Time

Time is a powerful resource.  It includes taking time to build relationships, giving time to rangatahi, understanding their sense of time, managing your own time, and taking time to reflect on your mahi.

 

Thanks to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for funding the research that created these resources (MAUX2006).

This work by J. Sanders, R. Munford, J. Webster, J. Mercier, D. Abbott & L. Liebenberg is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Using time well involves:

  • Having enough time to build the relationship– hearing what rangatahi tell us, learning what they want from us, understanding they may see time differently to us,
  • Learning about their cultural values and beliefs and the networks that support them,
  • Spending time with them doing things that match their goals,
  • Acknowledging important events in their lives,
  • Preparing rangatahi for important appointments and attending with them if they wish this,
  • Being reliable so rangatahi know they can count on us,
  • Managing our own time so we are available when they need us,
  • Taking time to critically reflect on our mahi and build our skills.

 

To explore this element in more depth, go to the PARTH in practice reflection sheet.

"Time" orientated rangatahi voices

Emily's voice

Emily talks about support and availability from tutors who have 'been there'.

Mele's voice

Mele talks about a second chance.

All Time voices

Sala talks about supporting a rangatahi to shift their perspective on an unhealthy relationship.

Kaimahi stories have come from the youthsay partners. Te Aroha Noa Community Services, INNOV8, Dingwall Launch Programme, VIBE, Tuilaepa Youth Mentoring Services (TYMS), Reconnect Family Services, Kapiti Youth Support (KYS) and other kaimahi shared these stories from their mahi. They have been anonymised to protect identities. A big thank you to the organisations and kaimahi who have generously shared their wisdom and experience.

I worked with a young woman who was in an unhealthy relationship and was experiencing neglect from her parents. She really wanted to achieve NCEA Level 3 but was losing motivation and hope to carry on with school.

It took some time to build a relationship of trust with her. I would continually show up for her, and push through her resistance and lack of belief in herself. I would sit with her at school and help her work through her assignments.

It took a lot of perseverance, and re-building of relationships with her teachers to support her to get through. Eventually we developed an honest and open relationship with a hopeful orientation based on trust. She passed Level 3 and was so excited! She then aged out of our Youth Service, but during lockdown, was ready to leave the unhealthy relationship.

Our service showed adaptability, in allowing me to continue to work with her beyond the age threshold. We spent a lot of time talking on zoom calls, until she eventually left this relationship, she is now doing so well, has a job, has a positive perspective on life, and is ever grateful for the support.

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Curtis shares examples of how he takes time to build the relationship.

Kaimahi stories have come from the youthsay partners. Te Aroha Noa Community Services, INNOV8, Dingwall Launch Programme, VIBE, Tuilaepa Youth Mentoring Services (TYMS), Reconnect Family Services, Kapiti Youth Support (KYS) and other kaimahi shared these stories from their mahi. They have been anonymised to protect identities. A big thank you to the organisations and kaimahi who have generously shared their wisdom and experience.

Because we are not so task focused, we can take the time, we can take rangatahi out for a coffee or a feed, we can effectively do nothing a couple of times to build the relationship.

That isn’t like ‘now we have to do A, B and C’, it’s like let just go play some basketball or something. Our model encourages the practice of taking time to build trust to build the relationship.

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Time indicators

You know you are using Time when you:

  • Take time to build rapport first and then introduce expectations. It is important rangatahi know we have some work to do but the rapport is the foundation.
  • Actively listen to rangatahi about what they want and need so that you don’t waste time.
  • Develop a plan. Go through the week together and identify what needs to be done. Stick to the plan as best you can. Keep key goals in mind.
  • Make sure that the rangatahi is on board with how the time is being used. Remember you may be dealing with trauma. Be realistic about what can be achieved in the time you have.
  • Spend time to explore options and new experiences and do activities with rangatahi. Prioritise key relationships in and around rangatahi and spend time to help them build these up.
  • Take time to reflect on your mahi and learn from your colleagues. Keep on top of your admin.
  • Give young people 100% of your attention and be flexible: give rangatahi time when they need it.
  • Give time for the rangatahi to vent or share and listen.

See the full set of PARTH Indicator Cards here

Time reflection cards

This work by J. Sanders, R. Munford, J. Webster, J. Mercier, D. Abbott & L. Liebenberg is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. 
This site was created as part of a research programme (MAUX2006) funded by MBIE. We thank them for their support.

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