Mana Taiohi

EXPLORE

• Run a training or discussion on what a strengths-based approach is and how that translates into our work with young people. See resources below for possible trainers.
• See the Whanaungatanga section of Mana Taiohi for guidance on how to do this within the context of mandated relationships with young people.

• Run a training or discussion on using a strengths-based approach in individual or group practice with young people. See resources below for possible trainers.

• Engage with young people you work with to identify what their strengths are and how they could support needs they see in their family, whānau or community.
• See the Hononga section of Mana Taiohi for guidance on how to identify your community and strengthen key connections.

• Run a team-based process or training to identify your individual and team strengths and how you can best draw on these in your broader team and work environment.
• Check out Gallup Strengths Finder and take the Strengths Finder test or try out VIA. Strengths Network can help you find local strengths coaches. You could consider this as part of your professional development programme.
• Review resources and promotional material with young people engaging with your organisation to assess how young people are being portrayed.

DEVELOP AND EMBED

• Talk with the young people engaging with your organisation about how to incorporate community strengths into your programmes or one-on-one work with young people. This could include traditional practices, rituals, concepts or history.

• Learn more about what the Mana Taiohi Mana – Strengths-based Principle means
• Check out the following clauses from Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa:
  • 16 Āhua Pononga/Working Positively
• Read the Mana section of Ngā Tikanga Whānaketanga – He Arotake Tuhinga, our Review of Youth Development Research in Aotearoa
• Find out more about the strengths-based approach here:
  • Strengths Network South Pacific
  • 40 Developmental Assets
  • 5 C’s
  • Circle of Courage
  • Aotearoa-based indigenous models that are inherently strengths-based such as Te Whare Tapa Wha
  • VIA
  • Te Wheke
  • 5 Column Tool
  • Find training on the 5 Column Tool here

DEVELOP AND EMBED

• Have a discussion with your team about how you could create more space for young people to develop their identity.

• Identify and seek training from a disability provider to assist in making appropriate adaptations to your programme to cater for all levels of abilities. You could check out Enabling Good Lives for ideas on how to support people with mixed abilities.

• Engage with Te Ngākau Kahukura, Rainbow Training and Guidance for the Youth Sector, local Rainbow organisations or gender-specific organisations to develop your organisation’s competency in this space.

• Identify local groups who you could seek support from to upskill in the area of culture and traditions, e.g. local marae, cultural centre, church, mosque, etc.

• Identify local groups who you could seek support from to upskill in the area of social circles and influences, e.g. youth centre, youth group, etc.

• Learn more about what the Mana Taiohi Mauri Principle means
• Check out the following Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa clauses:
  • 15 Hakapakaritanga/Working Holistically
• Read the Mauri section of Ngā Tikanga Whānaketanga – He Arotake Tuhinga, our Review of Aotearoa New Zealand Youth Development Research.

DEVELOP AND EMBED

• Run a training with your team to help them understand how to support young people to identify their whakapapa (whatever their cultural background). This could be in a one-on-one, a group session, training or course – if you’ve done this before, perhaps it’s time for a refresher, or ask your team how they can be resourced further.

• Incorporate individual or group discussions into your professional development programme that encourage self-reflective practice to explore how our own worldview could influence the work we do with young people.
  • Use Clause 10 Utu Painga – Personal Agendas of the Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa to help facilitate discussion.

• Develop an ongoing orientation, regular and refresher training programme for all staff on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the impact of colonisation on young people.

• Build your organisation’s history into your induction process and where appropriate run a refresher meeting for your team to remind them where you have come from.

• Build the pre-colonial history of youth development into your induction process and where appropriate run a refresher meeting for your team to remind them about the history of youth development in Aotearoa.

• Learn more about what the Mana Taiohi Whakapapa Principle means.
• Check out the following Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa clauses:
  • 10 Utu Painga – Personal Agendas
  • 12 Āhua me ta Oranga/ Diversity and Cultural Safety
  • 25 Māramatia/ Understanding Aotearoa
• Read the Whakapapa section of Ngā Tikanga Whānaketanga – He Arotake Tuhinga, our Review of Aotearoa New Zealand Youth Development Research
• Māorimaps.com to find iwi connections.
• Kaiparahuarahi

You have shown understanding of the importance of hononga and recognise all the connected relationships in a young person’s world (whānau, peers, school, the community), and the places and spaces that nourish these.

