THE CONSTRUCTION OF EMPLOYEE COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENTAL
PLANS FOR A PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL YOUTH CARE FACILITY
by

Jason Jaswal
BSc., University of British Columbia, 2006

PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
April2012
© Jason Jaswal, 2012

UN4VERSITY of NORTHERN
BRITISH COLUMBIA

LIBRARY
Prince G8orge, B.C.

ABSTRACT

Staffed residential youth care homes have been in existence in one form or another in North
America since the 1700' s. As time has passed, the field of child and youth care work has
evolved considerably. The substance abuse issues, developmental, and behavioural
conditions that afflict youth in care are often quite pronounced. Ever increasingly,
practitioners working with at-risk youth populations require a more specialized skill set and
knowledge. This paper qualitatively reviews past literature on competency model
development and approaches, as well as linkages to organizational performance, retention,
and morale. Utilizing past research and experience working in the child and youth care field,
competency development plans were created for implementation at a private residential
youth care facility. Specific organizational competencies identified as priorities for
development included knowledge, teamwork, relationship building, conflict management,
and leadership.

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract

n

Table of Contents

m

1.0 -Introduction

1

2.0- Literature Review

2

2.1 - Organizational Context
2.1.1- History ofResidential Youth Care
2.1.2 - Social Welfare Approaches
2.1.3 - British Columbia Policy
2.1.4 - Current Organizational Structure and Situation

2
2
4
6
6

2.2 - Competencies
2.2.1 - Defining Competence
2.2.2 - Competency Models and the link to Training and Development
2.2.3- Competency Model Approaches and Development
2.2.4- Competency Model Design and Implementation
2.2.5 - Competency Models and the impact on Performance and Retention
2.2.6- Competency Development
2.2.7- Competencies, Training and Development, and Youth Care Work
2.2.8 - Specific Competencies utilized in this study

9
9
11
15
24
28
30
31
33

3.0 - Summary

41

4.0 - Implementation

45

4.1- Knowledge
4.2 - Teamwork
4.3 -Relationship Building
4.4- Conflict Management
4.5 - Leadership

46
47
50
51
53

5.0 - Conclusion

56

References

58

Appendices

62

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INTRODUCTION

Providing residential services for youth in care is an increasingly complex endeavour. Not
only are the clients afflicted by many serious issues, it is a challenging task to recruit, train,
and retain care workers. The recognized problem within our residential youth care
organization is that there are currently no reliable mechanisms utilized to identify, develop,
and measure youth care worker competencies on a continual basis after initial orientation.
The purpose of this project is to create competency developmental plans that assist
residential youth care workers in provision of effective services for youth in care. The intent
is that these developmental plans will enable youth care workers to focus on and acquire
specific competencies that will be essential for success within the organization. It is also a
wish that competency development will aid the organization in retention efforts. The focus of
my research is to determine what competency development model to utilize, and how to
create and implement the model. Further, I wish to answer this question: Can competency
development also affect different aspects of an organization like retention, morale, and
performance?

The competencies that we wish to develop and demonstrate within our entire team are a
recognition, awareness, and understanding of many complex developmental and behaviour
conditions (knowledge), teamwork, conflict management, leadership, and relationship
building. The educational content regarding developmental and behaviour conditions that
will be addressed includes Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (F ASD), Bipolar Disorder,
PTSD & Trauma, Attachment Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD),
and Anger Management.
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LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 - Organizational Context:

2.1.1 - History of Residential Youth Care:
In North America, child and youth care has been prevalent as a means of employment in

some form or another since the 1700' s (Charles and Garfat, 2009). Originally, orphanages
began to appear in various communities across North America under some religious order.
These orphanages not only provided services to children whose parents were deceased, they
also provided service for children whose parents were unable to adequately meet their basic
needs of food, clothing and shelter due to poverty or illness (Reef, 2005). Children in these
circumstances, usually resided at orphanages on a short-term basis until their family situation
improved, or they reached an age in which they were capable of taking adequate care of
themselves (Reef, 2005). During the 1800' s, orphanages began to grow in size and there was
a requirement to hire many more staff to assist in providing care for children. The staff
employed in these orphanages, were generally lay members of the community (Charles and
Garfat, 2009).

Another development which contributed to growth in the youth care field occurred in the mid
1800's and early 1900's. There was massive immigration to North America from other
countries. Organization such as the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and the
Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) were established in part to provide services
for young people arriving from backgrounds of poverty (Park, 2007). The intent of these
organizations was not to necessarily work with youth, but they were among the first

2

organizations to begin offering community-based recreational and social service programs
(Charles and Garfat, 2009). Soon after, these organizations began to operate residential youth
homes and shelters for youth considered "at risk". The intent of this service was to assist
youth in developing into capable, productive members of society.

The involvement of state or provincial governments also occurred in the mid to late 1800 ' s.
There was a "correction movement" at the time in which programs were developed to deal
with what were perceived as deficits or deficiencies in children (Winzer, 1993). Staffed
institutions operated by government were established to work with children who had
cognitive or physical deficits. In addition, industrial and training school programs were
developed for juvenile delinquents (Charles and Garfat, 2009). Often times, these institutions
were situated in rural communities or the outskirts of cities to hide perceived deficient
children from society, as well as to distance them from bad influences commonly associated
with urban life.

A lasting significant development in the child and youth care field also occurred in the late
1800 's with the establishment of residential schools for aboriginal youth (Charles and Gabor,
2006). These schools were funded by the federal government of Canada and were operated
by various religious orders. Just like orphanages, the staff that worked in the residential
schools was generally lay people from the community. The establishment of residential
schools was an attempt to assimilate aboriginal youth into mainstream society (Charles and
Gabor, 2006). This federal policy has been perceived as a deliberate attempt to replace
traditional indigenous socialization processes with what have become known as Eurocentric

3

values and beliefs (Collins and Colorado, 1988). The lasting effect of the residential school
program was the separation of young people from their families, and the loss of culture for
generations of aboriginal people. It is important to note that the impact of residential schools
in the field of child and youth care is still being felt today. It is estimated that approximately
50% of all youth in care in Canada are of aboriginal descent (Anglin, 2002).

The aforementioned organizations were the source of employment for the original child and
youth care workers. The level of knowledge and expertise working with challenging youth
was generally very limited, and indicative of the time. It wasn't until the 1950' s that a
movement of deinstitutionalization began to occur in North America (Charles and Garfat,
2009). Government ideology on service provision for challenged youth began to shift away
from many of the old religion focused institutions, and towards treatment facilities that were
smaller and more focused. It was at this time that child and youth care began to receive
acknowledgement as a discipline that required specialized skills and knowledge (Charles and
Garfat, 2009). This acknowledgement also brought a realization that staff working in child
and youth care facilities required specific training, rather than generalized training and
education.

2.1.2- Social Welfare Approaches:
There are four general perspectives to social welfare policy that are considered to have
shaped the role of government in the field of child and youth care (Fox-Harding, 1991).
Harding defined these approaches as laissez-faire, protectionist, supportive, and radical. The
laissez-faire approach postulates that biological parents are the best caregivers for a child,

4

and views government intervention as an inadequate substitute for providing care to children.
This approach has the benefit of keeping government costs for child care services relatively
low. The protectionist approach is more concerned with protecting children from inadequate
parents. The government is viewed as a good parent because it can provide unbiased,
professionally competent services. This view believes that psycho-emotional bonds with
significant caregivers are more beneficial for a child than a relationship with inadequate
biological parents (Anglin, 2002). This approach is in contrast of the laissez-faire approach
in terms of cost as services utilizing the protectionist approach tend to be quite extensive, and
require high levels of government funding. This is due to children being removed from their
home environments and being placed in alternative care arrangements, such as residential
care homes, treatment facilities, or foster care homes. The supportive approach is similar to
the laissez-faire approach in regards to emphasis on the importance of biological bonds
between parents and children. However, in this approach, there is emphasis placed on the
need for providing support services for families of lower socio-economic classes. This is a
differing view than the protectionist approach as the emphasis here is to keep children in
their home environments and aid in assisting improvement within that environment. This
requires higher levels of government funding when compared to the laissez-faire approach,
but lower funding than the protectionist approach (Anglin, 2002). The fourth perspective is
the radical approach which has an alternative view of the rights of children. This approach
believes that parents can be overly dominant in children's lives, and government has a role to
play in ensuring sufficient autonomy for children (Fox-Harding, 1991). Autonomy and selfdetermination for the child is viewed as more important than residing with biological parents,

5

or substitute parents. Cost implications are relatively low with this approach as focus is
placed on independent living for youth that can't function in their home environment.

2.1.3 - British Columbia Policy:
In British Columbia, there was much debate in the 1990's regarding which approach to
utilize in regards to assisting vulnerable at-risk children. Policy is often dictated by ideology
of political parties in control at the time, as well as significant incidents that capture
mainstream media and professional attention. After the unfortunate death of a young person
in the mid-90's, and the following provincial inquiry, support was overwhelmingly in favour
of the protectionist approach to ensure that no child should ever die again due to abuse or
neglect of a parent (Anglin, 2002). The recommendations from the inquiry also highlighted
that it was the responsibility of government welfare services to err on the side of protection
rather than family support. That is essentially saying that ifthere is a mistake that occurs, it is
preferable that the mistake was made while ensuring that the child was absolutely safe. As a
result of these recommendations, as well as the highly public nature of the inquiry process,
British Columbia experienced a 60% increase in the number of children placed in
government care in the following five year time frame (Anglin, 2002).

2.1.4- Current Organizational Structure and Situation:
The organization that will utilize the findings of this MBA project, was established in Prince
George, British Columbia in June 2000. The intended mission for the organization is to assist
in the empowerment of youth and community in a culturally-holistic environment, which
promotes growth through healthy lifestyles. Throughout the eleven year history of the

6

organization, the number of residential beds available for youth services has increased from 4
beds to 35 beds. The number of employed youth care workers as of January 2012 is 67
employees.

Working in the residential youth care homes requires providing care for residents that have
cognitive deficits, developmental delays, and/or histories of trauma and abuse, mental health
issues, and behavioural issues. There are numerous challenges and obstacles that residents
present on a daily basis for youth care workers in this particular field. The role of the youth
care worker is instrumental as the interactions and decisions that youth care workers make
can have a significant impact on the emotional, mental and physical well-being of clients.
The impact of the caregiver-resident relationship has unlimited potential to have farreaching, positive effects on both parties.

To be employed in our residential care organization, the current requirements are that
prospective employees possess 2 years of post-secondary education in a related field to youth
care work such as social services, social work, criminology, psychology, and first nation's
studies. Other requirements include certification in the following courses: basic level one
first aid, food safe, therapeutic crisis intervention, and suicide intervention. These
organizational standards have been internally created through consultation with various
stakeholders such as the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), Carrier
Sekani Family Services (CSFS), Northern Health Community Care and Facilities Licensing
(CCFL), and CARF Canada.

7

Specific formalized standards and educational credentials required to become a practicing
youth care worker have not been fully developed and implemented in British Columbia
(Charles and Garfat, 2009). The Association of Child and Youth Care Practice (ACYCP),
through the work of the North American Certification Project, has been attempting to
establish a certification framework designed to unify existing and developing credentialing
efforts (Charles and Garfat, 2009). They successfully established a CYC certification
program in 2008 (ACYCP, 2012). The program is a collaborative effort by child and youth
care practitioners to aid in increasing quality standards for children and the field in North
America. In British Columbia, there is no requirement for residential care organizations to
have youth care workers obtain the CYC certification to date.

