Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to all of our most commonly asked questions

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Questions often asked by Schools

  • We focus on what we have in common – we want to see young people thrive. All 24-7 youth workers recognise that there is a huge range of different beliefs in a school context and are respectful of this. Our role is to be there for all young people. The youth workers are viewed as an essential part of the school’s pastoral team. Planning, accountability and review are conducted within this context to ensure transparency and effective practice.

  • All 24-7 youth workers complete the Level 3 Certificate in Youth Leadership within their first year. The Certificate qualification ensures our youth workers are safe in their practice and understand their responsibilities and boundaries. Each year, youth workers attend mandatory professional development covering topics pertinent to their role, presented by leading practitioners in their field.

  • If you’re interested in getting youth workers in your school, contact the national office who will (ideally) put you in touch with a church nearby and together, you can go on the journey of forming a relationship which benefits your school and community.

  • Most schools will begin with two youth workers. However, the number of youth workers in any given school is dependent upon the school’s needs, finances and availability of quality youth workers.

  • The actual cost of 24-7 YouthWork to a school varies depending upon the number of youth workers. Each youth worker’s costs include:

    • Youth worker wages for 10 hours per week during school terms.

    • Activity budgets for the worker.

    • Administration and insurance.

    Churches and schools pay a percentage of the total cost. The church or associated trust takes responsibility for raising the rest from community sources.

  • We’ve done a lot of research over the years and 24-7 YouthWork has proven to be an effective approach. The time commitment and consistency of relationship offered by youth workers (which we call ‘presence-based’ youth work) builds trust and respect. The research shows that young people with a youth worker in their lives has a good experience of their high school years.

  • This depends on the needs of the school and ‘big’ events that youth workers may be involved in (camps, the school ball, Stage Challenge, etc.). A typical week will usually involve youth workers being present throughout the lunch hour: running lunchtime activities, joining in with sport or simply hanging out with students. The remaining hours spent in school could involve mentoring prefects, attending school production practices, one-on-one mentoring, helping out with school trips, coaching sport teams, etc.

  • In a word: “No”. While 24-7 youth workers are available to work with ‘difficult’ or ‘at-risk’ students, they are also available to help those who are in need of support and encouragement, train leaders, coach sports teams, work the school council, etc. Because youth workers are not teachers they are an invaluable link between staff and students so that both can be understood.

  • All 24-7 youth workers need to have a relationship with key staff at the school, including Guidance Counsellors and Social Workers. Youth workers are often utilised to give a young person extra support; they work collaboratively, reporting back to the school staff about the work they are doing with any young person.

  • Over the last 25 years, 24-7YW has become the largest school-based, youth work provider in New Zealand with a reputable network of youth workers nationwide. Each setting has an individual flavour built upon the philosophy that we are a network of local settings; we are not a centralised organisation attempting to make every setting the same.

    The 24-7YW Network exists to support local settings by:

    • Setting quality standards

    • Providing support and training

    • Expanding and developing well-researched and informed youth work practice

  • 24-7YW’s current focus is on young people, Years 7-13 (10-18 years old). So while we are in some primary schools, the youth workers work predominately with the Year 7 and 8 students in this environment.

  • A member of staff is identified as a liaison person and key contact for the youth workers. All events and interactions are run past this person to ensure the relationship is kept transparent and youth workers are achieving their set goals within the school environment.

  • Each term the Team Leader produces a report for key staff at the school which outlines what the 24-7 youth workers have done that term. It also includes statistics on the contact the 24-7 YouthWorkers have had with students and their average hours per week. It reports back on any particular areas of focus for that term.

    Weekly on-line diaries are also completed so at any time the Team Leader and school are able to access this breakdown of how the youth worker has spent their hours.

  • There are a variety of ways to measure impact: anecdotal stories, online diaries, differences in a young person’s outlook or behaviour as well as the independent research 24-7YW commissions on a regular basis.

  • Typically, the administrating trust will recommend a youth worker deemed to be a high calibre individual; however, the school has a say in any appointment.

Questions often asked by Churches

  • We focus on what we have in common – we all want to see young people thrive. Over a period of time a relationship is formed and trust develops. We work hard to keep that trust by working with utmost respect for each other. All 24-7 youth workers recognise that there is a huge range of different beliefs in a school context; our role is to be there for all young people. Youth workers come to be viewed as an essential part of the school’s pastoral team. Planning, accountability and review are conducted within this context to ensure transparency and effective practice.

  • The short answer to this question is yes. A Trust provides accountability, is the means by which you will run 24-7YW (including employment of your youth workers) and gives funding bodies a clear indication of who and what they are supporting. Churches often use a Trust that already exists within their framework (EG: their youth trust).

  • The cost of 24-7 YouthWork varies depending upon the number of youth workers. It is expected that the church, school and community will all contribute to the cost of a youth worker. The 24-7YW Network is able to provide a budget break-down on request.

  • 24-7YW is the largest school-based, youth work provider in New Zealand with a reputable network of youth workers nationwide. Each setting has an individual flavour built upon the philosophy that we are a network of local settings; we are not a centralised organisation attempting to make every setting the same.

    The 24-7YW Network exists to support local settings by:

    • Setting quality standards.

    • Providing support and training.

    • Expanding and developing well-researched and informed youth work practice.

  • 24-7YW provides orientation training for new youth workers. We also require all new youth workers to complete their Level 3 Youth Work Certificate within their first year, ensuring the youth workers are delivering safe practice. It is also compulsory for youth workers to attend the 24-7YW National Training event each year in June/July.

  • No. 24-7YW is first and foremost a network of local churches working in local schools. For practical reasons churches usually deliver their youth work service though affiliated trusts and agencies. In addition, 24-7 YouthWork Trust exists as a support organisation for the network. It is important to note that network members retain local and regional autonomy.

  • Yes, provided the school is happy to have them and you carefully follow any procedures and requirements the school sets. It is also important that such volunteers are identified as volunteers and not 24-7 Youth Workers.

  • Youth Workers track their paid hours through the 24-7YW online diary system. The youth workers manage their hours in consultation with their school contact and team leader.

  • In the first instance this is always the person who is in charge of them (IE: the Team Leader). In addition we encourage people to set up external supervision as an extra support. In established regional hubs additional help is provided through youth workers’ clusters and Regional Coordinators.

  • The 24-7YW Network provides orientation training for new youth workers and Team Leaders. We gather experts in their respective fields to address youth workers at National Training and while they are studying the Level 3 Youth Work Certificate.

  • Yes. You are responsible for your own youth work service and have the autonomy that goes with it. You are required to meet 24-7YW quality standards but control of your service remains yours.

  • Yes, this is reasonably common. In such situations one church is designated the ‘Lead’ to provide management of the youth workers and the school relationship. Our Management Handbook addresses the various issues in detail.

  • Not really. A Chaplaincy service is a specifically spiritual or religious service in-school. 24-7YW is a youth work service by a church that doesn’t have in-school spiritual content, though workers may respond to questions on an informal basis from students and staff.

Got questions?

24-7 YouthWork is a network of churches and schools and, as such, communication is vital to us.

 If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please don’t hesitate to make contact – we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we can.

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