You are a leader in the sector when it comes to young people identifying and strengthening these connections and an absolute asset to youth development in Aotearoa.

• Take the time to celebrate as an organisation your strengths and areas of transformative practice!
• We’d love to hear more about what you’re doing and please let us know if you’d be willing to be a tuakana to others in the sector.
• You could consider presenting on your mahi at Involve, youth work hui, research symposium or other conferences (see here for a calendar of events), sharing your learning and resources with others through local networks, Ara Taiohi or other means, celebrating your work with young people and the community, or getting your programmes or services reviewed or researched so that the knowledge can be more widely shared.
• And there’s always more we can do! We’d encourage you to consider how you can maintain and consolidate your level of practice, particularly making sure that knowledge is held across the organisation. See below for reading and resources.

• Learn more about what the Mana Taiohi Hononga Principle means
• Check out the following Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa clauses:
  • 12 Āhua me ta Oranga/ Diversity and Cultural Safety
  • 13 Papakainga – Ensuring Key Connections
  • 14 Tautauamoa – Working Collaboratively
• See
  • BronfenBrenner’s 4 Worlds Tool,
  • HEEADSSS (used in a strengths-based way) or
  • Te Whare Tapa Wha for ideas on a framework.
• Also
  • MyRivr,
  • the Family Services Directory
  • and your local networks could provide practical avenues to connect young people to these key social environments.

EXPLORE

• Work with your team to develop or review your policies to ensure Te Tiriti o Waitangi is considered in all of your work.

• Consider how to include references to young people as local, regional, national and international citizens in the development of your programmes.
  You could ask young people what area of interest they have, then engage with with Local Government, the Ministry of Youth Development or UNCROC.

• Incorporate individual or team discussions on human rights and discrimination training for all staff working with young people.

• Hold a session with your team to identify how you could better empower young people. And/or training on youth participation. Contact Ara Taiohi for more information on where you could find this training.

• Learn more about what the Mana Taiohi Te Ao Taiohi Principle means
• Check out the following Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa clauses:
  • 22 Ōu Tikanga – Rights and Responsibilities
  • 24 Kawenga – Agents of Change

You have shown understanding of the importance of recognising whanaungatanga; investing in high trust relationships that are reciprocal, genuine and authentic.

You are a leader in the sector when it comes to supporting young people to maintain a strong foundation of belonging and an absolute asset to youth development in Aotearoa.

• Take the time to celebrate as an organisation your strengths and areas of transformative practice!
• We’d love to hear more about what you’re doing and please let us know if you’d be willing to be a tuakana to others in the sector.
• You could consider presenting on your mahi at Involve, youth work hui, research symposium or other conferences (see here for a calendar of events), sharing your learning and resources with others through local networks, Ara Taiohi or other means, celebrating your work with young people and the community, or getting your programmes or services reviewed or researched so that the knowledge can be more widely shared.
• And there’s always more we can do! We’d encourage you to consider how you can maintain and consolidate your level of practice, particularly making sure that knowledge is held across the organisation. See below for reading and resources.

• Learn more about what the Mana Taiohi Whanaungatanga Principle means.
• Check out the following Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa clauses:
  • 1-12 in the Quality Relationships Section
  • 19 Matatau – Personal Awareness
• Read the Whanaungatanga section of Ngā Tikanga Whānaketanga – He Arotake Tuhinga, our Review of Aotearoa New Zealand Youth Development Research
• Code of Ethics Trainers (Contact Ara Taiohi for more information)
• NZ Youth Mentoring Network Resources

EXPLORE

• Identify how feedback from young people could be incorporated to ensure a supportive and caring environment is created for all young people. You could use a holistic model like Te Whare Tapa Wha to support this process.

• Develop a risk management policy to ensure best practice in working with young people. For example we recommend checking out either Community Net or reaching out to your networks for support or assistance. Most organisations are very willing to share their policy docs.

• Review any legislative changes to do with young people and identify any changes that need to be made to your organisation. You could check out Community Net, Youth Law, your local Community Law Centre or Citizen’s Advice Bureau for information on the latest changes.

DEVELOP AND EMBED

• Support all staff working directly with young people to access external supervision. Check out the Supervision Directory for possible supervisors in your area.

• Identify and embed regular individual and group processes which support self-care and reflective practice in your organisation.

• Develop policies and processes to upskill any staff working with young people who are not suitably qualified, experienced or trained to work with young people. This could include Korowai Tupu membership or the uptake of Korowai Tupu Accredited Courses.

