What is youth work?

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What is youth work?
According to the Youth Work Act (2001) youth work is a planned programme of educational design for the purpose of aiding and enhancing the personal and social development of young persons through their voluntary participation and which is complimentary to their formal, academic or vocational training and is provided primarily by voluntary youth work organisations
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Youth Work usually takes place in youth centres.  These youth centres have equipment and resources which has been selected by young people e.g Playstations, pool tables, dart board, Table Tennis.  Even cooking equipment and a snack or drink. 
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Youth Work provides opportunities for young people to participate in programmes and activities.  Examples of what happens in a youth group include 
•	Creative Arts
•	Sports
•	STEAM 
•	Cookery 
•	Trips and Events
•	Personal Development Programmes 
•	Music 
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he relationship between the youth worker and the young people is central to all aspects of youth work.  Youth Work provides young people with the opportunity to make decisions about things that affect them.  All youth work activity is young person led and needs based.  Young people decide what happens in their youth group.  Young people participate in youth work activity on a voluntary basis.  
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Youth Work provides young people with a warm, safe and healthy environment to meet up and hang out with friends, to take part in a range of needs based, structured programmes and activities, to interact with positive adult role models, avail of up to date relevant and accurate information on issues that affect them, get support for formal education and the opportunity to take part in a range of activities and events that they may otherwise not have access to. 
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What does a Youth Worker do? 
Youth Workers build and develop positive relationships with young people.  They can adapt what happens and how they work according to the individual needs of the young people.  They promote positive relationships with young people taking part in planned activities and programmes. They offer young people the support that they require to face the challenges that they meet along the way.  Youth Workers promote equality and provide learning opportunities for young people.  Youth workers are supportive and non-judgmental
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What do Youth Work Organisations do?  
As local youth services – the way of work is all about a young persons right to participate in life AS FOLLOWS;
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Who do we work  with? 
As an integrated youth service, youth work organisations can work with all young people aged 8 to 25. 
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What local services do? 
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How Youth Work helps communities (young people)?
As a result of participation in youth work, young people will:
•	Reach the stage where they are capable of taking responsibility for their own actions and therefore become positive, active members of their community.
•	Have developed the life skills to make healthy lifestyle choices. 
•	Have the ability to influence positive social change.
•	Form their own beliefs and values.
•	Discover how they feel, believe and understand the world.
In Ireland, there are principal themes for building policies for children and young people from government, agencies, and sectors which have a role and responsibility for working with children and young people.  These are called National Outcomes and are under further development with the Department of, Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
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The rights of a child – in Ireland – or anywhere… All children in Ireland and around the world, have the same rights – the right to survive, to thrive and to fulfil their potential.
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The Convention on the Rights of the Child explains that children and young people are still growing and developing and require extra protection from adults because of their age. This convention was particularly controversial to opponents who were focused on human rights being an individual right, rather than a right for a group. 
Adults and governments have the responsibility of ensuring that the rights of children and young people are upheld and not ignored.
The four principles that underpin the CRoC are: 
-	Non-discrimination: These human rights relate to all children and young people under the age of 18, regardless of where they are born. 
-	The best interest of the child: All decisions made by adults and governments should always be in the best interest of the child 
-	Surviving, thriving and flourishing: Children and young people have the right to life, and access to opportunities to grow, develop and learn in order to reach their potential. 
-	Participation and a voice: Children and young people have the right to be consulted and have a say in decisions regarding their lives (UNICEF n.d.). Organisations around the world such as UNICEF work tirelessly to ensure that governments and communities are protecting and upholding the rights of children and young people. 
Youth Workers and other adults that work with young people always work from the principles of the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
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In communities where young people are being excluded from decision making, exploited or abused, Youth Workers play a vital advocacy role to speak up against inhumane treatment and policy making that is not in the best interest of young people. Human rights education is one way to raise awareness about human rights and empower children and young people (www.youthworkandyou.org )
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“United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the child”- Queen’s University Belfast have put together a clip explaining the CROC:
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What is youth work?
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According to the Youth Work Act (2001) youth work is a planned programme of educational design for the purpose of aiding and enhancing the personal and social development of young persons through their voluntary participation and which is complimentary to their formal, academic or vocational training and is provided primarily by voluntary youth work organisations
﻿
Youth Work usually takes place in youth centres.  These youth centres have equipment and resources which has been selected by young people e.g Playstations, pool tables, dart board, Table Tennis.  Even cooking equipment and a snack or drink. 
﻿
Youth Work provides opportunities for young people to participate in programmes and activities.  Examples of what happens in a youth group include 
•	Creative Arts
•	Sports
•	STEAM 
•	Cookery 
•	Trips and Events
•	Personal Development Programmes 
•	Music 
﻿
he relationship between the youth worker and the young people is central to all aspects of youth work.  Youth Work provides young people with the opportunity to make decisions about things that affect them.  All youth work activity is young person led and needs based.  Young people decide what happens in their youth group.  Young people participate in youth work activity on a voluntary basis.  
﻿
Youth Work provides young people with a warm, safe and healthy environment to meet up and hang out with friends, to take part in a range of needs based, structured programmes and activities, to interact with positive adult role models, avail of up to date relevant and accurate information on issues that affect them, get support for formal education and the opportunity to take part in a range of activities and events that they may otherwise not have access to. 
﻿
What does a Youth Worker do? 
Youth Workers build and develop positive relationships with young people.  They can adapt what happens and how they work according to the individual needs of the young people.  They promote positive relationships with young people taking part in planned activities and programmes. They offer young people the support that they require to face the challenges that they meet along the way.  Youth Workers promote equality and provide learning opportunities for young people.  Youth workers are supportive and non-judgmental
﻿
What do Youth Work Organisations do?  
As local youth services – the way of work is all about a young persons right to participate in life AS FOLLOWS;
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