Working with Young People with Complex Issues

This unit introduces the knowledge and skills required by Youth and Community workers encountering young people with complex attachment and trauma issues – particularly young people in therapeutic residential care settings which is a major industry employer of Youth Workers.

The unit incorporates theories of attachment, trauma and the development of children and young people that can lead to complex, challenging and trauma-related presentations.

A range of different frameworks, theories and models that is related to Youth and Community work practice will be explored, informing practice when working with young people in therapeutic care or the assessment of these presentations in adults with a previous out of home care experience. In addition providing a context to the presentation and behaviour of adults who have had an out of home care experience as a child. This unit will identify the particular context in which these young people live or have lived to inform good practice and will develop knowledge of the range of settings supporting young people with complex needs, including; ethical guidelines, methods of effective communication, cultural differences, resolution of conflict, access and equity and addressing workplace risk and reporting protocols and procedures.

This unit meets the elements of the following units of competency:
CHCCCS009 Facilitate responsible behaviour
CHCMHS007 Work effectively in trauma informed care
CHCPRT009 Provide primary residential care
This unit introduces the knowledge and skills required by workers encountering young people with complex issues – particularly young people in residential care settings. This unit will reflect on the historical context of the residential care sector and consider the essential values and philosophies that guide this work. A range of different models of youth work, along with essential understandings of personal safety risks will be theoretically and practically taught.


This unit will identify the particular context in which these young people live to inform good youth work practice and will develop knowledge of the range of settings supporting young people with complex needs, including; ethical guidelines, methods of effective communication, cultural differences, resolution of conflict, access and equity and addressing workplace protocols and procedures.