Author: Helen

Dear CWVYS members and those from the wider Youth Sector in Wales, the below is a message from the European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA) regarding preparations for next year’s European Youth Information Day (EYID).

 

Dear Members, Affiliated, and Cooperating Organisations,

I am excited to share the Concept Note for the European Youth Information Day (EYID) Campaign 2025, which will run from 1 April to 18 April.

Under the slogan Youth Info #OwnTheAI, we aim to delve into the role of youth information services in the age of Artificial Intelligence. This EYID campaign is our most policy-oriented to date, designed to support you in advocating for the crucial human-centred guidance youth information workers provide.

Materials will be sent out on 24 February 2025, allowing enough time for translation and preparation. As always, we invite you to start thinking about activities and initiatives that can support the campaign and strengthen its local impact.

We hope for your active participation in this initiative and look forward to your support as we move forward with its development.

For more information contact secretariat@eryica.org

In Partnership with CWVYS, in the new year Adult Learning Wales will be offering the opportunity to participate in a non-accredited online training around the roles and responsibilities of trustees in youth work settings in Wales.

15th of January 2025 – Roles and Responsibilities of a Trustee
12th of February 2025  – Safeguarding in a Youth Work Setting
19th of March 2025 – Young People’s Participation

They will be delivered online via Microsoft Teams, running between 6pm and 7.30pm.

Info also here; Trustee Training Hyfforddiant Ymddiriedolwyr CWVYS ALW

To join please email youthwork@adultlearning.wales

Media Academy Cymru have a number of services open to referrals at the moment. Find out more below;

We are a youth organisation that works with vulnerable young people who are violent/have violent outbursts or at risk of exhibiting violent behaviours, carrying knives or using weapons, being exploited, using misogynistic language or are violent towards parents/carers.

Please see attached information regarding Cerridwen along with an overview of the rest of our services and a referral form for Cardiff/Vale of Glamorgan;

Cardiff MAC Referral Form V7.2

Cerridwen Info

MAC Overview of services 2024 Final 16-7-24

Parents can also make self referrals on behalf of their children.

We would really appreciate if you could take the time to read or respond as our main goal is supporting vulnerable children as soon as possible to reduce the risk of escalating behaviours and reduce violence across Wales.

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact info@mediaacademycymru.wales.

The SWFRS REFLECT youth intervention team would like your help to reach more young people who really benefit from their interventions. Below you can learn more from them about their REFLECT project.

It is because of our relationships with yourselves that we have been able to grow and evolve the REFLECT project, working with over 3000 young people a year within South Wales.

We work with young people who display risk taking or challenging behaviour and are keen to move forward with our early intervention work with the young people in which you engage.

Through interventions such as workshops, Fire Fighter for a Day, Street Fire Fighter, the use of VR and even engagement through sport, we are able to complement your existing work with these young people and add something different in regards to engagement.

As we begin to plan our 2025 interventions, we would like to make sure you get ahead of what we already envisage to be a busy new year in working with young people.

Please click on link https://www.southwales-fire.gov.uk/youth-education/youth-interventions/reflect-project/ for a little preview of what we can offer in regards to youth intervention as well as the criteria outlined in the Partnership Pack; REFLECT – Youth Intervention

Contact

REFLECT@southwales-fire.gov.uk

 

Cardiff Womens Aid are interested in networking with other local services to help drive and lead change around gender-based violence. Poppy Camp who is our colleague and manager of the children and young persons team in Cardiff is wanting to build connections to ensure that these projects include some of the following:

• Preventative / Awareness- raising creative programmes to coach and support children and young people to develop their own programmes based on their interests and needs. These programmes need to be flexible to allow innovation and children and young people to explore their own ideas. This can be done by engaging in different mediums through music production, film, theatre, art, writing, dancing, partnership working etc. The aim of these programmes is to help children and young people with their confidence, skills and future outlook.- Policy / Campaigning: mentoring and coaching support for children and young people to participate and influence local, regional and national policy. This may be through integration with existing children and young people mentoring programmes like Future Generations Office and/or Youth Boards.  (Integration with existing CYP mentoring programmes e.g. Future Generations Office / youth boards
• Working alongside youth justice to take misogyny/ toxic masculinity/ by standing; This could mean working alongside youth groups to provide interventions to those who are perpetrating abuse to each other and provide education around healthy relationships/ keeping yourself emotional and physically safe.

