Code of Ethics
The Code of Ethics provides an agreed set of guidelines for Youth Work in Aotearoa to ensure that youth work is carried out in a safe, skilled, ethical manner.
The Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa New Zealand is designed for youth workers but is relevant to all individuals working with young people and provides guidance to keep workers and the young people they work with safe.
Purpose of the Code of Ethics
Ethics are principles that are based in values. These ethics guide our behaviour.
GUIDELINES AND ACCOUNTABILITY: This Code of Ethics provides an agreed set of guidelines for Youth Work in Aotearoa, to ensure that Youth Work is carried out in a safe, skilled, ethical manner. It is one of the ways youth workers hold one another accountable for our practice, and in doing so protects the credibility of Youth Work.
FRAMEWORK: The Code of Ethics also provides youth workers with a frame of reference from which to develop ethical awareness, to create discussion and debate of ethical issues, and to implement good and ethical practice for both youth workers and young people.
POWER AND PRIVILEGE: The Youth Work relationship is both a privileged relationship and a power relationship. While we try to minimise the power imbalance, we must acknowledge it. This is what makes ethics central to Youth Work.
PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY: The Code of Ethics supports the identity of Youth Work. Many professions have Codes of Ethics. While some ethical standards will be consistent across these, the uniqueness of a profession must be encapsulated in its code of ethics if this is to truly guide behaviour.
Notes
In publishing the Code of Ethics, we acknowledge that this is a living document and will be reviewed regularly. This document is one aspect of developing and offering ethical practice, and should be used in conjunction with supervision, specific training and development, and an awareness of changes in our practice and wider society.
The Code of Ethics is intended to be consistent with the responsibilities of Tāngata Whenua and Tāngata Tiriti, agreed to in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Ara Taiohi encourages youth workers, and those working with young people in diverse settings, to critically reflect on this version of the Code, offer feedback and continue to make suggestions for change at any time.