The construction of employee competency developmental plans for a private residential youth care facility

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. --P. ii.