In recent times, media and governmental attention has been directed towards residential care
service providers and the qualifications, suitability, and training of residential youth care
employees that work for these organizations. Previously, it was sufficient for organizations to
have employees meet certain educational and certification standards stipulated in contractual
agreements. These standards varied from region to region as well as contract to contract.
Increasingly, there is a push from government and other stakeholders to have residential care
organizations demonstrate that youth care workers possess specific competencies that
contribute to desired outcomes for residents.

8

2.2 - Competencies:
Competencies-based performance has been a popular concept in many large corporations and
government for quite some time, as research into the subject dates back to the late-1950s.
The field of behavioural psychology is considered to have directly contributed to the
evolution of competency programs. Most competency programs and models branch off the
foundational research conducted by John Flanagan, Robert White, and David McClelland in
the 1970' s, and Patricia McLagan, Richard Boyatzis in the 1980' s. More recently in the
1990' s and 2000 ' s, research into competency models and programs has been conducted by
Lyle and Signe Spencer, and David Ulrich. The concept of competencies-based performance
is growing in popularity amongst medium and small sized businesses. This peaked interest in
using competencies as a foundational aspect in human resource management likely stems
from organizational downsizing, increasing market volatility in some sectors, and increasing
acceptance ofbehaviour-based research in business (Rothwell and Lindholm, 1999).
Practitioners that work in training and development capacities utilize competency-based
modeling to identify competencies that are specific to their organizations, and can promote
increased performance from employees.

2.2.1 - Defining Competence:
The term competence is often utilized to express a human trait. It has been suggested that it is
easiest to think of competencies in a simpler form as underlying characteristics that an
individual possesses and uses which leads to successful performance in a life role (Boyatzis,
1982). When attempting to define this term in a business context, there appears to be
unspecific and inconsistent meanings. Competency has been defmed as an underlying

9

characteristic of an individual that is causally related to criterion-referenced effective and/or
superior performance in a job or situation (Spencer and Spencer, 1993). Furthermore, it has
been asserted that a competency is made of five underlying characteristics: (1) Motives, (2)
Traits, (3) Self-concept, (4) Knowledge, and (5) Skills. The belief is that these characteristics
are developed in a sequential pattern to optimize job performance (Spencer and Spencer,
1993).

Through interviewing several experts in an attempt to defme competencies in regards to
business, Zemke (1982) concludes, "Competency, competencies, competency models, and
competency-based training are all Humpty Dumpty words meaning only what the definer
wants them to mean. The problem comes not from malice or stupidity, but instead from some
basic procedural and philosophical differences among those racing to define the concept and
to set the model for the way the rest of us will use competencies."

Literature in the human resources field generally refers to competencies through the usage of
acronyms like KSA, which translates to knowledge, skills and abilities. Lucia and Lepsinger
( 1999) defined competency from the human resources perspective as "a cluster of related
knowledge, skills, and attitudes that: 1) affect a major part of one' s job (a role or
responsibility), 2) correlate with performance on the job, 3) can be measured against well
accepted standards, and 4) can be improved by training and development".

Competencies can be acquired through a variety of different ways such as formal education,
job experience, life experience, self-help programs, and training and development programs

10

(NPS, 1994). Put together, all of the above have been said to contribute to overall job
competence in employees. Collaboration between employees and supervisors in assessing
job performance and desired behaviours helps determine overall employee competence.

It is important not to confuse job tasks as competencies. An example of this in the youth care

field is program management. To perform the duty of program management, a program
manager would have to exhibit several competencies to be successful. Specific competencies
could entail judgement, problem solving, initiative, persuasiveness, and organization.
Competencies are very broad, whereas job duties and tasks are quite specific.

For this project, the human resources perspective is the preferred definition of competency.
The specific competencies that are chosen for development within the organization are ones
that encompass a significant amount of a youth care workers job, correlate with increased
measurable performance, and can be vastly improved with training and development.

2.2.2 - Competency models and the link to Training and Development:
When you examine any organization, all have processes and systems for conducting work
that contributes to operational success. Unless the work environment is entirely comprised of
machinery, the processes and systems will be carried out by employees, and performance
will largely be dictated by the competencies of those employees. Recognizing the importance
of cultivating and developing necessary competencies can lead to significant operational
benefits for an organization.

11

The first competency models were developed in the 1970's by David McClelland, and
subsequently became increasingly popular in the 1980's through the work ofMcLagan and
Boyatazis (Mirabile, 1997). The reasoning behind increased popularity ofutilizing
competency models is that they aid in distinguishing differences between exemplary and
average performers (Rothwell, 2005). The belief is that competency models are superior to
work-based approaches that rely on descriptions of work activities only, as competency
models pinpoint what people require to become successful performers (Rothwell, 2005). It
has been determined by numerous researchers and organizations that know ledge, appropriate
attitudes, and motivation are required to be a successful performer. These traits are not very
well examined or defined in traditional job descriptions or performance appraisals (Rothwell,
2005).

Competency models have been defined as descriptive tools that identify the knowledge,
skills, abilities, and behaviour needed to perform effectively in an organization. The goal of
these models is to aid organizations in meeting strategic objectives by developing humanresources capability (Lucia and Lepsinger, 1999).

Patricia McLagan's introduction of her competency models in 1980 was considered
pioneering in the human resource field. She is generally regarded as the most widely known
practical theorist in the training and development community (Rothwell and Lindholm,
1999). Her work delivered practical examples of competency modelling to training and
development practitioners. McLagan's competency models served as a focal point for
planning, organizing, integrating, and improving all aspects of human resource management

12

systems (Rothwell and Lindholm, 1999). McLagan (1980) writes that one of the greatest
human resource development accomplishments of the 80's, would be the full integration of
competency thinking and action into organizational life. McLagan' s research provided a
mechanism for staff and operations people to use competency models as criteria in
recruitment and selection, assessment, individual development planning, training curriculum
design, individual career planning, coaching, counselling, mentoring, succession planning,
and high potential identification. McLagan believes that the competency model should be
utilized as a tool describing the key capabilities required to perform a specific job.
Furthermore, McLagan attempted to link her research with Peter Drucker's by stating that
competency models may be the only practical vehicle for describing Drucker's "knowledge"
jobs. She describes these knowledge jobs as jobs that Drucker stated required high levels of
creativity, judgement, tolerance of ambiguity, and which can't be adequately described in job
or activity descriptions. McLagan' s subsequent research posited that there were five
categories of competencies that were useful. Three are skill or capability categories: physical,
interpersonal, and cognitive process. Two are knowledge categories: broad business/industry
knowledge, and specialist knowledge (McLagan, 1990 p. 394).

Richard Boyatzis is also considered a founding developer of competency modelling.
Boyatzis furthered advanced McLagan' s work with competency models in 1982 as his work
was the first empirically-based and fully-researched book on competency model
development (Rothwell and Lindholm, 1999). Boyatzis linked three performance influences
on competency modelling: job demands, organizational environment, and individual

13

competence (Boyatzis, 1982). Boyatzis research concluded that if any two components are
consistent or congruent, then the likelihood of increased performance is the result.

Both Boyatzis and McLagan stressed the importance of systematic analysis in collecting and
analyzing examples of the actual performance of individuals doing job tasks. Boyatzis states
"to define a competency, we must determine what the actions were and their place in a
system and sequence of behaviour and what the results or effect were and what the intent or
meaning of the actions and results were. It is through such a definition that the concept of a
job competency represents an ability" (Boyatzis, 1982, p.22). Data collection methods
utilized for documentation of performer competencies included face to face interviews. This
entailed soliciting critical incident reports from performers and documenting what the
performers were thinking, feeling, and doing during the incident (Rothwell and Lindholm,
1999).

Further research into competency models and linkages to human resources was conducted in
a study by Chung-Herrera et al. (2003). The focus of competency models is placed on
behaviour rather than personality traits, due to personality traits being very difficult to
measure accurately. The stipulation is that expressing desirable traits in behavioural terms is
essential for competency models to be useful as human resources tools (Chung-Herrera et al.,
2003). This is because the models have to define the necessary competencies for effective
performance, and also provide indication when particular competencies are being
demonstrated. Competencies are deemed critical for inclusion in a model when they are
utilized for distinguishing variances between superior performers and poor performers

14

(Chung-Herrera et al., 2003). The research posits that eight human resource activities are
enhanced using well-developed competency models: (1) Recruitment and Selection (2)
Training and Development (3) Performance Appraisals (4) Coaching, Counselling,
Mentoring (5) Reward Systems (6) Career Development (7) Succession Planning (8) Change
Management (Chung-Herrera et al. , 2003). It is interesting to note that many of these
elements are quite similar to McLagan' s findings in 1980.

For this project, the aim is that development and implementation of a competency model for
the organization will enhance training and development efforts, coaching, counselling and
mentoring, career development, and succession planning.

2.2.3 - Competency Model Approaches and Development:
The literature reveals that there are numerous approaches to developing competency models.
Competency modeling has been defined as the process of writing out the results of
competency identification by creating a narrative to describe the competencies (Rothwell and
Lindholm, 1999). The approach an organization decides to utilize in model development is
generally based on organizational culture, skill of internal practitioners in developing new
systems, the target employees for model application, and the value of that group to the
organizations financial performance. Also, the approach an organization utilizes is
paramount in ensuring reliability and validity, as well as credibility, practicality, and
justifiability to organizations management and HR practitioners (Rothwell and Lindholm,
1999). Rothwell and Lindholm determine that there are three major approaches to traditional

15

competency modelling: the borrowed approach, the borrowed and tailored approach, and the
tailored approach.

The borrowed approach is considered the easiest approach for organizations to utilize as this
involves simply finding an existing competency model for another organization and
borrowing it for implementation into the current organization. Generally, this is the most
economical approach, and it also alleviates time constraints for busy practitioners. The
disadvantage to this approach is that there is no application of methodology for the current
organization, and there is no identification process to identify unique competencies required
for a specific target group within the organization. Rothwell and Lindholm (1999) conclude
that this is a typically utilized approach by many organizations in USA, but it does not take
into considerations the uniqueness of organizations, market conditions, and customer
demographics.

The borrowed and tailored approach involves little application of methodology. The
reasoning behind this is that another organization has already conducted a study and most of
the elements of their competency model can be borrowed. The tailored portion is
modifications to the competency model to apply it to the unique corporate culture and
environment. This involves surveying of the target group, focus group sessions with
successful performers, and perhaps conducting small scale studies utilizing behaviour event
interviews (Rothwell and Lindholm, 1999).

16

The tailored approach is the most time consuming and costly approach to model
development as it requires application of rigorous research methodology. Practitioners would
have to develop the model from the ground up internally within the organization. This
approach is the most legally defensible approach when attempting to utilize competency
models for more than simply individual employee development efforts (Rothwell and
Lindholm, 1999). If the competency model is to be utilized as a determining factor for
making employment decisions such as selection, promotion, and termination, it is advisable
to tailor the model to the specific organization. There are several arbitrary names for tailored
competency model approaches (Dubois, 1993 ). Some examples of these approaches are: the
process-driven approach, the outputs-driven approach, the invented approach, the trendsdriven approach, and the work responsibilities-driven approach (Dubois, 1993).

The process-driven approach applies significant weigh to the work processes performed by
exemplary performers. This approach can be broken down into three key steps: Step 1:
Investigate work duties, tasks, responsibilities, roles and work environment of the job, team
or occupation that is the target. Step 2: Isolate the characteristics of work exemplars. Step 3:
Verify the competency model (Rothwell and Lindholm, 1999).

