Youth Work Ethics

′[In this book] Howard Sercombe offers another useful and considered dimension for revisiting a wide and relevant spectrum of debates and issues in this valuable area...Offers a carefully considered opportunity to re-conceptualise understandings of the core ethics of youth work′ -
Youth and Policy

"This comprehensive and thought provoking book should be read by anyone involved in youth work and should be compulsory reading on youth and community work courses." - Andy Furlong, Professor of Social Inclusion and Education, University of Glasgow

"This book combines readability with depth. It is simple to navigate and practice examples create a flash of recognition for anyone engaged in youth work. It is a book that ought to be on every youth worker, youth work manager, academic and policy maker′s bookshelf." - Yvonne McNamara, Liverpool John Moores University

This book provides a comprehensive account of the ethical issues and challenges facing youth work practitioners. It will be a valuable resource for students and teachers alike. -- Dr Ian Fyfe ― drupal Published On: 2010-09-14

Lays out in student-friendly structure & terminology the values & ethics base for Youth Work. Filled with real-life examples of situations in which Youth Workers are called upon to make value/ethical decisions in practice. -- Dr John Stitt ― drupal Published On: 2010-04-16

This book is used as essential reading on the BA (hons) degree in Youth and Community Work. It addresses practice and places it within a theoretical discussion to illumintate issues of power, dependency etc in accessible language. -- Dr Muhammad Khan ― drupal Published On: 2010-05-03

This makes a useful contribution although I′m not entirely convinced that there is room for another text on ethics in youth work; Banks and Learning Matters are already there. Students clearly have options here and that is positive. This is a clearly written and accessible text for practitioners at UG and PG levels. -- Dr Simon Bradford ― drupal Published On: 2010-09-17

Well timed book which is accessable for students of all levels -- Dr Wendy Podd ― drupal Published On: 2011-07-12

this book is very welcome as it covers a range of important issues in some depth but in a way that is accessible for first year and other students.

I have recomended a few sections as essential reading to our students. These include:the chapters on Confidentiality and Boundaries. These 2 chapters provide key information for 1st year students before they embark on placements so that they can think about some of the important issues that might be problematic for them.

Other sections that are particularly useful include: chapter6 on ethical theories, chapter 13 on risk management, ch 15 on power and chapter 21 on self care. Lots of interesting ideas for reflection -- Jean Hatton ― drupal Published On: 2010-12-16

I particualry like chapters 11-16 as they are focussed and breif so that first year youth work students will be able to pick out the parts that are relevant and use them for thier own learning and study.
The early chapters are useful but go into different ethical traditions in too much depth for my first year students -- Jean Hatton ― drupal Published On: 2010-08-06

Enthralling discussion about youth work ethics, incorporating professionalism. Great read for students to enhance their critical reflection on youth work ethics and the professionalisation of youth work practice. -- Miss Charie Baker ― drupal Published On: 2020-09-14

A really excellent resource for community youth work students and practitioners. This book has a direct, no nonsense style which when coupled with the easily recognisable practice examples makes it very easy to read. Compact chapters and sections mean you can easily discover the issue you would like to explore. It will be included in several of our modules and in particular our practice/ placement elements of the course. -- Mr ALASTAIR SCOTT-MCKINLEY ― drupal Published On: 2011-09-16

I would recommend this text to my students. This is a really good and comprehensive resource about youth work ethics. -- Mr Grant Poiner ― drupal Published On: 2013-12-04

Some interesting material, a bit too australian in its focus in many places.

It looks too much like a collection of a year′s teaching. -- Mr Jonathan Roberts ― drupal Published On: 2010-05-10

A good overview of the field and a welcome addition to introductory texts in this area. Well presented and accessible for students. -- Mr Paul Nash` ― drupal Published On: 2011-04-27

Useful book covers new areas -- Mr R Patel ― drupal Published On: 2014-02-22

A great read for youth work students, gives a solid grounding in the ethical practice related to youth work. -- Mr Rik Kennedy ― drupal Published On: 2012-01-31

Sercombe works well through 3 sections in the book: The Youth Work Profession; Method and Theory; and Ethical Issues and Conflicts.

