limited to – mobile phone, telephone, text/SMS, e-mail, instant messaging, social networking sites, blogs, web forums.
Culturally safe practice is practising in a way that recognises and respects people’s cultural differences. It has been defined by Williams (1999, p. 213)[2] as the creation of an environment “…where there is no assault, challenge or denial of their identity, of who they are and what they need. It is about shared respect, shared meaning, shared knowledge and experience of learning together.”
Culture is the set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterises an institution, organisation or group.
Group is three or more young people meeting together and connected by a common interest or activity.
Informed consent is agreement to a procedure given by a person with the full knowledge of the process used, the risks involved, probable consequences and alternatives.
Intentional relationships mean relationships established and maintained for a professional purpose. These recognise that the requirements of a professional relationship differ from a personal or whakapapa relationship and need to be managed carefully to ensure professional and personal boundaries are maintained.
Positive youth development means building on young people’s strengths, interests, skills, and abilities to support their transition from childhood to adulthood. It focuses on engaging youth to take responsibility for their own well-being and that of their wider community, now and in the future.
Practice supervision is a contracted relationship with a skilled peer who provides a safe context to reflect on and review aspects of, or episodes in, a professional’s practice. It involves a worker meeting with an independent person who has advanced experience, knowledge and practice skills, including skills in supervisory practice. Practice supervision happens either inside or outside the workplace in a confidential setting.
Resilience is the positive capacity of people to cope with stress and catastrophe. It is also used to indicate a characteristic of resistance to future negative events. In this sense ‘resilience’ corresponds to cumulative ‘protective factors’ and is used in opposition to cumulative ‘risk factors’.
Subculture means a group of people with cultural practices that differentiates them from a larger cultural group to which they belong. In the case of young people youth-subcultures have been associated with elements such as fashion, beliefs, slang, dialects, behaviours or interests. Many youth subcultures are associated with specific genres of music, and in some cases music has been the primary characteristic of the group.
Youth/young people are people between the ages of 12 and 24.
4Assessment notes:
This unit standard may be assessed against evidence of demonstrated performance in the workplace and/or through the use of simulated workplace settings in an educational environment. Workplace settings can include field or practice learning placements.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Discuss the central role relationships play in supporting positive youth development, and the key considerations and limitations with regards to forming intentional relationships with young people.
Evidence requirements
1.1Role of relationships in supporting positive youth development is discussed.
Rangediscussion includes but is not limited to – the role of relationship in building a young person’s confidence, resilience, social connection, citizenship and social responsibility.
1.2Key considerations when forming intentional relationships with young people are discussed.
Rangediscussion includes but is not limited to – transparency and equality in dealings with young people; creating and maintaining culturally and age-appropriate physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual boundaries; confidentiality and informed consent.
1.3Limitations in forming intentional relationships with young people are discussed.
Rangediscussion includes – limitations with regard to own role, skills and competencies; limitations caused by differences in culture, beliefs, values and personal agendas; organisational constraints; role boundaries in relation to other youth development workers and other professionals within the wider community.
Outcome 2
Evaluate strategies and communication technologies used to build and maintain intentional relationships with individuals and groups of young people.
Evidence requirements
2.1Strategies to build and maintain intentional relationships with young people are evaluated.
Rangetwo strategies, one of which should be appropriate for use with young people from a cultural background different to the candidate’s own.
Evaluation includes – strengths and limitations with regard to use in building and maintaining relationships with both individuals and groups of two or more young people; cultural, sexual and ethical considerations in use of the strategy; application of strategy to a range of young people including those of different cultures, subcultures and belief systems; barriers to the use of the strategy; and approaches used to overcome any barriers to the use of the strategy.
2.2Communication technologies used to build and maintain intentional relationships with young people are evaluated.
Rangetwo communication technologies.
Evaluation includes – strengths and limitations with regard to use in building and maintaining relationships with individuals and groups of three or more young people; cultural, sexual and ethical considerations in use of the communication technology; application of the communication technology to a range of young people including those of different cultures, subcultures and belief systems; barriers to the use of the communication technology; and strategies used to overcome any barriers to the use of the communication technology.
Outcome 3
Propose and justify a strategy to engage, establish connection and build rapport with young people, taking into account their key characteristics.
Rangetwo individual young people, one of whom should be from a cultural background different to the candidate’s own, and one group of young people.
Evidence requirements
3.1Young people’s key characteristics are determined in consultation with young people.
Rangekey characteristics include – identity as described by the individual and group, cultural background, interests, values and beliefs, education background, employment status.
3.2Strategy for engaging and establishing a connection with young people is proposed and justified with regards to its fit with their key characteristics.
3.3Strategy for building rapport with young people is proposed and justified with regards to its fit with their key characteristics.
Outcome 4
Build an intentional face-to-face relationship with young people and maintain it over time.
Rangeevidence of three one-to-one relationships and one, one-to-many (ie at least three) relationship with young people. One relationship should be with Māori and one with young people from a cultural background different to the candidate’s own.
Evidence requirements
4.1Intentional relationship is successfully built with young people.
RangeEvidence supports the following indicators of a successful intentional relationship, including but not limited to – young people accurately describe the purpose and intention of the relationship; young people participate in the relationship, communicating and sharing information, thoughts and feelings freely; young people feel safe, listened to, valued for who they are and their concerns and motivations are acknowledged.
4.2Purposeful interactions with young people are maintained over the period of the relationship.
Rangerelationship is maintained over a minimum of a three week period.
Evidence supports the following indicators of purposeful interactions, including but not limited to – young people attend scheduled activities/meetings/ appointments; young people participate in agreed activities; young people meet agreed commitments and/or performance levels; young people maintain contact through agreed mechanisms; information is shared openly and honestly; young people know what is expected of them.
4.3Processes used to build and maintain intentional relationships are culturally safe and any differences are handled respectfully.
RangeEvidence supports the following indicators of cultural safety, including but not limited to - differences between the young peoples and the candidate’s own cultural background, values, beliefs, social standing and economic background are handled respectfully.
Outcome 5
Use practice supervision to reflect on building intentional relationships with young people to support positive youth development and plan for further professional development.
Evidence requirements
5.1Practice supervision is used to reflect on actions taken and outcomes achieved in developing and maintaining intentional relationships with young people that support their positive development.
5.2Practice supervision is used to identify strengths and limitations in own ability to build and maintain intentional relationships that support positive youth development and to agree a plan that includes actions for the candidate to take to support their further professional development.
Planned review date / 31 December 2013Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 14 April 2011 / N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0222
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMRs). The CMR 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.
Community Support Services ITO Limited (Careerforce)SSB Code 101814 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018
[1]Page 7, Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa, accessed from
[2]Williams, R. (1999). Cultural safety: what does it mean for our work practice? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 23 (2), 213-214.