The outputs-driven approach focuses attention on the key outputs of the targeted job,
occupation, team, or work groups (Rothwell and Lindholm, 1999). This is the approach to
modelling that was made famous by McLagan. Competency model development utilizing
this approach focuses on the outcomes and work results that excellent performers produce.
The steps involved in applying this approach are: Step 1: Compile all available information

17

about the duties, tasks, responsibilities, roles and work environment of the job, team or
occupation that is the target of the competency model development study. Step 2: Establish
and expert panel that consists of individuals that supervise those in the targeted category, as
well as exemplary performers or exemplary job incumbents. Step 3: Express explicit
assumptions about future changes likely to affect the job, team, or target occupation in the
context of the organization. Step 4: Compile a menu of work outputs. Step 5: Develop a
menu of work quality requirements associated with the work outputs. Step 6: Devise a list of
work competencies and behavioural anchors or indices associated with each competency.
Step 7: List work roles developed through cluster analysis of the work outputs. Step 8:
Develop the draft competency model (Dubois, 1993).

The invented approach, work responsibilities-driven approach, and the trends-driven
approach are considered relatively newer approaches compared to the classic approaches of
the process-driven and outputs-driven approaches (Rothwell and Lindholm, 1999). The
invented approach is low in reliability and validity but considered a faster approach to other
methods (Rothwell and Lindholm, 1999). This approach is more appropriate in situations
when the target job or group is undergoing drastic change, and the job incumbent's opinion is
of little use, or there are no examples of excellent performers in existence for the target job or
group. The trends-driven approach focuses attention on the future issues or trends that are
affecting the job, work, team or occupation. Instead of placing focus on what people do or
what they produce, this approach is focussing on what people will be doing, or what they
must know as the external environment changes. The work responsibilities-driven approach
derives outputs, competencies, roles, and quality requirements from work responsibilities or

18

activities (Rothwell and Lindholm, 1999). There are eighteen basic steps for this approach:
Step 1: Target one occupational group or job category. Step 2: Select a panel of 8-12
exemplary performers from the group or job category to be examined and 2-3 immediate
organizational superiors of the targeted group to be examined. Step 3: Invite the panel to a
session to focus attention to the details and responsibilities of the targeted group or job
category. Step 4: Select a group facilitator and 2 assistant facilitators to conduct the session.
Step 5: Assemble participants in a large room with a blank wall for 1-2 days. Step 6: Brief
participants on the process and on job challenges facing them in the future. Step 7: Ask
participants to list the functions/responsibilities and behaviours they perform. Step 8: Write
the statements to sheets of paper and tape the sheets to the wall. Step 9: Continue the process
until participants can no longer think of any functions/responsibilities or behaviours. Step 10:
Create exclusive categories in which to group the functions/responsibilities and behaviours.
Step 11: Verify the function/responsibility categories by asking participants to review them.
Step 12: Review each function/responsibility and behaviour that participants listed to ensure
that it is in the proper category. Step 13: Group function/responsibilities and behaviours in
sequential order. Step 14: Ask participants to verify and/or modify the sequential order. Step
15: Remove the chart from the wall and type it out. Step 16: Verify the chart devised by the
participants by circulating it back to them for review. Step 17: Prepare surveys based on the
chart to identify work roles, outputs, competencies, quality requirements, future trends, and
ethical challenges related to each function/responsibility and/or behaviour appearing on the
chart. Step 18: Conduct the surveys, compile the results, and present the results for review to
another group of exemplary job incumbents and their immediate supervisors as a form of
validation (Rothwell, 1994).

19

No approaches to competency model development and assessment are immune to criticism
or limitations (Rothwell and Lindholm, 1999). The depth of research rigour is very heavily
influenced by time and other resources available to practitioners. Conducting and validating
approaches employed can also be very labour intensive, and require up to several years in
larger corporations. Three challenges facing practitioners utilizing competency models are:
(1) ambiguity in terms and definitions (2) past-orientated competency models (3) the timerigour trade off (Rothwell and Lindholm, 1999).

The approach that will be utilized for this project is the borrowed and tailored approach. The
borrowed and tailored approach is ideal for the organization as it is not a very costly
endeavour, and significantly reduces the amount of resources and time required to create and
implement the plans. Because specific competencies identified for development are broad,
there is readily accessible literature and tools that can be utilized in developing
competencies. There are also thousands of models that have been developed for various other
businesses, and they can aid in providing a framework for design and layout characteristics.
For this project, several competency plans from a broad range of employment sectors will be
reviewed. Ideal design elements will be incorporated into the proposed competency model.
In addition, this borrowed and tailored approach yields flexibility for modifications to be
made that can allow the model to have specificity to the organization. The borrowed
approach is not suitable because it is too simplistic and will not be applicable to the culture
and nature of the work conducted within the organization. The client population served is
unique when compared to other care service agencies such as hospitals. Although the
competencies. identified for development are very broad, the methods required to develop

20

them need to be specific for the organization. Also, research did not yield any results on
models currently employed by residential youth care agencies. The tailored approach is also
not suitable for this project as it requires extensive financial and time resources which are not
available for the organization. The methodology involved with constructing a model from the
ground up is quite exhaustive and requires considerable skill from practitioners which the
organization does not currently possess.

The previously discussed approaches focus on creating competency models within
organizations, but do not consider that most organizations consist of a diverse group of
people performing multiple jobs. Therefore, it would be necessary to create multiple
competency models for varying positions within an organization. There are two common
approaches of developing and utilizing competency models: (1) the single-job competency
model and (2) the "one-size-fits-all" competency model (Mansfield, 1996). Some researchers
believe that these approaches are not effective in differentiating the requirements of various
jobs, nor are they effective in matching individual competency profiles to a wide range of
jobs or assignments (Mansfield, 1996). Mansfield proposed an alternative approach that he
calls the multiple-job approach to developing competency models.

The single-job competency models were among the first competency models developed and
they identified one critical job that an organization determined as needing more developed
people (Mansfield, 1996). The methodology involved for utilizing this approach involves
interviews with staff, conducting focus groups, and sending out surveys. The strength of the
single-job competency model approach is that it provides a framework for describing key job

21

requirements. Specific behaviours are communicated to employees that demonstrate to them
what is necessary to achieve superior results. In addition, this model is usually developed in
conjunction with managers and supervisors so there is a sense of ownership of the results.
The disadvantages of this approach are that it is a costly venture, requires significant time
and effort to develop the competency model, and organizations are changing too rapidly for
it to be practical (Mansfiled, 1996).

The "one-size-fits-all" competency model approach defines one set of competencies for a
broad range of jobs (Mansfield, 1996). It differs from the single-job model as concepts are
usually selected from books and articles on leadership, human resource development, and
organizational development rather than utilizing internal data. The strength of this approach
is that the competencies can be applied to larger number of employees, can be aligned with
organizational mission and values and other key initiatives, and all employees are assessed
against the same set of competencies (Mansfield, 1996). It is also less cost intensive and
labour intensive. The disadvantage of this approach is that the model does not clearly
describe what is needed for a specific job. It leaves it open for employees to mistake the
competencies as espoused values rather than skills they need to obtain results, or they may
fail to see how to apply them in their own jobs. Another disadvantage of this approach is that
the competency model does not differentiate the requirements needed for different jobs
(Mansfield, 1996).

The multi-job approach developed by Mansfield (1996) is designed to help create numerous
competency models within an organization specific to a variety of jobs. The foundation of

22

his model is the usage of common set of building block competencies, allowing for
customization, and defining levels of competencies. The belief is that common building
block competencies are necessary to facilitate matching individuals to jobs. The model
building approach must allow for customization because although the same competency may
be required for two different jobs, it often needs to be demonstrated in different ways
(Mansfield, 1996). In regards to defining levels of competencies, Mansfield suggests that
levels are required to distinguish the extent to which a competency is required for a particular
job. In addition, defining levels also aids in facilitating accurate assessments for individuals.

This project will utilize the one-size-fits-all approach as well as elements of the multi-job
approach. The one-size-fits-all approach is the least cost and labour intensive approach
which is a primary consideration. In addition, the competencies identified for development
will be applied to every employee in the organization, as the most critical job duty is shared
by youth care workers and managers alike. That is to provide effective services for our
clients. Because the same approach will be applied to every member of the organization, this
will also provide opportunities for more useful comparative assessments amongst individuals
within the organization. This can be useful in succession planning. The element in the multijob approach that would also be useful for the organization is identifying a specific level
deemed necessary for competency. This will be useful in providing attainable goals for
employees.

23

2.2.4 - Competency Model Design and Implementation:
Once an approach to competency modelling is determined, the next logical step is design and
implementation. In 1993, Nortel underwent an 18 month initiative to develop a competency
model, and implement it within their telecommunication organization. The important
findings revealed by Nortel team analysis of the endeavour were: (1) Nortel determined that
it is useful to keep competency models simple, user friendly, and flexible. They found that
competency-based initiatives that tried to identify every important skill and competency for
every job family in a function were too complex and under- utilized. They found
implementation strategies that were complicated, inevitably ran out of steam. (2) It is
important to provide choices about whether, when, and how to implement. Nortel found that
one of their most successful competency-based tools was a collection of development
suggestions. This was never released but it became widely requested within the internal
training department. (3) There is a need for going for top down organizational commitment
from more than a single sponsor. (4) Competency models should be linked to other important
organizational processes such as rewards and recognition. (5) Create high involvement.
Norte} found that including employees in the design and implementation phase results in
buy-in (Morris, 1996).

There are also a variety of questions that organizations should be clear on before
implementing a competency development model to ensure effectiveness (Sanghi, 2009).
Such questions should include: Is the organization serious about it? What is the goal of the
program - quality or excellence? Will the development effort be periodic or continuous?
Will assessment be a continuous process or periodic? Do the competencies reflect current

24

activities or future activities? What should be the timeframe for the project? How will the
organization use results? What is the value addition for the organization? What is the value
addition for employees? How will success be measured? What are desired outcomes? Who
owns the process? Who will be targeted? Who is involved in training and development? Who
will be assessed and by whom? How will the competency project be communicated to
employees? The purpose of the competency framework should be clearly communicated and
the goal should be to train employees rather than blame employees (Sanghi, 2009).

Research yields that there are a variety of common mistakes organizations make when
undertaking the competency model development, design and implementation process. In the
developmental phase, many companies invest excessive time and resources. The process
becomes too expensive, and models are out of date really quickly (Brown, 2006). It is
advisable to utilize existing competency models as a starting point, rather than bringing in
consultants to develop models from the ground up (Brown, 2006). Other common
developmental mistakes include selecting the wrong competencies, insufficient hiring
standards, and including too many competencies. It is critical to select the appropriate
competency identification methodology to ensure that the right competencies required to
successfully perform a job are identified (Brown, 2006). Ideally, this process should involve
people performing the jobs rather than solely HR people, as they may not fully understand
the intricacies of the job. In regards to recruitment, competencies that are linked to traits or
abilities that are difficult to acquire on the job should be a focus during the hiring process,
rather than the employee development phase (Brown, 2006). The amount of competencies
needed in a competency model was summed up by Brown stating "Less is usually more".

25

The belief is that competency models consisting of 20-30 items can overwhelm employees
and supervisors. Requirements for effectiveness become ambiguous. Brown suggests
focussing on identifying approximately eight common core competencies that the
organization wishes all employees should possess. In regards to common implementation
mistakes, there is too much attention to measurement, unrealistic expectations, and lack of
organizational support (Brown, 2006). In regards to measurement, the belief is that if a
competency model is to be utilized for individual development planning, it is not absolutely
necessary to go into excessive measurement detail (Brown, 2006). The objective should be
for employees to concentrate on a few specific competencies in which to improve. However,
if the competency model is to be utilized as a tool for hiring, promotion, or succession,
accurate measurement is critical (Brown, 2006). Another barrier to successful
implementation is unrealistic expectations of the impact of competency models. As with any
tool, there is a limit on how much can be achieved with competencies. Brown determines
that the most beneficial way to utilize the competency models would be in conjunction with
other HR processes, rather than just development. Organizations should invest time and
energy into developing competencies only as a part of a larger commitment to workforce
development (Brown, 2006). Some important identified factors that employees need to
properly develop their skills include: (1) an assessment to pinpoint where they need to
improve (2) the ability to set developmental goals and obtaining help from their supervisors
in accomplishing this task (3) access to learning resources such as online courses, books,
videos, audiotapes, and classroom learning (4) opportunities to try out new skills or
knowledge in an environment where mistakes can occur without reprimand (5) constructive
feedback on how they are doing (Brown, 2006).

