preparing for an exit

reasons for exiting

Young people may:

Sometimes young people leave without notice or a reason or become transient and uncontactable.

Preparation is key to ensuring both you and the young person are prepared for the foreseeable changes and unexpected exits.

Exit Youth Service plan

You should work with the young person on an exit youth service plan so that you're both prepared for the changes ahead.

The Youth Coach Exit Reminders document can help you through the exit process. It has a list of items or things to be done and things to be considered.

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 the appropriate forms and provide 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 reflect on their time in Youth Service and think about what comes next for them.

It must cover all aspects of moving into adulthood, including (but not limited to) confirming the young person:

is enrolled with a doctor
has copies of their NCEA Record of Achievement
is connected to their culture/iwi
is registered to vote
has a bank account, IRD number and ID.

The Exit Youth Service plan should also set out goal setting with their Youth Coach, including what their education and career goals are upon leaving Youth Service, and the actions and support they require from Youth Service or MSD as they transition out.

You'll do the exit plan with the young person, take a copy to upload to ART and give one to the young person.

Exit plan templates

We have exit plan templates that you can use that cover the minimum standard of information to be covered in the exit plan.

Young Parent Payment Editable – Exit Youth Service plan

Young Parent Payment Printable – Exit Youth Service plan

Youth Payment Editable – Exit Youth Service plan

Youth Payment Printable – 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.

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.

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.

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 uncontactable exit youth service plan

Template exit youth service plan summary

preparing for an exit

reasons for exiting