Copying and adapting these policies
YAPA owns the copyright to this document, and gives permission for you to use as little or as much as you need in your own documents (policies, training resources etc) as long as you acknowledge the source. You can freely copy and paste sections or whole policies into your agency's policy manual. (You can do this most easily by downloading the Microsoft Word version of this document.
However each agency and service is different and you must decide what is appropriate in your circumstances, and modify and add to these policies to suit. While reasonable care has been taken with the development of these model policies, your agency must take responsibility for drafting and approving its own policies.
Information boxes
The PDF and Word versions of these policies contain small text boxes with blue/purple borders.
These information boxes, scattered throughout the policies, are not necessarily intended to be included in your agency's policy. They are for the person who is drafting your agency policy, and contain things like:
- an instruction to insert agency-specific information
- background information about the model policy
- further issues to consider.
In some cases you may decide to leave this information in your finished policy to inform frontline staff.
Words and meanings
Some words are used in particular ways in these policies.
Activity or service
Any form of youth work eg. a video course, a counselling session, street work, etc.
Agency
The organisation (incorporated body or auspice) providing activities and services. (You may wish to replace this word with the actual name of your agency).
Young person/young people
A person/people aged about 12 years old or over, except where a policy specifies a narrower age range. (Some legal requirements reflected in some policies do not apply to younger, primary school aged children. If you work with younger children you should get your own advice on legal requirements which may apply).
Translating the positions in the policies into the positions in your agency
Staff
The policies refer to staff as the main people who should comply with the policy. Staff primarily means paid workers (youth workers, administration staff, managers etc) but in some contexts it also includes:
- volunteers
- management committee members
- students on placement
- contractors
when they are interacting with young people, exercising authority or sometimes just when they are on the premises. (For example, privacy policies require the compliance of all staff and even contractors such as cleaners and external computer people).
Volunteers
Volunteers includes management committee members, parents, young people and other volunteers who are helping out with an activity or service without being paid.
The Manager
Most policies refer to the Manager, as the key position of authority in the agency. In you agency the Manager might be:
- the Community Services Manager in a small council
- the Youth Development Officer in a large council
- the Regional or State Manager in a large charity
- the Coordinator/Director/Manager in a medium non-government organisation
- the Chairperson or Management Committee/Board in a small non-government organisation.
You may need to replace the Manager with different positions in different policies. For example you might replace the Manager with the Coordinator in most policies and with the Chairperson in a few policies.
Management
A few policies refer to management. Management is more senior than the Manager. Management might be:
- the Director of Community Services in a council
- the State Manager or Director in a large charity
- the Chairperson or management committee in a non-government organisation.
Policy waiver
You need a way that your policies can be waived when necessary. You might say something like this:
These policies can be waived by the Manager in exceptional circumstances. The Manager must report any waiving of a policy requirement in their next report.
More information about developing policies
See YAPA fact sheet on Developing your agency policies.
Feedback
YAPA would like any feedback you have on these model policies. Feel free to phone or email to let us know what you think. (02) 9319 1100 or 1800 627 323 (NSW only), or email YAPA.
If we have made a factual error, we will fix it as soon as possible. If you have suggestions for other changes or improvements, we will develop a list of these and try to get funding to revise the policies in future years.
Limitations of this information
Model Policies on working with young people, for non-residential youth services in NSW
written by Nick Manning
Published: 2004
Applicable to:
- NSW only
- youth workers in non-government agencies and local councils providing welfare, social or recreation services to young people
- may not be consistent with laws and guidelines in out-of-home care or health services
- young people: unless the text says otherwise, young person/people means people aged roughly 12-25 years old.
To the best of our knowledge this is an accurate summary of the relevant facts at the time of publishing, without the assumption of a duty of care. We have no health, occupational health and safety, or legal qualifications, unless stated above. This information is general and should not be relied on as a substitute for legal or other professional advice. You should refer to any publications and authorities listed above and if necessary get qualified advice for your specific situation.
Be careful! The model policies are for agencies to adapt to suit their circumstances. We have done the best we can within our resources, but it is not possible to write a single policy which meets the requirements of the wide range of youth services in NSW.
We have attempted to include all the relevant legal requirements as at 2004. However the law is sometimes complex and open to interpretation, and applies to different youth agencies in different ways.