26

This project will utilize many of the suggestions presented by Brown, Sanghi, and the Norte!
team. The competency model will consist of 5 competencies that have been determined as
critical to youth care worker success by the organization and stakeholders. This number of
competencies is chosen so competency development does not become an overwhelming task
for youth care workers and managers within the organization. The goal is to develop simple,
clear, user friendly plans that will allow for a high degree of interaction amongst colleagues.
Coaching and mentoring throughout the process is important as the wish is to have managers
assist youth care workers when attempting to achieve development goals. This will aid
tremendously in cultivating a culture of teamwork and togetherness in the individual
resources. In addition, provision of accessible learning resources will be extremely important
in implementing the plans. Because the organization operates 24 hours a day, it is often
difficult to provide all employees equal access to training opportunities. Providing literature,
videos, and intra-organization workshops will be vital in model implementation and success.
The primary use of the competency plans is to provide youth care workers within the
organization a tool to assist in development of necessary skills. A secondary use of the plans
is to assess individual employee competency plan cooperation and completion and utilize this
as another measure in the annual performance evaluation process. Measurement is relatively
simple as it would only involve manager reporting and feedback regarding progress by
individual employees in meeting target deadlines of competency plans. It would be difficult
to link metrics to measure effective competency development at this introduction stage. The
goal in creating a competency model for the organization is to provide a framework in which
employees and managers can collaborate to develop competencies that will aid youth care

27

workers when they are working with challenging residents. The focus is more about
providing information and goals to achieve rather than detailed measurement.

2.2.5- Competency Models and the impact on Performance and Retention:
With decades of research into developing, designing and implementing competency models,
a practitioner interested in introducing these models should be wondering what impacts this
could have for their organization.

Boyatzis (1982) research was among the first empirically tested work that linked increased
performance to individual competence. His method involves conducting a job element
analysis in which people are asked about what they think enables people to be effective in
their jobs. His validation data relating competencies to performance was dependant on the
reliable coding of the Behavioural Event Interview.

As previously mentioned by the studies ofMcLagan (1980) and Chung-Herrera et al. (2003),
many human resource activities are enhanced using well-developed competency models.
Some notable areas included recruitment, training and development, coaching, counselling,
men to ring, reward systems, and career development. All of these human resource functions
have been linked to improved organizational performance and retention through countless
studies.

Efforts by a defense contractor Raytheon provides insight for maintaining a loyal workforce
and reducing turnover (Helpert, 2006). Some notable findings for improving retention within

28

the organization included focussing on career development, providing continuous learning,
providing interaction with management, providing rewards and recognition, and fostering
open communication. Career development is considered extremely important as many
Generation X and Generation Y employees tend to leave quickly when they are not afforded
opportunities to expand their competencies (Helpert, 2006). Raytheon introduced online
competency models that described key attributes, technical skills, leadership behaviours, and
values that could aid employees in meeting objectives and reaching their full potential.
Through the usage of these models, Raytheon managers began to develop a retention mindset
to help keep talented people in the organization. This resulted in decreased turnover.
Research has also suggested that there is a link between management development programs
and performance and retention of employees. Research suggests that there is a need for
effective management-development programs that develop core competencies in managers
and supervisors of organizations (Cunningham, 2012). Effective management-development
programs can aid organizations in creating more positive and engaging workplaces. The
result can increase morale, and reduce turnover (Cunningham, 2012). Providing workers with
proper training for their roles is a critical factor in attracting, retaining, and motivating
employees. Effectively trained employees learn to be more productive and efficient in their
work, which leads to increased organizational performance (Cunningham, 2012).

Generally, the research literature does not yield many results on competency models and
their affect on specific organizational outcomes such as performance and retention. Literature
on specific competencies and the affect on organizational outcomes are more established.
This will be examined further in the specific competencies section.

29

2.2.6 -Competency Development:
An important consideration when constructing and applying competency models is the
determination of what competencies are integral to organizational success, and subsequently
determining how to develop identified competencies.

Rothwell (2005) believes that to build competencies, an organization has to employ methods
in which individuals can improve competencies. He termed these methods as competency
development strategies. Competency development strategies are intended to narrow the gaps
between what is described in the competency model, and what is currently prevalent at the
individual employee level (Rothwell, 2005). Some examples of development strategies
offered include attending classroom training courses, participating in online training, reading
books or articles, and listening to audiotapes or videotapes. Competency development
strategies can be divided into two categories: generic and corporate culture-specific
(Rothwell, 2005). Generic strategies are very general and effort is not required to tie the
development strategy to unique conditions prevailing in the organizational culture. Corporate
culture-specific development strategies are more involved and specific to the organization.

For the purposes of this project, generic strategies will be employed for competency
development. The identified competencies are broad based, and there is easy access to
tremendous amounts of learning resources in the way of online resources, community
workshops, books and articles, and videotapes.

30

2.2.7- Competencies, Training and Development, and Youth Care Work:
The goals of most residential youth care programs is to assist youth with overcoming issues
associated with various risk conditions and behaviours such as alcohol abuse, substance
abuse, and delinquency; as well as preparing youth to meet life challenges and make
decisions that promote their positive development (Perkins et al, 2003). In the residential
youth care environment, research has revealed that positive developmental outcomes for
youth are linked with residential programs that are effective in providing physical and
psychological safety, appropriate structure, supportive relationships, opportunities to belong,
opportunities for skill building, and integration of family, school, and community efforts
(Eccles and Grootman, 2002). For a program to be effective in these dimensions, youth care
workers need to be aware of these benefits, and feel competent in their ability to implement
these features (Hartje et al, 2008). Studies have consistently identified caregiver specialized
training and education as one of the strongest predictors of child care quality (Gable and
Halliburton, 2003). Ongoing training of care workers is necessary for continually improving
program quality.

An in-depth review of the literature into factors essential for promoting youth care worker

success revealed that care workers desire: (1) adequate compensation and opportunities for
advancement (2) opportunities for professional development and training (3) a supportive
environment that fosters success through adequate supervision and a climate of collaboration
(4) clear role descriptions and perceived competence to perform those roles (5) a sense that
their work is valued (6) opportunities for professional networking (Hartje et al., 2008).

31

Limited or inadequate training leads to staff lacking the competence and confidence required
to implement program elements (Hartje et al., 2008). This results in increased levels of
burnout and shortened tenure among staff. When there is continual turnover of staff, program
success is greatly impacted because it takes significant time to develop positive, supportive,
and cohesive relationships between workers and youth. A constant influx of inexperienced
and inadequately trained workers diminishes the skill level, strength and effectiveness of the
programs. Hartje et al. (2008) find that staff retention related to working with youth is higher
for staff who received job related training, view themselves as being overall competent in
working with youth, have opportunities to participate in work-related decision-making, and
receive help from co-workers in learning job-related skills.

Hartje et al. (2008) also present interesting insights into youth care worker competency and
retention. Youth care staff that rated themselves higher in overall competency also reported
having lived through experiences similar to the youth in the program. The belief is that this is
due to these workers ability to identify with the challenges the youth confront on a daily
basis. The study also reports a strong correlation in job-related training and youth care
worker retention. The conclusion is that training and educational experiences more closely
tied to practical, job-related duties can be significant drivers of youth care worker retention.
The correlation between competency ratings and specialized training yields that youth care
workers who received training and deemed it useful reported overall competency higher than
those who received training and deemed it as not useful. This finding suggests that the
quality of training youth care workers receive is of great importance. Another significant
finding of the study was that attending professional training sessions on topics related to

32

youth issues also appeared to be related to staff reporting higher competency levels and
retention. A final conclusion of the study reveals that men rated themselves lower than
women in overall youth care worker competency. Hartje et al. believe this has to do with the
perception that youth care work is a highly relational profession. Women may experience a
greater sense of satisfaction then men, and consequently rate themselves as having higher
competencies. Youth care work traditionally does not provide high income or opportunities
for career advancement, which may contribute to attracting more women than men to the
field.

2.2.8 - Specific Competencies utilized in this study:
The following is a list of some competencies utilized in this study and their relationship to
youth care work, as well as the relationship with organizational outcomes such as
performance, morale, and retention.

A) Knowledge: There are a numerous developmental and behavioural conditions that
youth present in residential care homes. It is important for youth care workers to
possess an understanding of certain afflictions so they may be able to better support
youth and fellow colleagues. Individual knowledge can become organizational
knowledge through knowledge sharing, transferring and conversion (Nonaka, 1994).
Nonaka describes the conversion process as "spiral of knowledge" creation through
socialization, combination, externalization, and internalization. The most valuable
knowledge shared gains momentum that allows it to become institutionalized as an
organizational competency (Nonaka, 1994). In order to facilitate knowledge

33

utilization, continued dedication of resources is required to assure that information is
accessible, and to enable continuous improvement to guarantee that knowledge of the
organization reflects the best information available (Nonaka, 1994).

B) Teamwork: Residential youth care facilities are typically staffed with one manager
and a team of 5-6 youth care workers. All the people that work in these facilities have
to carry out similar tasks. The exception is that managers have extra duties such as
supervising the team, ensuring adherence to stakeholder standards and regulations,
and performance management. Developing and maintaining positive, effective
relationships with team members and working as a cohesive unit, allows for
consistency and structure that aids in promoting healthy outcomes for youth in care.
A critical component of providing residential care is the importance of creating and
maintaining a positive environment and a stable emotional atmosphere (Pazaratz,
2003).
Before any discussion about teamwork can occur, it is important to recognize how
teams develop. Tuckman (1965) wrote an influential paper which identified five
stages of group development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and
reforming. For a group to become a team, each stage has to be achieved. In the
forming stage, the group initially comes together and approach each other cautiously
as they begin to develop an understanding of one another. In the storming phase,
Tuckman states that there is interpersonal conflict in which group members become
competitive and dissatisfied. In the norming phase, group members have overcome
their conflicts and developed roles and relationships, and begin to develop structure

34

and cohesiveness. In the performing phase, members start to cooperate, communicate,
and collaborate to accomplish work. The final phase is reforming. At this point,
Tuckman states the group dissolves as a result of reaching or changing its goals, or
perhaps some group members have left and been replaced. The process then returns
to the first stage. It is important to recognize the dynamics of how teams form as
research has shown the field of youth care is plagued by high rates of turnover (Gable
and Halliburton, 2003). This results in a continuous need to integrate new people into
an established team.

Great team experiences can also add a dimension of entertainment to the work
environment (Daum, 2010). In these experiences, team members move past the goal
and engage with each other resulting in connecting on a personal level and creating
friendships that go beyond work. These great team experiences contribute to
increased productivity and retention, which is why organizations invest a lot of
money in teambuilding seminars and retreats (Daum, 2010). These highly functional
teams often work harder with greater output as they enjoy spending time with each
other.

The creation of cohesive teams led by effective leaders can also be extremely
important in staff recruitment and retention (Toofany, 2007). Team building enhances
communication and interpersonal relationships, and can be utilized to overcome low
staff morale (Toofany, 2007). If staff morale is good, employees are more likely to
stay with the organization.

