About this resource
Youth workers often balance young people's right to make choices with duty of care. This guide walks through the situation, risks, the young person's views and capacity, options, consultation with a supervisor and documentation, within legal and organisational obligations.
Purpose
To support thoughtful, defensible decisions where rights and safety must be balanced.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Youth workers. Also relevant for community services and case workers, educators and school support staff.
Client or participant group: Youth workers.
Practice setting: Youth services.
Suggested uses
- Practice decisions
- Supervision
- Training
- Reviewing decisions
Instructions for practitioners
- Involve the young person in decisions.
- Consider age, maturity and legal obligations.
- Consult your supervisor.
- Act immediately where there is serious risk of harm.
Accessibility considerations
Editable HTML source available for adaptation.
Scope and limitations
A decision guide. It does not replace legal advice, organisational policies or mandatory reporting obligations.
Research basis
Clinical supervision and structured reflection support learning, safe practice and professional development. Human rights frameworks and research on the dignity of risk support people's right to make their own choices, including choices that involve some risk.
- Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic. https://thoughtsmostlyaboutlearning.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/learning-by-doing-graham-gibbs.pdf
- Ibrahim, J. E., & Davis, M. (2013). Impediments to applying the ‘dignity of risk’ principle in residential aged care services. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 32(3), 188–193. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajag.12014
- Milne, D. (2007). An empirical definition of clinical supervision. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 46(4), 437–447. https://doi.org/10.1348/014466507x197415
- United Nations. (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities
What is included
A 2-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced.
