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Wavelength: Practical resources to help workers communicate effectively with young people.

Background

A number of recent research reports and government initiatives emphasised that workers need to listen and communicate well with young people in order to make effective working relationships with them. With the advent of 'joined up' approaches such as Youth Offending Teams and Connexions, face to face work with young people is more complex and potentially more holistic than it used to be. In response, many workers have expressed a need to extend their ideas about communicating with young people in different contexts and for a variety of purposes. Through working with professionals in many different settings, we have learned that there is some very good practice out there, and that workers benefit by learning from others' experience.

The Wavelength project will result in a published resource that brings together 'snapshots' of good practice from different areas of work with young people and a set of practical ideas to help workers feel confident about relating effectively to the unique variety of individuals they work with. This work builds on previous TSA projects such as 'Getting Through: Young People and Communication' 'Youth Voice youth empowerment project' and 'Talk2: developing counselling and counselling skills training for those who work with young people.'

What the project involves

• Research and consultation, using literature and interviews with workers and young people
• Identifying underlying principles, common difficulties and key communication styles from different settings
• Specific interviews in key areas of work to generate 'snapshots' of good practice
• Setting up live 'forum' events for practitioners and young people to problem-solve communication difficulties
• Generating guidelines for practitioners to develop their own creative communication resources
• Gathering, creating and testing resources
• Drafting, testing, producing and disseminating a published set of communication resource

Wavelength is the supported by The Department of Health, from May 2001 to May 2004.

TSA staff

Josie Melia, 'Wavelength' co-ordinator, Kevin Lowe, TSA Assistant Director.

If you have any ideas and views about innovative and effective communication approaches in work with young people, please contact: Josie Melia, TSA, 23 New Road, Brighton, BN1 1WZ,
01273 693311, jmelia@tsa.uk.com