Award Leader Accreditation and Credentialing

Voluntary Service – Tree planting

Award Leader Accreditation

The Award is reliant on Award Leaders for the delivery of the Award and recognises that there are many skills required to be an Award Leader. These skills are transferable and can be used in many different jobs and careers.

Our credentialling system recognises the skills, experience, and professional development that Award Leaders undertake. Starting with Certified, Award Leaders can progress to Experienced and then Senior - based on the number of years they have been running and Award Leader and the specific skills they have developed.

The Award will support Award Leaders to progress through these accreditation levels and to ensure skills and experience gained is recognised.

Award Leaders are required to complete the Award’s online training, comply with the Child Protection process and agree to the Ara Taiohi Code of Ethics before being approved to carry out Award activities with participants.

While experience and knowledge are gained by running the Award in their organisation, additional training undertaken, active promotion and growth of participants in their organisation, or an increase of participants completing Award levels and progressing to the next level will be recognised by the Award in this process.

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Certified Award Leader

Award Leader Accreditation in New Zealand

  • Has completed, and passed, the Award’s online training modules for Award Leaders
  • Has met the Child Protection requirements of the Award

Key attributes of a Certified Award Leaders

  • Helping young people develop a self-directed programme that meets the requirements of the Award
  • Supporting young people to use the online resources of the Award
  • Keeping up-to-date with any changes in the Award programme and communicating these changes to the young people they support
  • Celebrating achievement through organising presentations for young people who have gained their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
  • Sharing stories and news about their group and participants
  • Coordinating other Award Leaders and volunteers in their organisation as well as working with external outdoor pursuits providers to ensure that the requirements of the Award are met by the young person
  • Knowledge of their organisation’s Safety Management System and Child Protection policies and working within these at all times

Key Skills and Experiences of a Certified Award Leader

  • Ability to work with young people and support them to develop new skills, self-confidence and engage with their local communities and environment around them
  • Good organisational and communication skills
  • Able to use the Award’s online resources including the Online Record Book
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Experienced Award Leader

Award Leader Accreditation in New Zealand

  • Has completed, and passed, the Award’s online training modules for Award Leaders
  • Has met the Child Protection requirements of the Award

Key attributes of an Experienced Award Leader

  • Helping young people to develop and extend themselves by encouraging them to complete more advanced levels of the Award
  • Supporting young people and colleagues to competently use the online resources of the Award
  • Actively keeping up-to-date with any changes in the Award programme and communicating these changes to the young people they support
  • Celebrating achievement through organising presentations for young people who have gained their Award
  • Sharing stories and news about their group and participants
  • Leading other Award Leaders and volunteers in their organisation and supporting them to understand the requirements of the Award programme
  • Understands their organisation’s Safety Management System and Child Protection policies and always works within these policies
  • Gives feedback to the Award around trends they are seeing, recommendations for improvement or new ideas around Award delivery

Key Skills and Experiences of an Experienced Award Leader

  • Experienced in working with young people and supporting them to develop new skills, self-confidence and to engage with their local communities and environment
  • Being part of an internationally recognised Award programme with transferable skills and experience
  • Good organisational and communication skills
  • Competent user of the Award’s online resources including the Online Record Book
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Senior Award Leader

Award Leader Accreditation in New Zealand

  • Has completed, and passed, the Award’s online training modules for Award Leaders
  • Has met the Child Protection requirements of the Award
  • Has completed, and passed, advanced training modules including Child Protection

Key attributes of a Senior Award Leader

  • Mentoring other Award Leaders and adult volunteers
  • Actively growing the Award in their organisation
  • Helping young people develop a self-directed Award programme
  • Supporting and training young people to use the online resources of the Award
  • Keeping up to date with any changes in the Award programme and communicating these changes to the young people and staff members they support
  • Celebrating achievement through organising presentations for young people who have gained their Award
  • Coordinating with other Award Leaders and volunteers in their organisation as well as working with external outdoor pursuits providers to ensure that the requirements of the Award are met by the young people
  • Understands their organisation’s Safety Management System and Child Protection policies and always works within these. Training other staff members to understand the requirements of these policies

Key Skills and Experiences of a Senior Award Leader

  • Experienced in working with young people and supporting them to develop new skills, self-confidence and to engage with their local communities and environment
  • Part of an internationally recognised Award programme with transferable skills
  • Great organisational and communication skills
  • Proficient user of the Award’s online programmes including the Online Record Book
  • Ability to organise, and run, meetings and events