Children and Young People's
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Children and Young People’s Action Plan for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development 2015-2017 Draft June 2015 Alternative Formats This document is available to read and download from our website. Go to www.dardni.gov.uk/consultations Other Formats On request, we can provide these documents in other formats such as: Hard copy Large Print Audio CD / MP3 Braille Computer Disk Other languages Contact us: Equality Branch Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) Room 516c, Dundonald House Ballymiscaw Upper Newtownards Road Belfast BT4 3SB telephone: 028 9052 4435 text relay: If you have a hearing difficulty you can contact the Department via Text Relay. Making a call from a textphone dial 18001 028 9052 4435 Making a call from a telephone dial 18002 +028 9052 4435 @ email: [email protected] web: www.dardni.gov.uk/index/equality.htm 2 Index Page Introduction 4 Why we have an Action Plan 4 Our 5 Strategic Goals 6 Our work – how it impacts on children and young people 8 Engaging with children and young people 9 Annual Reporting and Reviewing Progress 11 Action Plan 13 3 Introduction DARD’s Strategic Plan1 2012 – 2020 sets out Department’s vision for “a thriving and sustainable rural economy, community and environment”. With over 169,000 children and young people making up over 25.3% of the rural population, it is vitally important that future generations are supported to achieve their full potential so that the rural community and environment that they will inherit can continue to thrive and flourish. Why have an Action Plan? DARD has a shared responsibility to deliver on the UK government’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child2, with its four General Principles of; non-discrimination, survival and development, the best interests of the child; and participation. The importance of participation and our engagement with children and young people, is also highlighted through their inclusion in Section 75 of the NI Act 19983, within the age category. NI Executive’s over-arching 10-Year Strategy for Children and Young People4 also outlines obligations for us. We are committed to playing our part in realising the Strategy’s vision “that all children and young people living in the north of Ireland will thrive and look forward with confidence to the future”. We have contributed to its Action Plan5 and continue to work closely with others in taking this work forward. In early 2014, the NI Executive consulted on its proposed ‘Delivering Social Change for Children and Young People’ strategy which brings together the work by Departments to deliver on the obligations of the 1 DARD Strategic Plan 2012-2020 available to read at http://www.dardni.gov.uk/index/about-dard/finance-and- strategy.htm 2 The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty that grants all children and young people (aged 17 and under) a comprehensive set of rights. It came into force in January 1992. 3 Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 requires public authorities to increase user involvement and engagement in policy development and to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity 4 Our Children and Young People – Our Pledge: A Ten Year Strategy for Children and Young People in Northern Ireland 2006-2016. The strategy sets out six outcomes-healthy; enjoying, learning and achieving; living in safety and with stability; experiencing economic and environmental well-being; contributing positively to community and society; living in a society which respects their rights. 5 Current Action Plan ‘Our Children and Young People – Our Pledge’ 2008-2011 is available to read at http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/children-and-young-people-strategy. 4 UNCRC, the agreed actions to help reduce child poverty, and to achieve better outcomes. In its 2011 Child Poverty Strategy6 the NI Executive outlined its commitment to work with the other UK jurisdictions towards reducing child poverty and eradicating it by 2020. In it, DARD committed to delivering a £13 million package across NI to help tackle rural poverty, and social and economic isolation. This is our second Action Plan. It is for a 3-year period (2015-2017) and it builds on the work started in our first plan. The first Action Plan (2011-2013) and the report on progress towards its targets can be found at www.dardni.gov.uk/index/equality/children-and- young-people.htm We are grateful for the on-going support of organisations who represent the interests and views of children and young people and also for the helpful engagement we have had with groups of young people too. Where appropriate we have set out some specific targets. However, given the diverse nature of the Department’s work some actions are more general in nature. The Financial Climate As a Department we are facing unprecedented cuts in our budgets and it will be necessary for us to take difficult decisions that will impact on the services that we will be able to deliver in the future. In meeting these challenges, we remain committed to considering the equality impacts of our decisions and to meeting our statutory equality obligations. 6 Improving Children’s Life Chances, the NI Child Poverty Strategy’ (March 2011). Available at www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/childpoverty 5 Our 5 Strategic Goals – DARD has 5 main goals, and each of these will have an impact on the well-being and future lives of children and young people. The Department’s Strategic Plan 2012-2020 sets out the actions we will take to help us meet each of these goals. http://www.dardni.gov.uk/index/about-dard/finance-and-strategy.htm GOAL What we will do What it will mean for our Children & Young People 1 To help the agri- We will work with This goal will help food industry others to encourage increase opportunities prepare for future and support the for rural young people market development of rural who choose to live and opportunities and businesses work within their local economic communities. challenges 2 To improve the We will make sure that This goal will help lives of farmers equality and good increase opportunities and other rural relations are at the for young people to dwellers targeting heart of policy and have their voice heard resources where decision-making and to benefit from they are needed processes; we will various funding most work to tackle programmes inequalities and under –representation and will target our resources to achieve the best outcomes. 3 To enhance We are working This goal will help animal, fish and towards a reduction in develop a more stable plant health and animal diseases; and and sustainable rural animal welfare on towards free economy providing an all Ireland basis movement of animals greater security for within the island children and young people as they grow up. 4 To help deliver We will plant more This goal will help to improved trees and forests, create a more sustainable encourage stimulating environment environmental improvements to for children and young outcomes farming and fishing people to visit and 6 methods to help enjoy, learn about and conservation; and to appreciate. work to reduce the impact of flooding along our coasts and rivers. 5 To manage our We aim to provide This goal will help rural business and accessible and children and young deliver services to equitable standards of people as they progress our customers in a services for all; and to with their education and cost-effective way ensure that our staff career choices, have the right skills to employment and future assist our customers to lifestyle. access their services with ease 7 Our Work & Children and Young People: Our work covers a range of areas that can positively impact on the lives of children and young people in a number of ways. As visitors and users of local forest parks and the recreational opportunities on offer such as walking trails, eco-trails, caravan and camping, and cycling; . As nature lovers – enjoying wildlife and woodland walks; . As visitors to the countryside – for tourism, sports, education, leisure activities etc; . As pet owners; . As consumers of locally produced meat, vegetables and other food products; . As students at our College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE); . As users of local rivers and coastal waters for swimming, fishing, canoeing etc; . As children of families working in farming and the fisheries or food industries; . As children of families who will benefit through the Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Framework; and . As young people involved in local community activities, and various cultural, learning and leisure projects supported by the Rural Development Programme. 8 Listening to Children & Young People As a large government department, DARD has a responsibility to listen to the views and concerns of all its customers. While we regularly ensure that the views and concerns of adults; whether as customers, stakeholders, staff, or representatives of rural interest groups are heard, we also realise that we need to do more to encourage the voice of children and young people to be heard too. DARD has endorsed the NICCY Participation Policy of Intent published in 2009 and has continued to engage with local sectoral organisations representing the views and interests of children and young people. We have developed this Action Plan with assistance in the early stages from key organisations representing the interests and views of children and young people including the NI Youth Forum and NICCY. Children and Young People - Age Bands This Action Plan sets out a range of actions that we plan to take forward.