35

It is important to recognize that dysfunctional teams can have the opposite effect on
retention, performance and morale as well. Several factors that can contribute to team
ineffectiveness have been identified: (1) Insufficient commitment of team members to
team objectives. It is essential that specific goals are set and they meet team member
expectations (2) Certain personality traits, such as inappropriate argumentativeness or
cynicism, can make or break teams. Conflict has to be managed constructively by
team leaders or progress will stall (3) Not recognizing or acknowledging resistance to
change by some or all team members. Such resistance can lead to outcomes not being
achieved (4) Lack of support in organizations. The working culture of an organization
must support team building or team members will exhibit low confidence in leaders
which can lead to affecting outcomes (Longnecker and Neubert, 2000).

C) Leadership: Leadership is important not only for managers or supervisors in

residential care, but also youth care workers. Often, senior youth care workers are
relied upon to train new team members and mentor them. Providing a good example
is extremely important. Also, many youth are coming from previous environments
where they were in charge of taking care of younger siblings etc. Demonstration of
leadership has the ability to empower the youth in care as well.

It is important to develop leadership programs that identify the expected skills and
competencies potential leaders need for organization success (Cunningham, 2012).
When identification and defming of competencies occurs, an organization then has
the foundation for leadership development, as well as succession planning, and career

36

development (Cunningham, 20 12). Maximizing effectiveness of an organizations
leadership pool, will aid an entire organizational workforce reap the benefits of an
encouraged team vision, increased productivity, stimulation of new ideas, fostering
effective communication, lower staff turnover, and increased employee morale
(Cunningham, 2012).

Leadership opportunities and leadership development opportunities can play a pivotal
role in retaining employees (Cosack et al. , 201 0). An examination of a financial
services firm undertaking cost cutting initiatives utilizing only non financial
measures, such as employing a leadership-development program to retain employees
at risk of leaving, found that none of those employees had left the company (Cosack
et al., 201 0). Different sectors such as the pharmaceutical and industrial sector also
indicate that leadership development opportunities were linked to retention in those
sectors as well.

A study by Hicks (2008) examining the role of the manager in a residential youth
care facility finds that a major, complex, aspect of managers ' position is creating,
maintaining, influencing, and developing a team. This is viewed as essential in aiding
staff to meet needs of young people in the relationship-based care homes. Hicks
concludes that much of the management practice is focussed on establishing
mechanisms for communication and monitoring.

37

A survey of leadership development programs finds that of all the required leadership
skills, communication is of most value to organizations (White et al. , 2012). This
survey also indicates that communication showed the largest gap between importance
to the organization and current competency. White et al. review of research
establishes that communication satisfaction is crucial to employee productivity, job
satisfaction, job performance, and organizational effectiveness. Clear evidence
supports a link between employee communication satisfaction and leader-member
relations (Mueller and Lee, 2002). The way to increase overall levels of
communication satisfaction is to develop and maintain higher-quality exchanges with
as many subordinates as possible (Mueller and Lee, 2002).

D) Relationship Building: No significant client-involved accomplishment can occur in
a residential resource without the development of a relationship between clients and
youth care workers. Building rapport with youth residents opens the door for youth
care workers to attempt to assist youth. Relationship building is vitally important for
numerous reasons. It fosters communication to help youth care worker's understand
circumstances and issues that are afflicting residents. It also enables cooperation from
residents when attempting to implement education programming, lifeskills
programming, treatment referrals, and participation in recreational activities. Another
important aspect of developing relationships is that it provides a healthy role model
for residents, and a sense of attachment and belonging. Strong relationships also lead
to significant reductions in critical incidents and destructive behaviour within the
resource.

38

It has been directly observed by the author that relationship building also contributes
to increased morale, productivity, and retention in the residential youth care
environment. Youth care workers that develop relationships with residents are often
very proud of being able to make a connection and observe the positive changes in
resident behaviour and development. This fosters a deeper commitment to the work
they are performing, as it provides a sense of achievement and accomplishment. A
positive organizational outcome of this is that youth care workers often go beyond
what is expected of them to assist clients in continuing progress. In addition, youth
care workers that develop strong bonds with clients and often wish to stay employed
in the social service field or organization longer than they may otherwise. Many
aspiring youth care workers have exited the field because they were unable to foster
relationships with clients, and found it extremely difficult to manage negative
consequences as a result.

E) Conflict Management: There has been an ever increasing deinstitutionalization
trend over the course of the last few decades that is resulting in clients that previously
were treated in mental health facilities being housed in residential care home settings
(Crisis Prevention Institute, 2006). Youth care workers are placed in an environment
in which they can be exposed to aggressive and/or violent behaviour from residents
suffering from mental health illnesses. Conflict or crisis situations can be quite
chaotic and unpredictable resulting in increased anxiety and stress for youth care
workers. Managing these situations is an essential skill that is pertinent to all
members within the organization. Developing this competency will allow youth care

39

workers to understand warning signals and identify possible root causes of conflicts.
Also, development of this competency will help increase confidence in youth care
workers. This can result in youth care workers maintaining calm and composure in
these situations allowing for successful implementation of behaviour management
plans.

This is an important competency for the organization to develop as crisis situations
often result in physical house damage. This results in financial pressure for the
organization due to the need for constant repairs to the environment. In addition,
these conflict situations have a tremendous impact on the emotional well being of
residents and youth care workers. Detrimental neurological effects have been
observed in residents requiring hospitalization after conflicts. In addition, youth care
workers are exposed to vicarious trauma, and many have been referred to counselling
services after major conflict incidents. Understanding how to manage these situations
effectively and appropriately is important for the organization as client outcomes are
improved, as well as youth care worker performance and morale.

40

SUMMARY

For the purpose of creating competency development plans within the residential youth care
organization, this study utilizes a qualitative approach. This entails reviewing relevant
literature available in the form of journals, research studies, books, web-based materials, and
governmental publications regarding competency model approaches, design, and
implementation. Personal experience acquired by the author during several years of
employment within the residential care organization in varying capacities, is also drawn upon
in determining specific competencies to include in the development plan. This includes past
recommendations from stakeholders regarding competencies they wished to observe within
the organization, as well as feedback from employees, and youth in care over the years. Upon
analysis of all ofthe above sources, the aim is to synthesize the fmdings into useful
instruments that can be utilized within the residential care organization for assessing and
developing youth care worker competencies.

In the Implementation section, the competency development plans will be created utilizing

elements of several different approaches to competency model development. The author
deems it useful to employ a borrowed and tailored approach, a one-size-fits-all approach, and
a multi-job approach. This is accomplished by utilizing design elements from previously
established models, and designing plans with a focus on applying it to each employee within
the organization. Another important consideration is being able to functionally utilize the
plans as indicators for assessment purposes. In addition, competency development strategies

41

utilized will be generic strategies that include classroom time, an emphasis on reading books,
and watching instructional videos.

The human resources perspective on defining competency is applicable for the purposes of
this project. The selected competencies for plan development are clusters of knowledge,
skills or attitudes that encompass a significant portion of a youth care workers job, correlate
with performance, and can be improved with training and development. The aim is that
development and implementation of a competency model for the organization will enhance
training and development efforts, coaching, counselling and mentoring, career development,
and succession planning.

The borrowed and tailored approach to competency model development is employed because
it is appropriate for the organization fmancially, and significantly reduces the amount of
resources and time required to create and implement the plans. Numerous examples of
competency plans developed for or by other organizations exist on the World Wide Web. For
this project, the author reviewed several competency plans from a broad range of
employment sectors and attempted to incorporate ideal design elements into the proposed
competency model. An example of these elements are instructions for completing plans,
design characteristics such as utilizing a table format etc, implementing deadlines for
completion, and providing examples of additional materials for further competency
enhancement. Organizational competency documents utilized for development plan
construction guidance included the RCMP Competency Dictionary, U.S. Department of
Defense, and the Employment Development Department for the State of California. Specific

42

competencies identified for development are fairly broad because there is readily accessible
literature and tools that can be utilized in developing competencies. There are also numerous
developed models that can be referenced, and this is helpful in providing a framework for
design and layout characteristics. In addition, this approach is amenable to flexibility.
Modifications can be easily made that allow the model to have specificity to the
organization.

This project is also utilizing the one-size-fits-all approach and elements of the multi-job
approach to model development. The purpose of the competency development plans is to
apply it to every individual within the organization. This will allow plans to be utilized as
accurate measures for comparative assessments of individuals. This will be useful for career
development, succession planning, and potentially employee evaluations. The multi-job
approach elements utilized is the determination of levels of proficiency as well as levels in
development of specific competencies. This is included to provide attainable goals for
employees.

The competency model is limited to the development of five competency plans so it is not
exhaustive to the point where it may not be sufficiently or effectively utilized by managers or
youth care workers. The design of the plans is deliberately simplistic and clear. The intent is
to facilitate communication and interaction amongst colleagues, and provide opportunities
for coaching and mentoring.

43

Provision of accessible learning resources will be extremely important in implementing the
plans. The organization operates 24 hours a day, and it is often difficult to provide all
employees equal access to training opportunities. Providing literature, videos, and intraorganization workshops is vital in model implementation and success.

44

IMPLEMENTATION

The specific competencies that have been identified for incorporation into the competency
development model for residential youth care workers within the organization are: (1)
Knowledge (2) Teamwork (3) Relationship Building (4) Conflict Management (5)
Leadership.

Upon receiving competency developmental plans, each youth care worker is to set up a
preliminary meeting with their house manager to review the plan. This time is to be utilized
to ask any questions about specific plans such as time frames for completion, progress
meeting schedules, and specific developmental goals. Each youth care worker is responsible
for completing the plans individually, and house managers are to be utilized as coaches
throughout the process. Each house manager will also receive a duplicate copy of
competency plans for their youth care workers to monitor plan progress and offer feedback
throughout the process (Appendix 1).

Each specific competency plan is broken down further into what the developmental goal is as
defined by the organization, what development activities are useful/required for goal
achievement, time frames for completion, a self-assessment of proficiency, progress meeting
schedule with managers, and additional resources to assist in enhanced learning and
development. The self-assessment of proficiency will be determined through the usage of a
scale ranging from needs development, good understanding, and exceptional understanding.
The additional resources section is a collection of books, videos, and web based materials

45

supplementary to the specific competency plan for additional resources to aid in
development. The progress meeting schedule with managers is to ensure that there is ongoing
communication occurring between youth care workers and house managers quarterly. This
also allows for appropriate assessment of progress to date.

4.1 - Knowledge (Appendix 2)
Development Goals: To develop an understanding and familiarization with many complex
developmental behaviour conditions that currently afflict the client population served. The
educational content identified as relevant within the organization is knowledge about: Fetal
Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), Bipolar, PTSD & Trauma, Attachment Disorders,
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Anger Management.

Development Activities: Each employee will be expected to learn the applicable educational
modules. These will be distributed to each residential facility which allows for easy
accessibility. In addition, each employee has opportunities to access weekly community
workshops on the relevant educational material through a partnership with community
stakeholders.

Time Frame for Completion: Full time employees working 32 hours or more per week are
expected to finish the internal educational modules within 6 months of hire date. Part time
employees working 24 hours or less per week are expected to finish within 9 months of hire
date. Attendance in weekly external workshops is expected to be completed within 12
months of hire date for full time employees, and 18 months for part time employees. Each

46

educational workshop is currently offered at a minimum 4 times per calendar year. These
time frames have been selected because the average employee within the organization is
employed for approximately 2 years. Within 2 years of initially beginning the knowledge
competency plan, it would be preferred for employees to redo the development plan as a
means of refreshing knowledge.

Self-assessment ofproficiency: Needs Development is indicative of no knowledge, or limited
knowledge of the specific conditions or behaviours. Good Understanding represents a
working knowledge of the conditions and behaviours, and strategies to assist clients afflicted
with these conditions. An employee with a good understanding has recently been educated
on some or all of these conditions or behaviours within the last 2 years. Exceptional
Understanding represents ability to educate others on the conditions, behaviours, and
strategies to assist affected clients. An employee with an exceptional understanding has been
educated on all conditions or behaviours in the last year.

