Relational Resources for Change – New Futures for Youth With Complex Needs: A Research Protocol

Abstract

This research project creates and tests sets of resources that support practitioners to build effective change-focused relationships with young people. It does this using a Community of Practice (CoP) approach that brings together researchers, social sector and tangata whenua (indigenous) practitioners and international experts. The research has three steps: (1) Development of prototype resources; (2) Testing the prototype to confirm usability and efficacy; and (3) The creation of kaitiaki (guardianship) processes which will secure the ongoing availability of the resources beyond the end of the research project. This protocol details the origins of the project in community relationships and the methods used to create the resources and the kaitiaki processes.