Upcoming Events

  • No upcoming events
Menu
Log in
Forgot password


Search
Log in
Forgot password


WA Youth Work Code of Ethics - Review

The Western Australian Youth Work Code of Ethics was first established in 2007 and is held in partnership between Youth Work WA and the Youth Affairs Council of WA (YACWA). The Code of Ethics was last reviewed in 2014 - it's time for a refresh!

We're inviting you to an online launch where we will discuss the process behind the Code of Ethics review, the key themes that arose during, key changes that have been made to the Code, and finally, share the final product with you!

The session will also share a link to the resources which will be ready for download and invite you and/or your organisation to book in for Code of Ethics Training. 

Register here for the Online Launch


Sector consultation Timeline

Sector Workshops, May - June 2024:

To assist us with the review, we engaged human centered design specialists - Tolchard, led by Tom Tolchard and Nina Ulyett.

A series of six online workshops were held which explored key themes of the current Western Australian Youth Work Code of Ethics, ways to adapt or add new sections, and above all, explore consistency and usefulness to young people, front line youth workers and youth work organisations.

High level feedback included:

  • Aboriginal perspectives: the Code should acknowledge and recognise First Nations culture and perspectives.
  • Contemporary factors: Global events and societal shifts have evolved youth work, including the move to online services post-COVID-19, a focus on Child Safe practices due to mandatory reporting for some, and the rise of Lived Experience and Peer Work roles.
  • Need to increase acknowledgement of different contexts for regional Youth Workers.
  • Youth Work is now more professionalised - the Code is appreciated as a standard to support YW and provide a baseline for all workers and volunteers.
  • The Code is useful to articulate to other orgs what Youth Work is and how they will operate.

Reference Group, June - August 2024:

  • A Reference Group with 13 leaders from across the youth work sector was formed, this equaled a collective total of approximately 250 years of experience!
  • Members of the Reference Group represented Youth Workers from the Not for Profit, Local Government, tertiary education, peak body, regional sectors, and one young person.
  • Each Reference Group member brought their professional experience to the group and represented their relevant stakeholder group from the WA youth work sector.
  • The Reference Group assisted us to work through several iterations of the draft Code and oversee and provide feedback on the process that was undertaken.

Sector Survey, September 2024:

  • A short survey to the WA youth work sector was distributed to gain thoughts and feedback on the final draft of the Code. 
  • 32 responses were received, with 84% of those stating the revised code met their expectations.
  • Most of the feedback was regarding minor wording changes which was adopted. 



What happens next?

We still have a bit of work to do!

We are so happy to have the final code complete to launch, but we are also now busy:

  • Re-writing the case studies and examples that sit alongside the Code of Ethics
  • Re-designing the graphics on all documentation and materials
  • 'Testing' the draft version of the Code with young people to seek their feedback
  • Launching the revised versions of the Code of Ethics along with refreshed Code of Ethics training

Youth Work WA would like to acknowledge that the 2024 Review was made possible by a grant from the Department of Communities. 



Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software