Youth Work

The aim of this module is to introduce social care work students to practices and issues relevant to contemporary youth work in Ireland.  As a sector youth work engages with young people from diverse social, cultural and economic backgrounds. Youth work requires team work, self-awareness, reflective practice, the ability to identify needs, plan, evaluate and implement participatory interventions and be able to practice safely and effectively within the legal, ethical and practice boundaries of the profession. 

This module maps to the CORU Standards of Proficiency below: 

1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 1.8, 1.9, 1.17, 1.18, 1.21, 1.22, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14, 2.15, 2.16, 3.6, 3.7, 3.11, 3.14, 3.15, 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.12, 5.13, 5.14, and 5.16. 

1. Describe contemporary youth work theory, policy, practices and issues to evidence an understanding of how to practise safely and effectively within the legal, ethical and practice boundaries of the profession (1.1, 1.6, 1.8, 1.22, 3.7,4.4, 5.1, 5.2, 5.13, 5.14.)

2. Critically evaluate the relationship between youth work and other professions within wider society to be able to maintain professional boundaries with service users and to evaluate their own characteristics, values and practice with service users and others.  (1.22,5.2, 5.14)

3. Apply the acquired knowledge of professional youth work concepts to various youth work contexts recognising the importance of working in a non-discriminatory, culturally sensitive way which is respectfully of beliefs and cultural practices. (1.8, 1.21, 2.3, 2.15, 2.16, 3.6, 3.7, 5.13, 5.14)

4. Identify a range of youth work agencies and complementary services understanding the role of policy and systems in place to protect the health, safety, welfare, equality and dignity of service users, staff and volunteers (1.9,  2.6, 2.13, 2.14, 3.11, 3.15, 5.13)

5. Prepare a youth needs analysis and design, implement and evaluate an intervention to respond to the identified need.  (1.3, 1.9, 1.18, 2.2, 2.6, 2.12. 2.13, 3.11, 3.14, 3.15, 4.3, 5.2, 5.3, 5.12, 5.16)

6. Critically appraise the role of the individual working in youth work as a social change agent applying principle of social justice, equality and inclusion and challenging unjust policies and practices (1.2,  1.17, 5.2)

7. Describe the relationship between theory, policy and practice as a basis for continuing professional development (1.9, 1.17, 5.2)