4.2 -Teamwork (Appendix 3)

Development Goals: (1) Establish and maintain meaningful relationships with team members
by promoting and maintaining professional conduct, negotiating and resolving conflicts as
they occur, acknowledging and respecting individual differences, and supporting fellow
youth care workers. (2) Build team spirit by building cohesion among team members through
active participation in resource and organization events. (3) Co-operate with team members
by doing allocated share of administrative work, keeping team members informed about any
relevant client or organizational developments, and offering ideas and feedback when asked

47

by other team members. (4) Encourage team members through empowerment by making
them feel valued and important, and giving credit to team members when they have done
something exceptionally well in resource or personal life. (5) Team promotion through
representing team success both within the resource and organization wide, providing
suggestions to remove barriers with the team unit, and actively leading and inspiring team
without dominating the group. (6) Solicit meaningful feedback by asking other team
members for feedback or opinions when formulating decisions or implementing care plans.

Development Activities: Each employee is expected to progress through three levels of
suggested activities for development. Each progressive level requires activities that are more
intensive in regards to time commitment, preparation and execution.
Level 1 Activities: a) Attend biweekly staff meetings regularly, b) Allocate time to aid a
team member in resource activities such as case management, c) Keep a log of personal input
provided during meetings to reflect on attitude, behaviours, and overall impact in the team
dynamic, d) Demonstrate co-operation by actively listening to team members and reflecting
understanding of what they are saying, e) Seek feedback from team members and house
manager regarding your overall co-operation within the team dynamic.
Level 2 Activities: a) Observe an individual within the organization that you believe is an
excellent team member and take notes of what this person does to support team members and
enhance team morale, b) Monitor the manner in which you articulate your thoughts or
comments about residents and team members to ensure that you speak positively about them
and their capabilities, while refraining from discussing weaknesses of coworkers with other
team members, c) Deal directly with people that are sources of conflict and follow the

48

conflict resolution model outlined in the employee handbook, d) A void team disruptive
behaviours such as providing unwarranted advice, judging or blaming, giving silent
treatment, or communicating through others, e) Encourage information sharing by asking
team members to articulate their thoughts on requirements for individual and team
objectives.
Level 3 Activities: a) Encourage and plan a celebration in conjunction with the house
manager recognizing an individual accomplishment of a team member, b) Make a list of all
the strengths and contributions of every person on the resource team and present at a staff
meeting, c) Plan and organize a team outing to promote team unity, d) Participate in a
resource project that involves collaboration and input from every team member and present
the project as a team at the annual staff retreat.

Time Frame for Completion: Full time employees are expected to progress through
developmental activity levels within one year of initial hire date, and part time employees are
expected to finish within two years of initial hire date. This allows for sufficient time to
develop meaningful relationships with fellow team members, and adequate time to prepare
and work on level three activities.

Self-assessment ofproficiency: Needs Development is indicative of a person who encounters
difficulty working as part of a team, does not always see other team member's point of view,
solicits feedback or advice but does not apply it consistently, and prefers to keep quiet in
meetings and not contribute. Good Performance represents a person who generally works
well with others, treats team members respectfully, is accepting of ideas and feedback, and is

49

a positive member of the team. Exceptional Performance represents a person who actively
supports building co-operation among multiple teams within the organization and
community, promotes teamwork within the team and other teams in the organization, and
promotes sharing of ideas among teams organization wide to ensure best service quality for
clients.

4.3 -Relationship Building (Appendix 4)

Development Goals: (1) Build Rapport by demonstrating effort to build connections with all
youth in resource. (2) Demonstrate personal characteristics that support relationship
development such as honesty, dependability, tolerance, flexibility, and compassion. (3)
Develop relationships with youth that are caring, purposeful, goal-directed, and therapeutic
in nature. (4) Establish, maintain, and communicate appropriate personal boundaries. (5)
Establish and maintain relationships with community stakeholders and neighbours.

Development Activities: Each employee is expected to progress through three levels of
suggested activities for development. Each progressive level requires activities that are more
intensive in regards to time commitment, preparation, and execution.
Level 1: a) Participate in youth daily recreation activities as much as possible, b) Learn about
residents histories through team consultation, review of care plans, and conversations with
youth about interests, concerns etc.
Level2: a) Plan and coordinate an activity with each individual youth for one on one time, b)
Write a personal story in which honesty, integrity, and compassion all played a role and
share with youth.

so

Level3: a) Plan and coordinate a youth event for all youth in resource, b) Organize an open
house in conjunction with youth and resource team for neighbours and stakeholders.

Time Frame for Completion: Full time employees are expected to complete activities within
12 months of hire date and part time employees within 18 months of hire date. Relationship
building can be deemed as a core competency in the youth care field as no significant
progress can be made with any youth residents without an established trusting relationship
with youth care workers. The quicker the activities are completed, the better the
organizational outcomes.

Self-assessment ofproficiency: Needs Development represents a person who has a limited
connection with residents within the resource, is having difficulty building rapport, and is not
completely comfortable in all interactions with youth residents. Good Performance
represents a person who has established rapport with all youth residents in resource based on
trust and respect. Exceptional Performance represents a person who has developed trustful
and respectful relationships with youth residents' organization wide.

4.4- Conflict Management (Appendix 5)

Development Goals: (1) Establish clear, consistent, and predictable expectations for youth
behaviour. (2) Understand the importance of preventing behaviour management problems
through planning, conflict resolution, positive reinforcement, environmental awareness, and
self-control. (3) Recognize when there is conflict occurring or on the horizon and respect
other points of view. (4) Work to resolve conflicts by actively listening and promoting
mutual understanding. (5) Understand and employ a variety of techniques for interviewing

51

residents before and after conflicts. (6) Assess the strength and weaknesses of employing
behaviour management techniques in certain situations or with particular residents. (7)
Create an environment where conflict is viewed as opportunity for positive change.

Development Activities:

Level 1: a) Write out a list of all of your personal triggers and positive mechanisms to
alleviate them, b) Read all case histories and talk to residents about their triggers so you gain
an understanding of potential behaviours that you exhibit that may induce conflict, c) Ask a
colleague or manager for feedback and advice after a conflict in which you were directly
involved.
Level 2: a) After a conflict that you experience, write out what you felt during the situation
and share with team at staff meeting, b) Practice TCI techniques including physical
interventions with staff team members' monthly, c) Conduct a situational role play scenario
with every member of the resource team (minimum 5).
Level3: a) Create a short play with the youth and team members describing a familiar
conflict situation and positive solutions to address the crisis, b) After observing a conflict in
which you weren't directly involved, answer the following questions: What level of
behaviour did you observe and how did team members respond to those behaviours? Did you
see signs of staff anxiety? What were they? Was the least restrictive form of intervention
used in your opinion? Did staff use a team approach?

Time Frame for Completion: Full time employees are expected to progress through the

development activities in 6 months and part time employees within 12 months. The shorter

52

time frame as compared to other developmental activities is due to the fact that conflict
management is something that youth care workers experience and are exposed to every shift.
It is extremely vital that youth care workers are confident and capable in these situations.

Self-assessment ofproficiency: Needs Development represents a person who is avoidant of
conflict, feels anxious in conflict situations, and is not very familiar with strategies to prevent
and manage conflict situations. Good Performance is indicative of a youth care worker who
is confident in most conflict situations, employs several different strategies to resolve and
manage conflict, can demonstrate most TCI techniques, and deals with conflict promptly.
Exceptional performers are youth care workers that are confident in conflict situations, is
familiar with numerous strategies and processes to resolve and manage conflict, can
demonstrate all TCI techniques at any given time, deals with conflict promptly, and actively
reflects on their own behaviour in escalated situations.

4.5 - Leadership (Appendix 6)

Development Goals: (1) Position self as a leader by ensuring that the mission, goals, agenda,
policies and procedures are supported by others. (2) Create team effectiveness by creating
conditions that allow for optimal team performance such as setting clear directives and
structure, and utilizing team member strengths. (3) Communicate effectively with team and
organization by keeping people informed about decisions that affect them and ensuring all
relevant information is available to team members. (4) Manage meetings proficiently by
clearly communicating purpose, ensuring proper flow, managing time, and allowing for
feedback of ideas. (5) Administer resource activities by delegating tasks for the team in a fair

53

and equitable manner. (6) Demonstrate adherence to standards and legislation. (7) Positively
role model work ethic, accountability, and integrity organization wide. (8) Take charge in
aiding the resolution of team conflicts. (9) Communicate organizational vision in a manner
that induces excitement, enthusiasm, and commitment.

Development Activities:
Level 1: a) Conduct and lead a staff meeting for the resource, b) Represent the organization
at an integrated case management meeting and a resident individual education plan meeting,
c) Plan and organize a training workshop relevant to youth care work for the organization.
Level2 : a) Identify and emulate an organizational member with high leadership skills. Keep
a log ofbehaviours you believe contribute to success, b) Devise a schedule for monthly
resource duties for the team.
Level3 : a) Plan, organize, and execute an organization wide event for youth and team
members, b) Develop the plan of care for a new resident in conjunction with community
team. Articulate and educate your resource team of your vision for plan implementation.
Inform them of your reasoning behind introducing certain elements such as nutrition plan,
and education plan etc. c) Participate as a presenter for organization at semi-annual
practicum placement meeting.

Time Frame for Completion: Full time employees are provided up to 24 months to complete
the plan if they are interested in undertaking a leadership role within the organization. The
reasoning is that it takes significant time to develop proficiency in other aspects of the job
which is required to progress into a leadership role. Part time employees can choose to enrol

in the leadership development program if they wish with no time constraints. The goal is to
have a mechanism available if youth care workers are interested in pursuing the option.

Self-assessment ofproficiency: Needs Development represents a person who is not
comfortable delegating activities for others, prefers to be guided rather than direct others, and
has difficulty communicating reasoning for decisions. Good Performance is representative of
a person who is confident in administration of day to day activities for the team, keeps
people informed, and promotes team effectiveness. Exceptional Performance is indicative of
a person who positions themselves as a take charge leader, integrates the team within the
entire organization, takes pride in coaching and mentoring others, and communicates and
creates a compelling vision.

55

CONCLUSION

Through changes in social welfare policy and shifting priorities of governments, the field of
youth care work can be very dynamic and challenging. The last decade in British Columbia
has seen an increased shift towards the supportive approach, and the closure of many mental
health institutions and related supports for children. Residential care homes are receiving
increasingly complex and difficult youth that require specialized services. As a direct result,
training and development in the field of residential youth care work has required greater
emphasis. Youth care workers are interacting in unique social environments with young
people that are affected by many issues such as substance abuse addictions, mental health
concerns, developmental deficits, and behaviour conditions. A paradoxical aspect is that
these youth care workers are trying to create or replicate a natural home like environment
that provides a sense of structure and normality for youth in a foreign, artificial setting from
the youth perspective.

This project created competency developmental plans for utilization in a private residential
youth care organization to supplement current educational requirements and training. The
competencies identified for development included knowledge, teamwork, relationship
building, conflict management, and leadership. The research indicates that development in
some of these competencies can not only improve service quality, but also increase retention
rates, employee performance, and employee morale.

56

Limitations in this study include a lack of recent, detailed feedback from current exemplary
employees within the organization to determine behaviours that lead to success. Surveys
distributed throughout the organization to youth, staff, and stakeholder personnel could have
aided in identifying other competencies deemed necessary for youth care worker success.
The project relied on past observations, experiences, feedback from current and former youth
care workers, and the author' s perspective as a former youth care worker, house manager,
and current senior manager.

