Capacity Building Training, Train the Trainer, Accreditation & Funding
The Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) are working across Wales in partnership with the Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services (CWVYS), The Welsh Council of the Blind, North Wales Society for the Blind, Vision Support and Boys and Girls Clubs of Wales.
Access Unlimited is our project funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
Our aims are:
- To work together to promote equality, inclusion and diversity, both in terms of access to youth work services in Wales, and in relation to the role that they can play in proactively challenging discriminatory attitudes and behaviours within society.
- To support and develop the youth work profession via a free interactive, online, three-hour training course, with an option and opportunity to complete an accredited module that demonstrates your understanding of adapting sessions to include young people with a vision impairment.
- To transform the landscape and cascade this learning through a ‘Train the Trainer’ approach so that organisations that undertake the training can share their learning with others across their networks.
- To provide organisations with some financial investment in order to purchase accessibility items and undertake adaptations that ensure vision impaired young people can participate in their services.
Our Objectives are:
- 5 national youth organisations (open to both voluntary & statutory sectors) equipped to cascade training to 150 grassroots/local statutory organisations, with an overall
- 500+ staff and volunteers trained to support
- 190 vision impaired children and young people through their learning and a
- £12K fund to be distributed to organisations to improve access for vision impaired young people.
The Capacity Building (Workforce Development) Training
The three-hour session is for anyone delivering services for children and young people.
You might be a youth worker, volunteer, a young person or anyone with a role working with children and young people.
This includes national voluntary and statutory organisations, regional advocates, local youth clubs, all kinds of interactive activities, sports sessions, specialist groups or anything else that welcomes children and young people to your provision.
Click here to register for the training.
Alternatively, we have created a recorded shortened version which covers the basics. If this is something you are interested in, please register here.
If you wish to attend a training session in Welsh, please contact the Project Lead – Faith Adegboye via faith.adegboye@rsbc.org.uk to confirm your preference and availability.
Agored Cymru Accreditation
The three-hour course is accredited by Agored Cymru and supported by Adult Learning Wales. One credit is available by undertaking an Entry Level 3 or Level 1 qualification: Adapting Sessions to Include Young People with a Vision Impairment.
We encourage all trainees to complete this qualification as part of your portfolio of achievements as Continuous Professional Development which will add gravitas and demonstrate your commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
If you are interested in doing this, please contact faith.adegboye@rsbc.org.uk.
Train the Trainer
Those who complete the full training session will be given the opportunity to pay it forward and attend the subsequent ‘Train the Trainer’ session. Details will be provided at the end of the training and in the meantime, you can register here – Train the Trainer Booking Form.
This training is also available in both Welsh and English.
The Accessibility Equipment and Adaptations Funding
Organisations who have completed the training will also be eligible to apply for financial support in order to remove barriers for vision impaired young people so they can fully engage with your services.
CWVYS are responsible for managing distribution of the funding to organisations.
An overall pot of £12k is available for organisations who have completed the training session to purchase items that enable VI young people to access services.
Eligible costs should be for equipment and items specifically for the VI individual who wishes to participate in activities and/or adaptations that create a safer environment for VI young people.
The focus is on delivery of services rather than management/administration. Costs may include items such as fuel expenses but these must be linked directly to the VI individual(s) that access related services.
There is no maximum amount you can apply for, however reasonable costs for items will be verified via RSBC and Wales Council for the Blind procurement directories. Digital evidence of the items required and related costs must be submitted with the application.
The youth organisation will be the recipient of the money. Digital evidence of the purchases must be submitted within two weeks of the transaction of said funding to ensure there is a clear audit trail.
Eligible organisations should request an application from Amanda at CWVYS via Amanda@cwvys.org.uk.
For all other information about RSBC’s Access Unlimited programme, please contact Faith via faith.adegboye@rsbc.org.uk.
Further Support
Additionally, RNIB offers grants to eligible VI people to purchase technological equipment/software up to a maximum of £500. Check out some tips and guidance here.
For more info, please go to Grants from RNIB
Owen Williams is the Director of Wales Council for the Blind- the umbrella organisation in Wales. You can view their weekly bulletin here and find services local to you here.