Introduction

Youth work settings are practiced around the globe to have a constructive impact on the personality-building of youth. School-based and hospital-based youth work are two such settings that would be discussed in this essay. Both of these settings would be elaborated, compared and key lessons drawn would be shared.

Front yard

As the name suggests, Front yard youth services, are specialized in providing holistic programs for youth development at school level. The frontyard youth service center is located on King Street in Melbourne CBD. The center is formed to help youngsters aged 12-24, struggling with emotional, physical and other social needs. To address such needs, it is important that such youth service centers should work in collaboration with schools (Jeff, 2010).  The main purpose of the center is to provide accommodation for youngster and help them in avoiding the homeless situation. The center has existed for almost over 100 years, ensuring that all people should and must have equal access to support.

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Front yard at MCM work does not only provide physiological support to the adolescents, instead they offer tailored approach based on the individual circumstances. For the center, people come first, so they identify the issues a person might be struggling through and analyze the reasons of their homelessness. Front yard offer accommodation services to people who are under the age of 25, struggling with various complex needs. The best thing about MCM front yard is that they take every course as a unique case and offer one-on-one attention. The center also provide alternative therapies that are outside the box, as providing different experience deliver better results. To do so, the center do get young people involve with partners dogs to help them feel connected. This gives youth the confidence of working independently and exploring what they enjoy doing most (Mike. G, 2015). Hence, such recreational activities hold a well-founded position in personality building of the youth. It is important to understand that a bookish knowledge is not all that a child needs to succeed in life. It is important to let the youngsters enjoy hands-on experience on different arenas of life.

Front yard works in collaboration with Melbourne City Council and Victoria State Government, as without their support it would be almost impossible to serve that many people as they normally do. They have a proper organization structure in place, as it not only has a team of board of directors, but also has a team of executive who manage different departments. The center do get various volunteers involve for various activities throughout the year. It is believed that since the staff working at frontyard are solely trained for the welfare of the youth, therefore, they can tend to their needs much better than the traditional teachers who are constrained by curriculums and time restrictions at work (Gebru, 2018)

Front yard was established in 2017, and since than the center people has used their skills and personal experience to bring a positive change in the life of young people. To do so, they have adapted friendly approach through consultation, advocacy and community education. The community has formed various departments such as FYAC, (Frontyard Youth Advisory Committ), that consist of past and present users of the service and another program offered by the center is YAG (Youth Action Group), which comprises of young leaders aged between 18-24. These youngsters are usually selected for their determination and the passion they have to bring a positive change in young people of Melbourne. Those who participate in the programs have complete freedom to select their projects based on their personal preferences. Front yard ensure that the physiological problems like depression, suicidal approach; in the children are identified and treated at an early stage in order to protect them from ruining their lives at a later age.

If the seeds are not tended to at the time of germination, then a gardener can never hope for a healthy plant in the days to come. Similarly, personality and character building at a young age is extremely essential to ensure a brighter future for the nations (VanderVen, 2010). Youth work clubs such as Frontyard ensure that the personality building of the youngsters is not compromised from an early age (VanderVen, 2010). Moreover, they ensure that basic moral values are inculcated in the young ones through playful activities to lay the foundation for a civilized nation.

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Frontyard works in collaboration with City of Melbourne, Victoria State Government and Australian Government, to ensure welfare of the youth at a young age. All aspects of the youth requirements are taken under consideration while forming policies. Moreover, various ideas are coined to work collectively to make sure that best learning environment for the youngsters is offered (Spain, 2013). Front yard has to work as a team to provide finest opportunities for the youth to learn and grow.

Youth projects

Youth projects is an independent and private charity center that looks after the young and struggling youngsters. The center offers its help to youngster who are experiencing issues with disabilities, unemployment, drug and alcohol issues along with homelessness. The center is determined to help the struggling people, as changing lives is not their only agenda but also to save life’s. The Youth Projects are located throughout Melbourne in various locations like Glenroy, CBD, Preston and few more. To bring a positive life in someone life by providing them employment opportunities and the social help they need is something the center aims at delivering.

The basic aim of youth projects is to ensure that youngsters struggling with unemployment, drug and other social issues are given best support in their time of need. Youngster are more inclined towards depression resulting in suicidal attempts (Davies, 2008). Therefore, youngsters are provided with health support, in order to improve their physical, mental and overall social wellbeing. This service is offered in various forms, such as night nurses’ outreach, through which nurses are available after hours. Women’s wellness that is primarily dedicated for women experiencing homeless and the living room, where people between the age of 12-24 can come any time, see a doctor if they need one, take a shower or just relax for the time being.

Youth Projects comprise of a team of highly skilled, multi-talented and disciplinary team from different backgrounds. The center has a proper organization structure in place, that consist of board of directors, mission makers and several volunteers.  All the staff members have to be trained for several weeks under the direction of a senior member to learn about different services that the center has to offer and the situations that can arise amongst their clients. In case of chronic illnesses, psychological disorder or other issues the staff members are trained before they can take the charge of helping the client in need.

