NZQA registered unit standard
26129 version 1
Page 1 of 6
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
1
1Page
This unit standard is underpinned by the principle in the Youth Development Strategy
Aotearoa1 (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.
7, Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa, accessed from http://www.myd.govt.nz/aboutmyd/publications/youth-development-strategy-aotearoa.html
Community Support Services ITO Limited
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
(Careerforce)
SSB Code 101814
NZQA registered unit standard
26129 version 1
Page 2 of 6
2
When 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.
3
Glossary:
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 youthsubcultures 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.
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.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
(Careerforce)
SSB Code 101814
NZQA registered unit standard
4
26129 version 1
Page 3 of 6
Assessment 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
1.1
Role of relationships in supporting positive youth development is discussed.
Range
1.2
Key considerations when forming intentional relationships with young people
are discussed.
Range
1.3
discussion includes but is not limited to – the role of relationship in
building a young person’s confidence, resilience, social
connection, citizenship and social responsibility.
discussion 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.
Limitations in forming intentional relationships with young people are discussed.
Range
discussion 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
2.1
Strategies to build and maintain intentional relationships with young people are
evaluated.
Range
two strategies, one of which should be appropriate for use with
young people from a cultural background different to the
candidate’s own.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
(Careerforce)
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
26129 version 1
Page 4 of 6
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.
2.2
Communication technologies used to build and maintain intentional
relationships with young people are evaluated.
Range
two 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.
Range
two 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
3.1
Young people’s key characteristics are determined in consultation with young
people.
Range
key characteristics include – identity as described by the individual
and group, cultural background, interests, values and beliefs,
education background, employment status.
3.2
Strategy for engaging and establishing a connection with young people is
proposed and justified with regards to its fit with their key characteristics.
3.3
Strategy for building rapport with young people is proposed and justified with
regards to its fit with their key characteristics.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
(Careerforce)
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
26129 version 1
Page 5 of 6
Outcome 4
Build an intentional face-to-face relationship with young people and maintain it over time.
Range
evidence 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
4.1
Intentional relationship is successfully built with young people.
Range
4.2
Purposeful interactions with young people are maintained over the period of the
relationship.
Range
4.3
Evidence 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.
relationship 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.
Processes used to build and maintain intentional relationships are culturally
safe and any differences are handled respectfully.
Range
Evidence 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
5.1
Practice 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.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
(Careerforce)
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
5.2
26129 version 1
Page 6 of 6
Practice 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 2013
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
14 April 2011
N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0222
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
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)
info@careerforce.org.nz 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 2016