Future research focus can quantitatively examine the impact of introduction and
implementation of development plans in residential care facilities, and their effect on key
organizational metrics such as performance and retention. The author did not uncover any
research that focussed on this specifically in the growing youth care field. In addition, further
development can also be undertaken that focuses on functional competencies rather than
broad soft competencies examined in this project. Examples of functional competencies may
include a focus on the growing technical aspects of the youth care worker position.

57

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·.

61

APPENDIX 1
Competency Plan Instructions

The purpose of the competency development program is to continually develop specific
broad competencies in YCW's that will assist in improving client outcomes, and link with
strategic direction and organizational goals. The completion of plans will be a collaborative
process in which YCW's and managers work together to develop specific competencies.
Employee Instructions:

1. Upon receiving a competency plan, please review the documents to see if there is
anything that requires further clarification.
2. After review, please arrange a preliminary meeting with your licensed resource
manager. If you are a part time YCW, please arrange a meeting with a resource
manager that is your direct supervisor for the majority of your shifts.
3. Prior to the preliminary manager meeting, please indicate what you feel is an accurate
representation of your skill level under the current proficiency level column.
4. At the preliminary meeting, utilize the time to raise any questions or concerns.
Discuss proficiency level rating. Develop a plan with resource manager to progress
through developmental activities mindful of time frames for completion of plans. In
addition, arrange a time for the first quarterly meeting to discuss plan progress and
receive feedback. Both parties are to sign off that this initial meeting occurred.
5. Check off development activities as they are completed.
6. Schedule quarterly meetings with resource manager to continually assess progress
and receive feedback. Ensure that both parties sign off on the meetings.
7. Upon completion of competency plan, sign off that the plan is successfully completed
and please submit to Human Resources Department after manager has also signed
off. At this time, provide feedback to HR regarding plan usefulness and
implementation.
Manager Instructions:

1. Arrange a preliminary meeting with YCW's upon their receipt of competency plans.
2. Ask Human Resources for a duplicate copy ofYCW competency plan.
3. At preliminary meeting, discuss concerns or questions that YCW may pose. Discuss
current proficiency ratings and their appropriateness if required. Develop a plan with
YCW for plan completion. Sign off that this initial meeting occurred.
4. As YCW progresses through development activities, keep track in duplicate copy for
feedback meeting purposes.
5. At quarterly meetings, address any questions or concerns. Ensure that timelines are
being met. Sign off that these meetings have occurred.
6. Upon competency plan completion, sign off that the plan is successfully completed
and direct YCW's to submit plans to HR Department.

62

( ) Exceptional Understanding

I . Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

6. Anger Issues

5. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder

4 . Attachment Disorders

3. PTSD & Trauma

2. Bipolar Mood Disorder

( ) Good Understanding

( ) Needs Development

Please Check One:
(See below for guidance)

Current Proficiency
Level

Knowledge: To develop an
understanding and familiarization
with many complex developmental
and behaviour conditions that
currently afflict the client population
served:

Development Goals

Employee N a m e : - - - - - - - - -

External Worksho11s:
( ) Attend FASD
( ) Attend Bipolar
( ) Attend PTSD & Trauma
( ) Attend Attachment Disorders
( ) Attend ADHD
( ) Attend Anger Management

Internal Organization Modules:
( ) Complete FASD
( ) Complete Bipolar
( ) Complete PTSD & Trauma
( ) Complete Attachment Disorders
( ) Complete ADHD
( ) Complete Anger Management

Training: Utilize internal
organizational resources as well as
weekJy external agency training.

Development Activities

.

Time Frame for
Completion

FTE: within 12 months of hire date
PTE: within 18 months of hire date

External Worksho11s:

FTE: within 6 months of hire date
PTE: within 9 months of hire date

Internal Organization Modules:

63

Books:
I. F ASD: Trying Differently Rather
Than Harder 2nd ed. by Diane Malbin
(Tectrice Inc, 2002).
2. F ASD Relationships by Rod
Densmore (Dory Spirit Books Ltd.,
2002).
3. Taking Charge of ADHD by
Russell Barkley (Guildford Press,
2000).
Videos:
I . Lucid (2005). A therapist counsels
three patients in group therapy
suffering from PTSD
2. F AS/F AE, coping with
challenging behaviours (1995).
Provides understanding and methods
of positive programming for people
afllicted by FAS/ FAE.
3. Anger Management (2003) . A
businessman is wrongly sentenced to
an anger management program
where he meets an aggressive
instructor.
Web-based Materials:
I. www.fasdoutreach .ca
2. www.helpguide.org
3. www.attachrnentdisorder.net

Additional Resources

House Manager: - - - - - - - - -

Dependent on Employment Status:

Knowledge Developmental Plan

APPENDIX2

Manager Comments:

Manager Comments:

···-··-- ····················---····

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

[Progr_ess Meeting wit)l Bouse Manager
Quarter 1 (Jan- March)
Quarter 2 (April- June)

Manager Comments:

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Quarter 3 (July- Sept)

with exceptional understanding has been educated on all conditions and behaviours within the last year.

Manager Comments:

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Quarter 4 (Sept- Dec)

64

Exceptional Understanding- represents an ability to educate others on the conditions, behaviours, and strategies to assist affected clients. An employee

employee with a good understanding has recently been educated on some or all of these conditions and behaviours within the last 2 years.

I

Current Proficiency Level Scale
I
Needs Development- indicative of no knowledge, or limited knowledge of the specific conditions or behaviours.
Good Understanding- represents a working knowledge of the conditions and behaviours, and strategies to assist clients afflicted with these conditions. An

Knowledge Developmental Plan

YCW Signature:

Manager Signature:

I have discussed this knowledge plan with the YCW and agree to provide
feedback and coaching through the activities as required .

Manager Name:

I have discussed this knowledge plan with my house manager and agree to
solicit feedback throughout the duration of the plan as required.

YCWName:

Initial Planning Meeting Date:
YCW Signature:

Manager Signature:

The YCW has completed the knowledge plan successfully and received
feedback and guidance regarding performance of activities.

Manager Name:

I have completed the knowledge plan and solicited feedback from my house
manager regarding performance strengths and weaknesses.

YCWName:

Plan Completion Meeting Date:

Knowledge Developmental Plan

65

.

··---··---·---·-··-~--···

- ··-···-··----··-·····

3. Co-operation: Do your share of
administrative work. Support team
ideas. Keep team members informed
about any relevant client or
organizational developments. Offer
ideas or feedback when asked by
other team members .

2. Build team spirit: Build cohesion
among team members through
actively participating in resource and
organizational events.

I. Establish and maintain meaningful
relationships with team members:
Promote and maintain professional
conduct. Negotiate and resolve
conflicts as they occur. Acknowledge
and respect individual differences .
Support fellow YCW 's.

Teamwork: The ability to work in
co-operation with a diverse team of
YCW's in a residential care setting,
as well as organization and
community wide. This includes a
desire to achieve common goals and
develop a positive work
environment.

Development Goals

( ) Exceptional Performance

( ) Good Performance

( ) Needs Development

Please Check One:
(See below for guidance)

Current Proficiency
Level

Employee N a m e : - - - - - - - - -

Level2:
( ) Observe an individual within the
organization that you believe is an
excellent team member. Take notes
of what this person does to support
team members and enhance team
morale.

Levell:
( ) Attend biweekly staff meetings
regularly.
( ) Make time to help a team
member in any activity such as case
management or general resource
duties.
( ) Keep a recorded log of your input
during meetings, and other staff team
gatherings to reflect on your attitude,
behaviour, and overall impact in the
team dynamic.
( ) Demonstrate co-operation by
listening actively to team members
and reflecting back your
understanding of what they are
saying.
( ) Seek feedback from team
members and house manager
regarding your overall cooperation
within the team framework.

Development Activities

FTE: within 12 months of hire date
PTE: within 24 months of hire date

Dependent on Employment Status:

66

I . www.humanresources.about.com
Click on manage people tab and then
select team building/work teams.

Web-based Materials:

These are all films about a team
coming together to acrueve a
common goal under stressful
circumstances.

Videos:
I. Remember the Titans (2000).
2. Coach Carter (2005).
3. Ocean' s 11 (2001).

3. The 17 Indisputable Laws of
Teamwork by John Maxwell
(Thomas Nelson, 2003).

2. Becoming A Person of Influence
by John Maxwell and Jim Dornan
(Thomas Nelson, 1997).

Books:
I . The Power of Positive Thinking
by Norman Vincent Peale
(Ballantine Books, 1982).

Additional Resources

House Manager: - - - - - - - - Time Frame for
Completion

Teamwork Competency Developmental Plan

APPENDIX3

6. Solicit feedback: Get other team
members feedback or opinion when
formulating decisions or
implementing care plans.

5. Promote the team: Represent the
team's successes both within the
resource and organization wide.
Provide any suggestion to remove
barriers within the team. Actively
lead and inspire team without
dominating the group.

4. Encourage team members:
Empower team members by making
them feel valued and important. Give
credit to team members when they
have done something well in
resource or personally.

( ) Participate in a resource project
that involves collaboration and input
from every team member and present
as a team at the annual staff retreat.
( ) Plan and organize a team outing
to promote team unity.
( ) Encourage and plan a celebration
in conjunction with house manager
to recognize an individual
accomplishment of a team member.
( ) Make a list of all the strengths
and contributions of every person on
your team. Present this at a staff
meeting.

Level3:

( ) Monitor the manner in which you
speak about residents and team
members. Ensure that you speak
positively about them and their
capabilities and refrain from
discussing weaknesses of coworkers
with other team members.
( ) Deal directly with people who
you have a conflict with rather than
complaining to others. Follow the
conflict resolution model outlined in
the employee handbook.
( ) Avoid team disruptive behaviours
such as providing unwarranted
advice, judging or blaming, giving
silent treatment, or communicating
through others.
( ) Encourage information sharing
by asking team members to articulate
their thoughts on what they require
to meet individual and team
objectives.

67

Quarter 2 (April -June)

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Manager Comments:

Quarter 1 (Jan- March)

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Manager Comments:

Progress Meetin2 with House Manager

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Manager Comments:

Manager Comments:

Quarter 4 (Sept- Dec)

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Quarter 3 (July - Sept)

Exceptional Performance - represents a person who actively supports building co-operation among multiple teams within the organization and
community, promotes teamwork within the team and other teams in the organization, and promotes sharing of ideas among teams organization wide to ensure
best service quality for clients.

a positive member of the team .

68

Good Performance - represents a person who generally works well with others, treats team members respectfully, is accepting of ideas and feedback, and is

solicits feedback or advice but does not apply it consistently, and prefers to keep quiet in meetings and not contribute.

Needs Development - represents a person who encounters difficulty with working as part of a team, does not always see other team member's point of view,

Current Proficiency Level Scale

Teamwork Competency Developmental Plan

I

YCW Signature:

Manager Signature:

I have discussed this teamwork competency plan with the YCW and agree to
provide feedback and coaching through the activities as required.

Manager Name:

I have discussed this teamwork competency plan with my house manager and
agree to solicit feedback throughout the duration of the plan as required.

YCWName:

Initial Planning Meeting Date:
YCW Signature:

Manager Signature:

----~---

The YCW has completed the teamwork competency plan successfully and
received feedback and guidance regarding performance of activities.

Manager Name:

69

I have completed the teamwork competency plan and solicited feedback from
my house manager regarding performance strengths and weaknesses.

YCWName:

Plan Completion Meeting Date:

Teamwork Competency Developmental Plan

5. Establish and maintain
relationships with community
members and neighbours

4. Establish, maintain, and
communicate appropriate personal
boundaries.

3. Develop relationships with youth
that are caring, purposeful, goaldirected, and therapeutic in nature.

2 . Demonstrate personal
characteristics that support
relationship development such as
honesty, dependability, tolerance,
flexibility, and compassion.