The Youth Project is involved in various programs targeting at the struggling youngsters, who need both physical, social and emotional needs. They involve various trainees who then offer assistance throughout all the different branches of the center. They also have a program called Youth outreach, that is known as YHOP is a new mobile based service that is specifically targeting towards the disengaged and people who are at risk of mental health, social and legal issues and other family and domestic violence. This program is only available in the city of HUME for people aged 12-24.

As the name clearly suggests Youth Projects, the center is specifically setup and developed to help the young struggling Australians in Melbourne. People at a young age are more vulnerable and as a result they can get into various issues (Mike. G, 2015). So, the primary purpose of the center is to help the youngster to have a positive change in their life. There are few programs that the center has to offer, such as AOD Counselling, that is more of a personalize and tailored approach through which counselling is provided. Along with counselling session, Youth Projects also offer various skills programs that are aimed towards empowering people to build their independence, social connection and at the same time develop the potential to lead an independent life. Another major area where the Youth projects are very much focused on is, providing the employment help for people not only with disabilities but even for people who had drug issues. This is done by providing them job ready skills, deliver education and finding them employment opportunities. As stated by Steve, M.H. & Harrison, S. 2013 re-engaging the youngsters in education, employment and other recreation activities is considered as the key determinant of health.

For any welfare it is very important to have the right policies in place, to do so having the right people and right leadership is also very important. All the policies are targeted and aimed at providing a positive change in people life, especially for those who are of age 12-24. The welfare of young projects has given top priority while designing all the policies in order to ensure the young people are given best support and treatment by all means. As per their quality policy, their values comprise of social justice, empowerment and commitment by complying with the requirements and continually improving the effectiveness of their quality management system.

Comparative Analysis

Comparing the two different youth service providers, they both have a lot of similarities, the purpose is the same and so is the aim. The ideology or the purpose of their existence is primarily to support the young struggling Australians. Either they don’t have a place to stay, need counselling services or need help to find employment, both the youth centers are there to help them. The way of providing assistance are pretty much the same however there are certain services programs in which they differ from each other. The major noticeable difference between the two youth centers is that Frontyard which is part of MCM is working in collaboration with Victoria State, Melbourne City Council, whereas the Youth Project is an independent charity-based youth center.

The structure of both the service providers are pretty much the same, as they both have board of directors and then a team of executives who look after various different departments. Both Frontyard and Youth projects rely on the involvements on young volunteers who are motivated to make a difference in people life. Youth Projects has more branches as compare to the Frontyard, that is mainly located in Melbourne CBD. Both of them encourage youngsters and other people to get involve with them on voluntary basis, so that more and more people can be consulted.

Comparing the services being offered by Frontyard and Youth Projects than again they are pretty much same. However, there are few different services that are unique to them, for example Youth Projects has this Youth Outreach program, named as YHOP which is a mobile youth service targeted at the struggling youngster living in the city of HUME. On the other hand, Frontyard provide emergency housing, for youngster who are homeless and need shelter.

There’s no doubt that both the centers are actively involved in providing community-based service with the only aim to bring a positive change in youngsters life. They not only offer health services, like medical checkups but they do offer their consultation and counselling services for youngsters struggling with social and economic issues. At the same time, providing life skills, to make them independent and lead a positive life is also one of their main programs.

Key Lessons

I believe that the transition into adulthood is very challenging and vulnerable at the same time for youth in any society. There are high risks and chances that youngsters might become victims of mental illness or get into the excessive usage of drugs due to any reason. With limited or no connection with their families or society, they might feel disconnected and lost. This is where centers like Youth Projects and Frontyard comes in to play.

They are there primarily for this purpose only, to be able to help the youngsters to maintain a positive life. With their constant involvements and support the chances of changing the landscape for these youth are high specially when they reach at the age of 18 or in simple words reach the age of majority. This age bracket in people’s life consider as the turning point in youngsters’ life as their life can go in any direction, hence a proper care and support is what is required.

REFERENCES:

Davies. T & Cranston. P, 2008, ‘Youth work and social networking Final Research Report’, Youth Work and Social Networking.

Gebru. E, Scales. P & Nikhit. S, 2018, ‘Developmental Approach to Work Readiness for Youth: Focus on Transferable Skills. Springer‘, Developmental Science and Sustainable Development Goals for Children and Youth pp 207-221

Jeffs. T, 2010, ‘Youth work practice’, Red Globe Press

Mattingly. M, 2012, ‘Competencies for Professional Child and Youth Work Practitioners’, Journal of Child and Youth Care Work

Mike. G, 2015, ‘Helping vulnerable youth navigate the ‘rocky road’ to adulthood, Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division, Vancouver.

Sapin. K, 2013, ‘Essential Skills for Youth Work Practice’, Sage Publications, London, United Kingdom.

Steve, M.H. & Harrison, S. 2013, The Inner City Youth Mental Health Program: Helping homeless youth and young adults find their way to wellness, Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division, Vancouver.