Beginning with an examination of the profession which fits well with current policy/funding debates, helping to form an identity and mandate for youth work despite policy, the second section moves on to an overview of current ethical epistemology, framed within postmodernity.

Sercombe then choses 13 practical topics to work through with an overview of the main themes within each. These topics are for the youth worker and agency rather than young people, for example the pursuit of funding, ethics of power and CPD.

Summary boxes make it easy to dip in and out of (and quote easily in essays!), and occasional worked examples bring it to life - though perhaps more of this would help.

He tries to take a neutral stance on issues, allowing the reader to define their own stance where appropriate.

All in all, a good introductory text to a broad range of theory and issues around the youth work profession. -- Mr Robin Smith ― drupal Published On: 2011-11-08

The text promotes critical thinking around the notion of the professional. The placement of the reader to enable undergraduate thinking in youth and community work is valuable in relation to a developed understanding of self and others.
The value of exploring ethics and thinking approaches to the application to practice sets the stage for youth work students to consider ethical choices and decisions and works towards individual and organisations change with regards to ethically considered socially just responses, provision and interventions. -- Mr Steve Walker ― drupal Published On: 2017-09-07

An excellent book which is key to those studying youth and community work programmes -- Mrs Alana Enoch ― drupal Published On: 2012-10-03

Recommended to 2nd Year Early Childhood Education students in one module - have also shown this to Children & Young Peoples Workforce FdA. -- Mrs Alicia James ― drupal Published On: 2011-02-15

A fabulously comprehensive read, considering the main issues in youth work ethics and bringing to life the realities in practice. -- Mrs Charie Porter-Baker ― drupal Published On: 2021-07-29

A brilliant and thoughtful guide for students at any level. -- Mrs Jean Harris-Evans ― drupal Published On: 2010-05-04

The book provides an excellent overview of many areas of youth work ethics such as confidentiality, boundaries and managing risk. The book is invaluable when we look at safeguarding and health and safety. -- Mrs Joanne Arnold ― drupal Published On: 2012-10-09

This comprehensive and insightful book offers both students and practitioners the opportunity to revisit and reassess the fundamental principles of youth work, and to engage with the debate on ethics both theoretically and practically. -- Mrs Kate Thackeray ― drupal Published On: 2010-02-15

Useful additional reading for Childhood and Youth students particualrly recognising the professionalism of youth work. -- Mrs Wendy Bannerman ― drupal Published On: 2012-06-08

An important contribution to the discussions of power / relationships and the practice of youth and community work. -- Ms Gillian Wilde ― drupal Published On: 2020-09-28

This book is an excellent resource. I have made it key recommended reading for our Foundation Degree Students following an ′Identity and Community′ module, but I have also been recommending it to our Youth Work students on a range of modules. It′s an extremely relevent, engaging and thought provoking book. Thank you! -- Ms Isabel Cartwright ― drupal Published On: 2010-03-12

Excellent book, very useful for Community and Youth Work FdSc -- Ms Kate Barden ― drupal Published On: 2011-12-17

Excellent book, up to date and relevant to current practice. Shoould be very beneficial for students. -- Ms Katherina Nugent ― drupal Published On: 2013-06-14

this text is useful to youth workers developing thier awareness of ethical issues in practice, -- Ms Marion Gallgher ― drupal Published On: 2010-02-19

Excellent book which is very applicable to youth work students. Good examples from practice. -- Ms Tyrrell Golding ― drupal Published On: 2010-06-16

An excellent course book applicaple for a range of modules on a youth and community work degree course. It raises some really valuable questions and it′s well written and accessible. -- Steph Green ― drupal Published On: 2010-11-09

Professor Sercombe is a youth work practitioner, researcher and academic who moved to Scotland from Australia in early 2007. Brought up in an Aboriginal community, he has worked as a detached youth worker in inner-city areas and housing estates and quite recently as a community based youth worker in remote towns in Western Australia. His doctoral studies, in sociology, looked at the development of our ideas about young people and the representation of youth in the media. He is passionate about the development of youth work as a profession, and about the way that young people are treated in societies like ours.