I . Build Rapport- demonstrate effort
to build connections with all youth in
resource.

Relationship Building: working to
establish and maintain relationships
that are mutually trusting, respectful,
empathetic, and non-judgemental.

Development Goals

( ) Exceptional Performance

( ) Good Performance

( ) Needs Development

Please Check One:
(See below for guidance)

Current Proficiency
Level

Employee N a m e : - - - - - - - - -

FTE: within 12 months of hire date
PTE: within 18 months of hire date

( ) Participate in youth daily
recreation activities as much as
possible.

( ) Organize an open house in
conjunction with youth and resource
team for neighbours and
stakeholders.

( ) Plan and coordinate a youth event
for all youth in resource.

Level3:

( ) Write a personal story in which
honesty, integrity, and compassion
all played a role and share with youth

( ) Plan and coordinate an activity
with each individual youth for one
on one time.

Level2:

( ) Learn about residents history
through team consultation, review of
care plans, and conversations with
youth about interests, concerns etc.

Dependent on Employment Status:

Time Frame for
Completion

~

Levell:

Development Activities

Relationship Building Competency Developmental Plan

APPENDIX4

70

I. www.selfgrowth.com
Click on relationships tab and then
select teenagers and parenting folder.

Web-based Materials:

These are all films about the
complexities of caregiver/youth
relationships.

Videos:
I . Problem Child ( 1990).
2 . Cheaper by the Dozen (2003).
3. Life as a house (2001).
4. Stand and Deliver (1988) .

3. On Becoming Teen-Wise:
Building a Relationship That Lasts a
Lifetime by Gary Ezzo (Parent-Wise
Solutions, 2000)

2. How to win friends and influence
people by Dale Carnegie
(Distican, 1990).

Books:
I . Getting Together: Building
Relationships As We Negotiate by
Roger Fisher and Scott Brown
(Penguin Books, 1998).

Additional Resources

________________

1

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Manager Comments:

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Manager Comments:

Manager Comments:

Quarter 3 (July- Sept)
Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Progress
~ with House Mant!ter
Quarter 1 (Jan- March)
Quarter 2 (April- June)

Quarter 4 (Sept- Dec)

Manager Comments:

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

~

Exceptional Performance- represents a person who has developed trustful and respectful relationships with youth residents' organization wide.

completely comfortable in all interactions with youth residents.
,...,
-•
represents a person who has established rapport with all youth residents in resource based on trust and respect.

I ~ ~ Performance -

Current
~ Level Scale
Needs Development- represents a person who has limited connection with residents within the resource, is having difficulty building rapport, and is not

Relationship Building Competency Developmental Plan

71

J

Manager Signature:

I have discussed this relationship building competency plan with the YCW and
agree to provide feedback and coaching through the activities as required.

Manager Name:

YCW Signature:
YCWName:
-I have discussed this relationship building competency plan with my house
manager and agree to solicit feedback throughout the duration of the plan as
required.

Initial Planning Meeting Date:
YCW Signature:

Manager Signature:

The YCW has completed the relationship building competency plan
successfully and received feedback and guidance regarding performance of
activities.

Manager Name:

I have completed the relationship building competency plan and solicited
feedback from my house manager regarding performance strengths and
weaknesses.

YCWName:

Plan Completion Meeting Date:

Relationship Building Competency Developmental Plan

72

.......... .....

3. Be observant of conflictrecognizes when there is a conflict
occurring or on the horizon and
respect other points of view.

2. Employ preventative methodsunderstand the importance of
preventing behaviour management
problems through planning, conflict
resoiJtion, positive reinforcement,
environmental awareness, and selfcontrol.

I . Establish expectations - recognize
the importance of establishing clear,
consistent, and predictable
expectations for youth behaviour.

Conflict Management:
Understanding how to prevent and
deal with difficult behaviour and
conflict situations with residents
while maintaining confidence and
composure.

Development Goals

( ) Exceptional Performance

( ) Good Performance

( ) Needs Development

Please Check One:
(See below for guidance)

Current Proficiency
Level

Employee N a m e : - - - - - - - - -

FTE: within 6 months of hire date
PTE: within 12 months of hire date

( ) Write out a list of aU of your
personal triggers and positive
mechanisms to alleviate them .

These are all films that involve
central characters engaging in
conflict resolution processes.
Web-based Materials:
I. www.execstrategies.com
Click on facilitator tab and scroll
down to conflict resolution
strategies .

Leve12:
( ) After a conflict that you
experienced, write out what you felt
during the situation and share with
team at a staff meeting.

Videos:
I. The Day the Earth Stood Still
(2008).
2. Night at the Museum (2006).
3. How to manage conflict, anger
and emotion (200 I).

73

3. The Big Book on Conflict
Resolution Games by Mary Scanell
(McGraw-Hill, 2010).

2. The Joy of Conflict Resolution by
Gary Harper (Friesens , 2009).

Books:
I. Therapeutic Crisis Intervention
Handbook by Cornell University,
(Cornell, 2011).

Additional Resources

( ) At the frrst appropriate time
(consult with manager), follow-up
regarding a conflict directly
involving you and a resident, and
discuss positive ways to deal with
issues.

( ) Ask a colleague or manager for
feedback and advice after a conflict
in which you were directly involved.

( ) Read all case history and talk to
residents about their triggers so you
gain an understanding of potential
behaviours that you exhibit that may
induce conflict.

Dependent on Employment Status:

Time Frame for
Completion

Levell:

Development Activities

House Manager: - - - - - - - - -

Conflict Management Competency Developmental Plan

APPENDIX5

7. Create an environment where
conflict is viewed as opportunity for
positive change.

6. Assess the strength and
weaknesses of employing behaviour
management techniques in certain
situations or with particular
residents.

5. Provide positive guidanceunderstand and employ a variety of
techniques for interviewing residents
before and after conflicts.

4. Address conflicts immediately works to resolve conflict by actively
listening and promoting mutual
understanding. When not directly
involved, employs strategies to
facilitate immediate mediation.

( ) After observing a conflict in
which you weren't directly involved,
answer the foUowing questions :
I . What level of behaviour did you
observe and how did team members
respond to those behaviours?
2. Did you see signs of staff anxiety?
What were they?
3. Was the least restrictive form of
intervention used in your opinion?
4. Did staff use a team approach?

( ) Create a short play with the youth
and team members describing a
familiar conflict situation and
positive solutions to address the
crisis.

LevelJ:

( ) Conduct a situational role play
scenario with every member of
resource team (minimum 5).

( ) Practice TCI Techniques
including physical interventions with
staff team members monthly.

74

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Manager Comments:

( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Manager Comments:

Manager Comments:

Date:
( ) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

Quarter 3 (July- Sent

Manager Comments:

) Check if meeting has occurred
Employee Comments:

manage conflict, can demonstrate all TCI techniques at any given time, deals with conflict promptly, and actively reflects on their own behaviour in escalated
situations.
--····---········. ····--··········-----·········-----····-----

Exceptional Performance - represents a person who is confident in conflict situations, is familiar with numerous strategies and processes to resolve and

Good Performance - represents a person who is confident in most conflict situations, employs several different strategies to resolve and manage conflict,
can demonstrate most TCI techniques, and deals with conflict promptly.

and manage conflict situations.

75

Needs Development - represents a person who is avoidant of conflict, feels anxious in conflict situations, and is not very familiar with strategies to prevent

Current }»roficiency Level:

Conflict Management Competency Developmental Plan

I

YCW Signature:

Manager Signature:

I have discussed this conflict management competency plan with the YCW and
agree to provide feedback and coaching through the activities as required.

Manager Name:

I have discussed this conflict management competency plan with my house
manager and agree to solicit feedback throughout the duration of the plan as
required.

YCWName:

Initial Planning Meeting Date:
YCW Signature:

Manager Signature:

The YCW has completed the conflict management competency plan
successfully and received feedback and guidance regarding performance of
activities.

Manager Name:

76

-----··-······

I have completed the conflict management competency plan and solicited
feedback from my house manager regarding performance strengths and
weaknesses.

YCWName:

Plan Completion Meeting Date:

Conflict Management Competency Developmental Plan

delegate tasks for team in a fair and
equitable manner.

5. Administer resource activities-

4 . Manage meetings proficiently clearly communicate purpose,
agenda etc. , ensw-e proper flow and
manage time, allow for feedback and
sharing of ideas .

3. Communicate effectively with
team and organization - keep people
informed about decisions that affect
them, ensure all relevant information
is available to team members.

2. Create team effectiveness - create
conditions that allow for optimal
team performance such as setting
clear directives and structure, and
utilizing team members strengths.

I . Positions self as a leader- ensw-es
that the mission, goals, agenda,
policies and procedures are
supported by others.

Leadership: implies a desire to lead
and motivate others to achieve team
and organizational goals.

Development Goals

( ) Exceptional Performance

( ) Good Performance

( ) Needs Development

Please Check One:
(See below for guidance)

Current Proficiency
Level

Employee N a m e : - - - - - - - - -

FTE: within 24 months of hire date
PTE: at their discretion

( ) Conduct and lead a staff meeting
for your resource.

( ) Devise a schedule for monthly
resource duties for the team.

( ) Identify and emulate an
organizational member with high
leadership skills. Keep a log of
behaviours you believe contribute to
success.

Level2:

( ) Plan and organize a training
workshop relevant to youth care
work for the entire organization.

( ) Represent the organization at an
integrated case management meeting
and a resident individual education
plan meeting.

Dependent on Employment Status:

Time Frame for
Completion

I. www.nwlink.com/-donclarkl
leader/leader.html

Web-based Materials:

These are all films that involve
central characters demonstrating
good and bad leadership.

I. Apollo 13 (1995) .
2 . A Few Good Men (1992) .
3. BraveHeart ( 1995).

Videos:

77

I . On Becoming A Leader: The
leadership Classic 4th ed. by Warren
Bennis (Basic Books, 2009).
2 . The 21 Irrefutable Laws of
Leadership: Follow them and people
will follow you by John Maxwell
(Thomas-Nelson, 1998).
3 . John P. Kotter on What Leaders
Really Do by John P. Kotter
(Harvard Business School Press,
1999)

Books:

Additional Resources

House Manager: - - - - - - - - -

Levell:

Development Activities

Leadership Competency Developmental Plan

APPENDIX6

9. Communicate organizational
vision in a manner that induces
excitement, enthusiasm, and
commitment.

8. Take charge in aiding the
resolution of team conflicts.

7. Positively role model work ethic,
accountability, and integrity
organization wide.

6. Demonstrate adherence to
standards and legislation

( ) Participate as a presenter for
organization at semi-annual
practicum placement meeting.

( ) Develop the plan of care for a
new resident in conjunction with
community team. Articulate and
educate your resource team of your
vision for plan implementation.
Inform them of your reasoning
behind introducing certain elements
such as nutrition plan, and education
plan etc.

( ) Plan, organize, and execute an
organization wide event for youth
and team members.

Levcl3:

3. www.mindtools.com
Select the toolkit tab and click on
leadership skills.

78

2 . www.businessballs.com
Scroll down to leadership on the left
hand menu.

YCW Signature:

~ Meeting Date:

Manager Signature:

I have discussed this leadership competency plan with the YCW and agree to
provide feedback and coaching through the activities as required.

Manager Name:

I have discussed this leadership competency plan with my house manager and
agree to solicit feedback throughout the duration of the plan as required.

YCWName:

Initial
YCW Signature:

Manager Signature:

The YCW has completed the leadership competency plan successfully and
received feedback and guidance regarding performance of activities.

Manager Name:

80

I have completed the leadership competency plan and solicited feedback from
my house manager regarding performance strengths and weaknesses.

YCWName:

Plan Completion Meeting Date:

Leadership Competency Developmental Plan