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Wavelength: practical resources to help workers communicate effectively with young people 2001-2004

Background

The Wavelength project, funded by the Department of Health, set out to create a resource that drew together different approaches to communicating with young people. It was prompted by the recognition that workers need to listen and communicate well with young people in order to make effective working relationships with them.

With the continuing development of 'joined up' services, the development of Children’s Trusts and the prospect of core qualifications that cut across different disciplines, face-to-face work with young people is arguably more complex and holistic than it used to be.

Wavelength brings together techniques drawn from social work, youth work and arts work to provide tools for workers communicating with young people in different contexts and for a variety of purposes.

This work built upon 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.

The project resulted in the handbook Wavelength: a handbook of communication strategies for working with Young People written by Josie Melia and published by TSA in March 2005.

The resource includes an overview about communication with young people and material about communicating with young people for different purposes. For example, establishing a relationship, giving information, supporting peer led projects and participation work , confronting and challenging negative patterns and behaviours encouraging and motivating for change.

The bulk of the resource covers creating and adapting your own resources. This section includes over 50 different techniques such as making lists, an ideas exhibition, using scenario cards, drawing relationships, a graffiti wall, dot ranking and so on. The material promotes active communication through: the written word, visuals, moving, sorting and handling and drama.

Wavelength can be purchased from TSA’s publications team.

More information:
Please contact Young People in Focus
Email: info@youngpeopleinfocus.org.uk
Tel: 01273 693311

November 2005