 At a recent meeting with Cardiff Metropolitan University and Adult Learning Wales, I had the great pleasure of meeting with students on the Foundation Certificate in Youth & Community Work course. This was a joint meeting with Kirsty Williams, the Minister for Education, and as she outlined her vision for Youth Work in Wales, the students responded with creativity and passion sharing their own ideas for how we could build a world class youth work sector here in Wales. They were inspirational! If that session was anything to go by, the future of youth work practice is in safe hands.
The big news from the Board this quarter is that we have published the Implementation Document – this document sets initial timescales and the key structures we will establish to collectively deliver on our vision for Youth Work in Wales. I would urge you to read this key document and get involved in whatever way you can - we all have a role to play in giving substance to our collective ambition.
The proposal is to establish four main workstreams. Contact details for each is given below:
1. Young People are Thriving – Sharon Lovell
2. Youth Work is Accessible and Inclusive – Dusty Kennedy
3. Volunteers and Paid Professionals are Supported - Jo Simms
4. Youth Work is Valued and Understood – Keith Towler
Please register your interest in serving on one of these groups by Wednesday 20th November. More information is available here.
Given the momentum we have all worked so hard to create, the challenge now is to keep that going. We have to deliver and keep our focus on improving opportunities and outcomes for young people in Wales.
When I left Cardiff Met, my overwhelming thought was that the Youth Work Sector in Wales has a vibrant future ahead of it. It feels like things are coming together and that is important - not just for our young people, but for all of our youth work students, volunteers, practitioners and managers.
Keith Towler
Chair of the Interim Youth Work Board
This year, the National Youth Work Conference will be organised by the Youth Work Marketing Group on behalf of the Interim Youth Work Board. Conference will take place in March – date and venue will be confirmed shortly.
Ideas are being sought on Conference format, content and potential guest speakers. Please send your suggestions to the Marketing Group via email to paul@cwvys.org.uk
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During October, Glyndwr University’s Youth and Community Work Department, on behalf of the Interim Youth Work Board, organised three youth engagement events in St Asaph, Wrexham and Swansea. The key aim was to produce a youth friendly version of the Youth Work Strategy and to continue the conversation regarding how young people wish to continue to be involved in making the plans a reality. Over 90 young people participated! |
Sharon Lovell, member of the Interim Youth Work Board, stated:
“It was wonderful to be part of one the evening events and see the strategy come to life. Young people shared their vision via small groups, digital platforms and fun activities to come up with ideas to ensure young people know about the strategy and how to access it. The Strategic Participation Group for Young People are Thriving will review and take forward this piece of work.”
An opportunity to bid to run the Quality Mark for Youth Work in Wales is currently live on Sell2Wales until the 13th November. The contract will be awarded in December and the Quality Mark process will reopen for organisations in the new year.
Please contact Rebekah.Hurst@gov.wales for more information.
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The 2020 Professional Teaching Awards Cymru are now open for nominations.
The Youth Work in Schools category is a fantastic opportunity to nominate an incredible Youth Worker that has made a real difference in a school setting.
Click here to find out more and to nominate.
The deadline for nominations is 22nd November.
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The Minister for Education has launched new statutory guidance for governing bodies of maintained schools and Local Authorities on challenging bullying.
It forms part of a suite of guidance that includes advice and support directly to children, young people and their parents/carers. For more information, please visit the Welsh Government’s anti-bullying guidance section here.
These guides are supported by an online toolkit playlist of resources on Hwb, in time for Anti-Bullying Week which is taking place from Monday 11th to Friday 15th November 2019.
Welsh Government’s new campaign This is not ok #ThisIsControl aims to educate young people about Coercive Control – how to spot the signs and how to get advice.
The campaign aims to raise the profile of the Live Fear Free Helpline for 24 hour advice via phone or live web chat. Find out more and download promotional materials here.
ECW have asked us to remind you of the importance of registration. The criteria states that any person meeting all of the following criteria must register:
• Undertaking youth work (as defined in legislation)
• Employed by a local authority, school or voluntary organisation in Wales
• For Youth support workers: Be qualified at level 2 or above. For Youth workers: Be qualified at level 6 or above
Please contact EWC with any queries on registration and for more information about the benefits of registration: information@ewc.wales Registrants gain access to resources, a research bursary programme, free training and an opportunity to get a Professional Learning Passport (PLP). The PLP is a free, online tool through which registrants can access a host of online tools to enhance their professional learning and development.
Take a look at ECW’s handy guides to the PLP or arrange free training by emailing: professionaldevelopment@ewc.wales
The European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA) are seeking to define youth worker and youth information worker as a profession in the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations database (ESCO). ESCO offers a common language and better recognition of occupations and skills across Europe.
They have organised a survey to clarify the occupation of a youth worker and to add the specific occupation of a youth information worker.
Learn more and participate here by 31st November.
CWVYS have asked us to promote their regional meetings. These are held three times per year, offering CWVYS members opportunities to:
• Meet fellow CWVYS members and share good practice
• Hear the latest about youth work policy in Wales and progress of the Youth Work Strategy for Wales
• Have details about the CWVYS Training Consortium, the CWVYS workforce development group and gaining Youth Work qualifications
• Hear presentations from guest speakers and more.
The next round of meetings:
March 2020 series
North Wales: March 10th, 2020
South West and Mid Wales: March 11th, 2020
Central South and South East Wales: March 12th, 2020
For more information about membership, you can contact catrin@cwvys.org.uk
The ACE Support Hub has launched a new social media campaign represented by the hashtag #ACEAWARESOWHAT to create discussion around Adverse Childhood Experiences.
They want your support in joining their Twitter campaign by sharing stories of how your organisation is implementing trauma informed practices. For more information on the work of the ACE Support Hub, see here.
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In August 2019, four Urdd Gobaith Cymru Apprentices visited Kenya to work on a new partnership with international agency - United Purpose. The partnership offers an opportunity for Urdd apprentices to spend time working in countries across Africa, Asia and South America. |
We learnt that during the visit the apprentices held football coaching sessions with over 400 young girls to increase their confidence, develop skills and offer leadership training.
The partnership is one element of the Urdd's new international strategy to offer international experiences to the young people of Wales and offer a hand of friendship to young people across the world. For more information about Urdd’s apprenticeships, including an apprenticeship in Youth Work, you can visit their website here.
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We were impressed to hear Calum Barron’s success story, a young person who suffered from PTSD, ADHD and fell in with the wrong crowd. However, he received the opportunity to participate in a supported volunteering project abroad with help from his youth workers and as a result, he was able to turn his life around. See his full story and learn more about the project here.
“I learned about respect, I learned about loyalty. I learned about lot of things which I thought never really existed when I was a kid.”
- Calum Barron, former UNA Exchange volunteer in Poland, Italy and Lithuania.
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Do you have a story you would like to share with the rest of the youth work sector in Wales? Get in touch through youthwork@gov.wales
Let’s celebrate the great work you are doing!
Please remember to use #YouthWorkWales when tweeting to raise the profile of Youth Work in Wales.
Are you Subscribed to Youth Work Bulletin? Sign up fast here
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