If any of the above interest or you feel it is already within your current remit of work, could you please reach out to Poppy (Poppy Camp –  poppy.camp@cardiffwomensaid.org.uk). I think this would be an amazing opportunity to really create some amazing work that is needed for the most vulnerable children and young people in our areas.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

We hope to hear from you soon,

Communication from the Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board on the potential establishment of a national body for youth work.

Hello all
I hope you are all well. Whilst the summer now feels like a distant memory, I hope you all found some time to relax and refresh over the past few months.

I wanted to provide you with a brief update from the Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board on progress to date on one of the recommendations from the Interim Youth Work Board’s final report that the Welsh Government should establish a national body for youth work services in Wales.

As a Board we see this recommendation as being very important, and closely linked to many of the other recommendations made by the Interim Board. However, we also understand that full exploration of the potential role, remit and functions of a national body needs to be undertaken, along with establishing the costs, challenges and benefits of setting up a body of this kind.

The Board have now discussed this recommendation in some detail, working closely with the Welsh Government. Some of you will have also been involved in some initial and high-level discussions with Welsh Government officials as they gather evidence to help Ministers make informed and evidence-based decisions on next steps. I understand that the discussions have been open and honest, but also very thought provoking, especially around how a national body could help strengthen youth work provision as well as support those who deliver those services. Thank you to those who have participated in these initial conversations with Welsh Government officials.

Further work will continue to explore key issues in more detail, including how a national body would work with other structures and organisations already in place, as well as identifying areas which need further support. No decision has yet been made around the establishment of a national body, but engagement will continue with the sector as this work proceeds and we as a Board would encourage everyone across the sector to feed into discussions led by the Welsh Government.

Additionally, hopefully most of you have now seen the consultation on a proposed new statutory framework for youth work. You may have questions around how these two strands of work will link if necessary, and I would like to assure you the proposed new statutory framework is flexible enough to enable it to work with a national body, should one be established. I would urge you all to read and respond to the consultation by the deadline of 10 January 2025.
As always, I wish to pass on my thanks and appreciation to you all as the sector continues to work hard and contribute to sustaining youth work now and for future generations of young people in Wales.

Sharon Lovell,
Chair: Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board

Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales are seeking expressions of interest from organisations interested in, and well positioned to, host the next Local Implementation Lead (LIL) for Merthyr Tydfil. 

In People and Communities, the Foundation has been working alongside 6 places across England and Wales – including Merthyr Tydfil– with aims to strengthen small community led organisations and find new ways of designing and resourcing services so that people facing complex issues get the support they need, when they need it and in ways that work best for them.

The LIL will lead the next phase of the People and Communities work focussed on children and young people’s emotional wellbeing in Merthyr Tydfil. Read more about how the People and Communities work has developed locally to date here. Full and extensive training and support is provided to the LIL through the Communities team at LBFEW and via peer support from other LILs working across England and Wales.

The host organisation would employ the LIL, provide their line management and share strategic steers and relationships that support achieving the aims of the People and Communities work within the specific context of Merthyr Tydfil. It is essential that the host organisation understands the Merthyr Tydfil and wider regions context. It is desirable but not essential that they are based in Merthyr Tydfil.

If you are a local organisation interested in hosting the LIL please send an expression of interest outlining why you think you would be the perfect host and the management fee you would charge to: dcranshaw@lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk by 9am on 11/11/24

The Foundation will shortly be seeking expressions of interests from individuals who would like to take on the LIL role. The Foundation would then work with the chosen host organisation to assess and recruit the LIL, with the Foundation covering the full costs of their appointment.

For more information, please contact Dale Cranshaw, Communities Lead at Lloyds Bank Foundation dcranshaw@lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk

We look forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks & kind regards,

Dani Baverstock | Administrative Support Officer

DBaverstock@lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk

07557 377405

lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk

Society Building, 8 All Saints Street, London N1 9RL

An event you won’t want to miss! Join us on Thursday, 20th February 2025 for a full day of learning, key talks, a choice of workshops for youth workers, educators, and community leaders to come together, share insights, and build the future of youth engagement. It will be a great opportunity to come together to share experiences, broaden understanding, and build the future of engagement with young people.