• Embed training in the Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa into induction and regular refresher trainings.

• Learn more about what the Mana Taiohi Whanaungatanga Principle means.
• Check out the following Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa clauses:
  • 6 Noho Matatapu – Confidentiality
  • 7 Āhua Tika – Boundaries
  • 17 Tiakitanga – Looking After Yourself
  • 18 Whakahaeretanga – Supervision
  • 19 Matatau – Personal Awareness
  • 23 Ngā Mahi Ora – Safe Practice
• Read the Manaakitanga section of Ngā Tikanga Whānaketanga – He Arotake Tuhinga, our Review of Aotearoa New Zealand Youth Development Research
• Supervision Scrapbook
• Supervisor Directory
• Korowai Tupu Core Competencies
• Korowai Tupu Accredited Courses
• Korowai Tupu Membership
• Code of Ethics Trainers (contact Ara Taiohi for more information)

EXPLORE

• Review feedback processes and discuss with young people engaging with your service the best way to get feedback.

• Identify how you seek input from young people when developing new programmes/services.

• Explore within your organisation how young people could participate in formal staff or management roles in your organisation. This could be in a paid or voluntary capacity.

• Explore how young people could participate in the governance of your organisation. This could be in a paid or voluntary capacity.

DEVELOP AND EMBED

• Explore and then implement the best approach for youth participation in your organisation.

• Discuss and implement how youth participation can look across different cultural contexts and engage with young people and representatives of specific groups you are working with to support best practice in your organisation.

• Develop policies and processes for young people to meaningfully participate in management and governance of programmes and services. Some things you might want to consider are: models of youth participation (e.g. youth reps, advisory groups, tuakana teina, etc), training for the governance group on youth development. You may want to refer to Rata Foundation & Centre for Social Impact’s work on young people in governance.
  • If your organisation does not work directly with young people then consider engaging with community organisations who work with young people to enable more in-depth engagement.

• Review and embed within your existing programmes and services how you could provide more opportunities for young people to raise their concerns, have an active voice in their community and encourage more youth-led advocacy.

• Review and embed policies and processes that enable your organisation to respond to challenges and concerns raised by young people. This includes ensuring visibility of the complaints process for any young person engaging with your organisation.

• Learn more about what the Mana Taiohi Whai Wahitanga Principle means
• Check out the following Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa clauses
  • 16 Āhua Pononga – Working Positively
  • 20 Hiringa – Personal Determination
  • 21 Hakamanatia – Empowerment
• Read the Mana section of Ngā Tikanga Whānaketanga – He Arotake Tuhinga, our Review of Aotearoa New Zealand Youth Development Research
• UNCROC 9 Principles of Participation
• HART’s Ladder
• SHIRE’S Pathway
• Ani Wierenga’s Star Model
• Rata Foundation & Centre for Social Impact’s work on young people in governance

You have shown understanding of the importance of mātauranga; informing both young people and people who work with young people’s personal growth through access to knowledge, wisdom, understanding and skill which supports their work.

You are a leader in the sector when it comes to supporting young people to holistically make positive choices for them, their whānau and their community and an absolute asset to youth development in Aotearoa.

• Take the time to celebrate as an organisation your strengths and areas of transformative practice!
• We’d love to hear more about what you’re doing and please let us know if you’d be willing to be a tuakana to others in the sector.
• You could consider presenting on your mahi at Involve, youth work hui, research symposium or other conferences (see here for a calendar of events), sharing your learning and resources with others through local networks, Ara Taiohi or other means, celebrating your work with young people and the community, or getting your programmes or services reviewed or researched so that the knowledge can be more widely shared.
• And there’s always more we can do! We’d encourage you to consider how you can maintain and consolidate your level of practice, particularly making sure that knowledge is held across the organisation. See below for reading and resources.

• Learn more about what the Mana Taiohi Mātauranga – Youth Participation Principle means.
• Check out the following Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa clauses:
  • 25 Māramatia – Understanding Aotearoa New Zealand
  • 26 Mana Akoranga – Training and Professional Development
  • 27 Rangahau me Wāriutanga – Research and Evaluation
• Read the Mātauranga section of Ngā Tikanga Whānaketanga – He Arotake Tuhinga, our Review of Aotearoa New Zealand Youth Development Research
• Involve
• Korowai Tupu Membership
• Youth Work Courses
• Te Tiriti o Waitangi