preparing for an exit
young people may exit youth service for a number of reasons
reasons for exiting
Young people may:
- age out of youth service and the minimum six months receiving payments end
- reconcile with family and return home
- look for work as a better option
- be work ready or already working
- move to another area
- apply for a main benefit on their own
Sometimes young people leave without notice or a reason or become transient and uncontactable.
preparing for an exit
Preparation is key to ensuring both you and the young person are prepared for the foreseeable changes and unexpected exits.
Exit Youth Service plan
As part of preparations, the young person must have an exit youth service plan in place so that you're both prepared for the changes ahead.
Exit reminders
The Youth Coach Exit Reminders can help you through the exit process. It has a list of items or things to be done, or points to be considered, or actions to be completed.
Download the exit reminders below, print it onto cardboard and pop it next to your computer screen, or laminate it, or create a bookmark for your diary so you don’t have to worry about remembering the steps that need to be completed.
Youth Coach Exit Reminders - pdf file
Youth Coach Exit Reminders - png file
Forms, additional information and supporting documents
Depending on the exit reason, the young person must complete appropriate forms relevant to the exit process and (where appropriate) provide additional information and supporting documentation to finalise the exit.
exit youth service plan
All young people who exit Youth Service must complete an 'Exit Youth Service plan'.
The Exit Youth Service Plan is a way for the young person to self-reflect, outlining their journey from where they began to their destination upon leaving Youth Service.
It must cover all aspects of moving into adulthood, such as ensuring the young person is enrolled with a doctor, has copies of their NCEA Record of Achievement, they are connected to their culture/iwi, are registered to vote etc.
The Exit Youth Service plan should also set out goal setting with their Youth Coach, i.e., what are their education and career goals upon leaving Youth Service, and the actions and support they require from Youth Service or MSD as they transition out.
The Youth Coach and the young person complete the Exit Youth Service plan together and each keep a copy to review and reflect on their time in Youth Service.
Developing an exit youth service plan
You can develop your own exit plan for the young person and start planning towards their next destination, but the plan must:
- be tailored to their circumstances
- include their next destination (if known)
- include appropriate activities to be completed.
Updating the Exit Youth Service plan
While the young person is enrolled in your service, you must update the Exit Youth Service plan regularly so you're both prepared for the changes ahead. The earlier young people are involved in planning towards their future goals and next destination, the better their outcomes will be.
editable and printable Exit Youth Service plans
You can also use the Exit Youth Service plans below. These plans capture the minimum standard of information and can be prefilled, printed and completed by the young person. The information recorded should prompt discussion between you and the young person. A copy of the exit plan should be given to the young person.
Young Parent Payment Editable – Exit Youth Service plan
Young Parent Payment Printable – Exit Youth Service plan
uncontactable exit youth service plan
There may be times when a young person leaves your service and becomes uncontactable. This could be because they’ve started full-time employment, transferred to a working-age benefit with Work and Income, or left New Zealand.
While it’s necessary to exit the young person for these situations, we still want to capture and reflect on the progress they made during their time in Youth Service.
It’s important to acknowledge the young person’s journey and any achievements they have made along the way.
Once you’ve made every attempt to contact the young person and have been unsuccessful, you can complete a one-page summary to document what was achieved while the young person was enrolled in your service.
Note: If you complete the one-page summary exit plan, your team leader will need to add notes to the young person’s ART profile to confirm that all reasonable attempts have been made to contact the young person.
Creating an Exit Plan for Youth Service
You can develop your own one-page exit plan, tailored to the young person’s circumstances. The plan should:
- Be personalised: Consider the young person’s specific situation.
- Summarise their achievements: Highlight their accomplishments, such as education milestones, parenting goals, budgeting successes, or other personal developments.
- Detail the support provided: Include a brief overview of the support and guidance they received while enrolled in Youth Service.
- State their next destination (if known): Where they have moved on to—work, training, or other life pathways.
- Include your contact details: In case follow-up is needed.
This helps us recognise the young person’s efforts, document their journey, and keep a record of the support provided. It also means that if they come back to Work and Income in the future, we have a better understanding of their previous engagement.
Example of an exit youth service plan summary.
Example of a blank exit youth service plan summary.