Date: Thursday, 20 February 2025
Time: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Cost: Free (Ticketed event)
Venue:  Cardiff City Stadium, Leckwith Road, Cardiff, CF11 8AZ

What you can expect:

Since this is our first Youth Work Conference in five years, next year’s lineup has certainly got to be special.

We won’t give it all away now, but you can expect:

• Interactive Panel talks and Q&A’s with some of the UK’s leading youth work experts in the sector.
• Networking opportunities – come and meet new faces and learn about exciting opportunities for all and discover fresh opportunities.
• Full catering – With a packed schedule, you’ll need to be energised to tackle the day. Expect tea and coffee on entry, mid-morning breaks, lunch, and an afternoon break where you can experience locally produced food.
• Choice of both morning and afternoon workshops to attend – helping you develop your skills.
• Live Performance from a youth group to close us out at the end of the day!

And here’s the best part – attendance is FREE once you register!

 Register Now and claim your ‘Early Bird’ ticket before it’s too late

Head over to https://wales.business-events.org.uk/en/events/youth-work-conference-collaboration-and-partnership-2025/ to secure your ticket and get all the info you need.

Dietary requirements: If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know as soon as possible. All food is locally sourced and Gluten-free, Vegan and Vegetarian options are available upon request.

Follow @IeuenctidCymru on X to keep an eye out for more updates released as we get closer to the day of the Conference.

We look forward to seeing you there!

If you would like to subscribe to the Welsh Government Youth Work newsletter click here – Subscribe to the youth work newsletter | GOV.WALES

ETS Wales recently published the Skills and Training Audit Report for the Youth Work Sector in Wales

The report provides insights into the current training landscape, highlighting key skills, qualifications, and areas where additional support is needed across the sector.

The findings from this audit will form the foundation of the National Training Programme for youth workers in Wales.

This is a step towards ensuring that training is tailored to the real needs of youth workers to meet the needs of young people.

We encourage you to take a moment to review the report, which can be accessed via the link below:

View the Skills and Training Audit Report

Your input and engagement have been essential to this process.

Training will be released shortly, and you can find out more information about training by clicking here: https://linktr.ee/etswales

Please see below news from the Welsh Government regarding the Strategic Voluntary Youth Work Organisation (SVYWO) grant

The current (SVYWO) grant round is due to end in March 2025, and we are really pleased to say funding for voluntary youth organisations is likely to continue for 2025 onwards.

Please see the attached guidance and application form for more information. Please ensure you read the guidance carefully before applying. As in previous grant rounds, no decisions on funding will be made until budget decisions are known later in the year.

Closing date for applications is 8 November 2024

We would like to invite you to a short digital workshop to discuss the Strategic Voluntary Youth Work Grant on 17^th October at 10:00 am. We will discuss the criteria and terms of the grant and give you the opportunity to ask questions.

If you have any queries, or to register your interest in receiving a link to attend the online information session, please contact us on youthwork@Gov.wales.

Web Links:

https://www.gov.wales/strategic-voluntary-youth-work-organisation-svywo-grant-scheme-information-grant-applicants

https://www.gov.wales/strategic-voluntary-youth-work-organisation-svywo-grant-scheme-application-form

The Minister for Education has launched a consultation on the strategic framework for Youth Work in Wales.

These proposals represent the culmination of extensive deliberation and engagement with stakeholders in the past few years following on from the work and recommendations of the Interim Youth Work Board on a new strategy for Youth Work in Wales, as well as the work of the Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board and it’s various Implementation Participation Groups (IPGs).

Views are now sought from practitioners in the Youth Sector in Wales, including the Voluntary Youth Sector as well as those advocating for the best outcomes for young people.

People will have until the 10^th of January 2025 to submit their responses.

WCVA have recently published the Third Sector Partnership Council’s letter to the new cabinet; TSPC’s open letter to the new cabinet

Please feel free to help them amplify this on social media:

Twitter/X

English: https://x.com/WCVACymru/status/1842177833356939574

Welsh: https://x.com/WCVACymru/status/1842177782471675969

LinkedIn

English: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7247949834907709442

Welsh: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7247949853534695426