Unit rationale, description and aim
Youth workers play a vital role in fostering inclusive, resilient communities by supporting young people through advocacy, relational practice, and access to opportunities that promote their wellbeing and social participation. To be a competent youth worker students need to know the core values, theories and frameworks that inform and drive ethical youth work practice.
This unit introduces students to the core ethical principles and values that underpin youth work. It explores key theories, models, and approaches that guide practice across diverse youth work roles and settings. Students will engage with concepts of advocacy, empowerment, participation and decolonising practice, and develop skills in ethical decision-making. Emphasis is placed on reflective practice, professional identity, and navigating ethical tensions in real-world scenarios.
The aim of this unit is to bridge theory and practice, and prepare students for ethical, responsive, and culturally safe youth work.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Describe major ethical issues encountered by youth...
Learning Outcome 01
Critically reflect on personal ideology, values, a...
Learning Outcome 02
Critically analyse youth work practices through th...
Learning Outcome 03
Apply key principles and theoretical frameworks to...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Principles and theoretical perspectives that inform contemporary youth work practice.
- Approaches of advocacy, empowerment, participation, decolonising and anti-oppressive practice.
- Major ethical issues for youth workers e.g., power imbalances, confidentiality, trust and boundaries
- Reflective practice associated with working in the Youth Sector.
- Introduction to ethical decision-making models.
- Codes of Ethics set out by the Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic)
- Role of self-awareness and supervision in ethical practice.
Assessment strategy and rationale
This unit comprises three integrated assessments designed to scaffold students’ development of knowledge, critical thinking, and professional identity in youth work.
The first assessment, which is a reflective piece, introduces students to the importance of critical reflexivity in youth work practice. It encourages students to consider their values, assumptions, and motivations, and to begin identifying how these impact upon their developing professional stance.
The second assessment builds upon the ethical awareness and critical judgement developed in the reflective piece, by asking students to consider three case studies through which they engage with real-world ethical dilemmas. Through this assessment, students deepen their understanding of professional decision-making and apply the Youth Work Code of Ethics to navigate complex scenarios.
The final assessment, My Practice Framework, consolidates students’ learning across the unit. Building on their ethical reflections and case-based insights, students are asked to articulate a personal practice framework that integrates youth work theories and demonstrates a clear understanding of the relational, advocacy, and rights-based roles youth workers play in the lives of young people. Together, these assessments support the development of ethically grounded, theoretically informed, and practice-ready youth work graduates.
Overview of assessments
Assessment 1: Reflective Responses This reflect...
Assessment 1: Reflective Responses
This reflective assignment invites students to critically engage with four core readings to explore their personal and professional identities in youth work. Students are asked to respond to questions that prompt reflection on their values, lived experiences, and positionality in relation to systemic power. By examining their motivations, self-knowledge, and potential baggage, students begin to understand how their background shapes their emerging youth work practice.
30%
Assessment 2: Case Studies This assessment requi...
Assessment 2: Case Studies
This assessment requires students to respond to three case studies, provided together as a single assignment. The use of multiple case studies enables students to apply youth work principles, values, and skills across a range of scenarios. By engaging with different practice contexts, students develop their ability to adapt ethical decision-making and professional judgement to varied situations. This task supports critical thinking and real-world application of youth work knowledge.
30%
Assessment 3: Practice Framework In this task, s...
Assessment 3: Practice Framework
In this task, students will orally present their emerging personal framework for youth work practice. Using the Heart, Head, Hands, and Feet model as a guide, the assignment invites students into a reflective process to explore their values, beliefs, cultural perspectives, theoretical influences, and professional skills.
Students will be encouraged to critically engage with set readings and respond to structured prompts to help articulate how their personal and professional identities inform their approach to youth work. This process marks the beginning of constructing a practice framework that will continue to grow and evolve throughout their careers as ethical, self-aware, and reflective youth workers.
Students will submit written materials to support their presentation as required by the lecturer.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit adopts a student-centred, practice-based learning approach designed to support the development of ethical, reflective, and relational youth work practice. Grounded in experiential and problem-based learning (PBL) frameworks, the unit encourages active engagement through collaborative group work, critical discussion, and real-world case studies.
The face-to-face format allows for dynamic interaction, with tutorials incorporating critical reading, debate, and scenario-based learning to explore complex ethical dilemmas and professional tensions. This approach is particularly suited to youth work education, as it mirrors the relational, values-driven, and context-responsive nature of the field. Lectures introduce key concepts such as advocacy, empowerment, participation, decolonising and anti-oppressive practice, while tutorials provide space to apply these through interactive activities.
The unit draws on scholarly literature, youth voices, and lived experience to foster deep learning and support students in developing a strong professional identity aligned with core youth work values.