Short paper discussing some of the characteristics which contribute towards young people having an enjoyable, challenging experience from which they can learn through the process of working with a reflective, effective practitioner.

The discussion group included teaching staff and students of the BA Youth and Community Work Programme at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David. The group took part in a Socratic dialogue on the topic ‘what is excellent Youth Work’, deciding to explore a residential project which has taken place a number of years before.  The group explored questions about the project for two hours and the paper is an interpretation of notes taken at the time of the discussion. 

Between 2009-2011 CWVYS was commissioned by the Welsh Government to facilitate the research and publishing of Youth Work Methodology Handbooks or best practice guides for youth workers in Wales. CWVYS facilitated this work by bringing together voluntary youth organisations and maintained local authority youth services. This document is part of a library of Good Practice Methodology Handbooks for Youth Work in Wales. 

This handbook has been developed to introduce, explain or expand on existing knowledge and experience in relation to delivering youth work in schools.

In seeking to meet the outcomes for young people focussed upon in the Youth Work Curriculum Statement for Wales and the National Youth Service Strategy for Wales, this document encourages consideration of how best to ensure young people across Wales have opportunities to engage with non-formal learning within the school environment. The National Assembly for Wales has in recent years emphasised the need for Community Focused Schools. “A community focused school is one that provides a range of services and activities, often beyond the school day, to help meet the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community”. Whilst recognizing the scope for youth services to play a key role in Community Focused Schools during the evening and holidays and reaching a wider population of young people, this handbook will consider youth work provision during school time and will focus mainly on engaging disaffected young people.

[CWVYS does not represent that the information contained in the handbook is accurate, comprehensive, verified or complete, and shall accept no liability for the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this website or for any reliance placed by any person on the information.] 

 

 

 

CWVYS &Promo Cymru 2008

This paper seeks specifically to identify the broader Welsh Government (WG) policies and demonstrate where and how youth work does/can make a significant contribution to the achievement of those policies by improving the life chances of young people aged 11-25. It is not the purpose of this paper to identify new areas or scope of operation for youth work, but to highlight the role it currently undertakes, as a specific form of work with young people, in contributing to and complementing WG policy.

The strands that make up Programme for Government consist of the following:

• Growth and Sustainable Jobs
• Public Services
• 21st Century Healthcare
• Education
• Supporting People
• Welsh Homes
• Safer Communities
• Equality
• Tackling Poverty
• Rural Communities
• Environment & Sustainability
• Culture & Heritage of Wales 

This paper seeks to provide a conceptual framework for answering two questions raised by the Welsh Government: what does the Welsh Government get for the funding it provides for the youth service (statutory and voluntary) and to what extent does the use of that funding help to achieve key objectives such as reductions in the number of young people not in education, training or employment. 

This strategy sets the direction for youth work organisations for the next four years and builds on a consultation exercise undertaken in 2013. The strategy recognises the value and role of open-access youth work provision; promotes a stronger connection between youth work provision and formal education; identifies the need for closer working between statutory and voluntary youth work organisations; and identifies the need to significantly strengthen the evidence base on the impact of youth work across Wales. The Welsh Government, national and local voluntary organisations, as well as local authorities, will need to work together to successfully implement the identified actions and drive youth work forward.

Issue 11 Summer 2003

CONTENTS
4 News 
8 The role of the Youth Service in Extending Entitlement - John Rose
12 Sexual health clinic for Wrexham Infoshop
14 Opportunities for international work plus project management training
16 Supervision in action
20 Caerphilly Youth Forum
22 Learning Pathways 14-19 - the voluntary sector contribution 
24 European experience for Welsh youth workers 
26 Staff College and the new QCA Level 4 programme 
28  Tooled up - toolkit for curriculum planning 
29  Dafydd Baker of Chequers 

Issue 12 Winter 2003 

CONTENTS

4 News
9 Good practice in photographing young people
10 Social inclusion, partnerships and learning – the role of the Youth Service in Extending Entitlement - John Holmes
14 Llanrumney generation project bridges the age gap 
16 Overview of the European YOUTH funding programme, plus connecting futures in Azerbaijan 
18 Veronica Wilson discusses the concept of young people’s participation
21 Courtney Taylor poses the question, is youth work training in Wales standing still or moving forward?
24 Bert Jones talks about sustainable youth work at the Youth Cymru conference
28 The Handy Guide to Self Assessment and YWSPP Toolkit 
30 Janice Roberts of Denbighshire Youth Service 

 

BA Youth & Community Work Dissertation.

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact the Youth Engagement and Progression Framework (WG, 2013) has had on Cardiff Youth Service in relation to structures, systems, staff, style, skills, strategies and shared values identified through the McKenzie 7's framework.

In order to gain an in-depth understanding the literature presented within the literature review explored the developments of the Youth Service in Wales and strategies set out to provide vision for the service. The study later discusses the methodology used which set out to gather the views and opinions of practitioners through conducting observations, and two semi structured interviews.

The study concluded that the Youth Engagement and Progression Framework had significant impact on the service which may be seen as a positive . It provides vision for the service, however, it may be argued that Youth Work values and principles are diminished.

This document is focused on reducing the number of young people aged 11 to 25 who are not engaged in education, employment or training (NEET). All parts of the system from Welsh Government, National Partners, local authorities and providers will need to work together to successfully implement this plan. The plan sets out the different roles and responsibilities of key players and expectations for how each partner will deliver. Partners include senior leaders in local authorities, Careers Wales, the Youth Service and providers (schools, further education (FE) colleges, work-based learning (WBL)). 

The Youth engagement and progression framework – Implementation plan has six key elements:

1. Identifying young people most at risk of disengagement.
2. Better brokerage and coordination of support.
3. Stronger tracking and transitions of young people through the system.
4. Ensuring provision meets the needs of young people.
5. Strengthening employability skills and opportunities for employment.
6. Greater accountability for better outcomes for young people.

There are two new offers to young people through the framework.

• The first is the allocation of single point of contact (a lead worker) to the most at-risk young people to help ensure that support is delivered in a joined up and coordinated way and that works to meet their needs.
• The second is the development of a proactive and positive Youth Guarantee that will help to ensure that every young person has access to a suitable place in learning post-16.