National Quality Standards for Youth Work
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs introduced the National Quality Standards Framework for youth work (NQSF) in January 2011. This is primarily a support, development and assessment tool that provides youth services with the opportunity to articulate through a common language their youth work practice. The implementation of the NQSF is resulting in an improvement in good practice and it is addressing the developmental needs of young people to an even greater extent and in a more cost-effective manner.
The rationale for the development of the NQSF initiative is to:
- Provide a support and development tool to organisations and projects
- Establish standards in the practice and provision of youth work
- Provide an enhanced evidence base for youth work
- Ensure resources are used effectively in the youth work sector
- Provide a basis for whole-organisational assessment.
The NQSF applies to all staff-led youth work services/projects and programmes which are funded under the following DCYA schemes:
National Quality Standards for Volunteer Led Youth Groups
