The value and importance of a youth worker’s ability to develop meaningful and supportive staff– youth relationships and connections is widely recognised as a key influence on the likelihood of
178 positive development outcomes from a program (Anderson- Butcher & Conroy 2002; Anderson- Butcher et al. 2004; Dubois & Karcher 2005; Halpern, Barker & Mollard 2000; McLaughlin, Irby & Langman 1994; Rhodes 2004; Zand et al. 2009). However others suggest that the benefits of specific mentoring programs have been overstated (Du Bois et al. 2002) and the proponents of these
programs uncritical (Sukriah & Tannock 2011). Nevertheless, Anderson-Butcher et al. (2004) exploring how supportive staff–youth relationships develop and, in turn, affect the prevalence of both pro-social and antisocial school attitudes and behaviours, suggest that such mentoring
relationships can lead to heightened pro-social attitudes and behaviours at school and consequently to academic achievement.
Mentoring within youth organisations is wide-ranging and has a greater role than has been
recognised in the past, with, in some cases, strong relationships linked to self-esteem more so than kin-based relationships (Hirsch 2005). Indeed, this mentoring relationship can include many responsibilities which have far-reaching outcomes. As Anderson-Butcher et al. (2004) explain the many responsibilities can include:
fortifying developmental competencies; strengthening relational capacities; providing opportunities for intellectual stimulation and growth; expanding social, recreational, and resource horizons; and instilling the hope and promise of goals and aspirations. All of these important mentoring tasks work in sync to enhance self-esteem, self-worth, and self- recognition, thereby promoting the well being of youths (p. 93).
However for these staff–youth relationships to form, the work environment needs to be one that is conducive to and provides a space for this to occur. The effect of the work environment on the ability to form strong relationships, to complete tasks relevant to the role and clarity of work roles have been identified as a significant predictor of youth workers’ ability and competency to form a positive relationship with youth attending the program (Davidson, Evans & Sicafuse 2011).
Apart from the Goal Maps activity discussed in chapters two and four, another four
‘research/activity’ sessions had been developed. For each of these activities I had drafted a one page outline of the activity including the kind of information that would be found in a lesson plan which included activity progression, resource needs and activity adaptations. I did this for two reasons: so the research activities during the camp doubled up as camp activities and aligned with the theme of the camp; and so the staff could deliver these sessions for research or non-research purposes whether a researcher was present or not. This drew on my own background in this field
179 and also fulfilled one of the criteria of being granted access to the program, which was that I share wherever possible some of my skills and knowledge in the field with the youth workers.
One afternoon during the final camp for the year a booked workshop had fallen through at the last minute. As this was not an uncommon occurrence, what would usually happen was that a sports activity such as a basketball game or an arts and craft activity would be set up to fill that time slot. I saw this as an opportunity to ask if another of the research/activity sessions I developed could possibly be delivered during this time slot, thinking that this would provide me with extra time to speak with the young people and gain further insight into their lives in Dusty Town. It would also provide opportunity for Sarah, Tanya and Chris to practise delivering sessions, as they always mentioned how they would like more opportunities to do so. Sarah agreed and went to the resources cupboard under the stairwell to prepare for the session, I went along to help. As the youth workers went to get the resources for the session, they seemed annoyed. At the time I thought this was with me. As we walked back to the activities room I tried to work out what it was I had said or done that could have caused this response. I felt I had stepped on the youth workers’ turf by suggesting they deliver one of the pre-planned workshops developed at the beginning of the year. I said nothing and followed the youth workers back to the main activity room and began to help set up the activity.
Whilst we were setting up the activity Sarah turned to me and said ‘I feel sick in my stomach’. She was nervous about the session, even though learning new skills was something she wanted to develop and realised was one part of delivering such programs. Indeed, the ability to develop and deliver activities would support the case for the youth workers having further autonomy and control of their program. The negative feedback she had received from the other youth workers when sessions did not go to plan, or when a pre-planned session did not live up to expectations meant that Sarah was left feeling unsupported and nervous about delivering a session. The potential for failure dominated her thoughts and to an extent prevented her from learning the skills of her trade and developing as a youth worker.
Once she said this to me I asked her if she wanted me to go through how I would prepare to deliver a session or workshop and the strategies I use: she said this would help. I explained the activity progression to her as well as some additional strategies and made sure she had all the resources she would need to deliver the session at hand. She asked me if I could start the session and then hand it
180 over to her to continue running it, which I did. Later that day we delivered another of the sessions in the same way; she delivered it and I helped her plan and prepare for it.
A few days later during our regular final day camp interview I asked Sarah if she remembered the incident and how she was feeling at the time. I wanted to see if my interpretation was correct. She responded
Sarah: for me feeling prepared and feeling like I know what we are doing this particular session and at the end of it I felt like great we did something that we should be doing and are here to be doing, so I felt really good about that, but just leading into that I just felt really like a hundred things juggling and just going I don’t want to do this wrong, and I don’t want to stuff it up, and I don’t feel prepared to go into this sort of thing and literally I think it is being prepared and practising. And if I have to I can get up and talk, it’s just like when I get anxious standing up there for something I’m not ready for.
This is an important comment. Particularly in regard to the planning and efficiency of youth work, there is little support to help deliver a smoothly planned camp with well-organised sessions, a skill for which no training was provided. Even so what seems to have been more important is the building of relationships between the youth workers and the young people. As the camp continued to become overridden by an agenda of efficiency and target setting, what suffered was the ‘doing’ of youth work, predominantly the establishment of relationships between the youth workers and the young people. There was the additional consequence that came from what Ord (2012) refers to as the ‘bureaucracy of planning’ and that is the impact on innovation. No longer were there any trivia nights or I am Deadly sessions planned or delivered.
The youth workers, with their limited experience of youth work and youth programs, began to lose confidence in their ability to do their jobs. They now found themselves becoming overwhelmed and rather than trying new ideas and extending themselves, they were retreating in an attempt to avoid failure. They were trying to just get by and innovation was sacrificed. The push of the ‘corporates’ onto the program meant that opportunities to work with the young people and build relationships were disappearing and being replaced by career-related workshops and visits. For the policy makers these corporate visits, engagement with partners and career-based sessions could be quantified. Each stakeholder could report to the other how many young people had attended the program, how many presentations were delivered, how many partnerships they had formed links with and present
181 this as proof of their efficiency and effectiveness. Meanwhile the youth workers had realised that all of this mattered very little. Talking with Sarah about the external focus by those above and around them on the number of young people they get through a program she responded by saying , ‘It’s not about the number of kids, it’s all about the quality of the program, let’s try and have a real impact’.