Youth Work in Wales: Principles and Purposes Introduction

YOUTH WORK IN WALES: PRINCIPLES AND PURPOSES INTRODUCTION

This document has been produced for the managers and trustees of youth organisations, politicians, local authority elected members and oﬃcers, practitioners, trainers, and people training to be youth workers. It has also been written for young people, those already involved in youth organisations as well as those wishing to ﬁnd out more about the kinds of experience youth organisations can provide.

Published by the Youth Work in Wales Review Group, October 2018 01

The main objective of the document is to The National Youth Work Strategy for set out the key principles which underpin Wales (see Section 08, ‘Signposts to Other youth work and to provide an overview of Information’) sets out national priorities its nature, purposes and delivery. The for the Youth Service and for supporting content of the document applies speciﬁcally young people in Wales. to youth work in Wales but is likely to be consistent with youth work principles, Whilst the youth work sector in Wales purposes and practice in other parts of recognises and contributes to a number the UK and in the Republic of Ireland. of national policy priorities such as the National Youth Work Strategy for Wales, it The delivery of youth services provides a seeks to respond to and inform policy on powerful mechanism for engaging with the basis of the values and principles set and listening to young people. In Wales, out in this document. the ‘Rights of Children and Young Persons Measure, 2011’ strengthens and builds on Youth Work in Wales: Principles and the rights-based approach of the Welsh Purposes has been produced by Government to making policy for children representatives of the voluntary and local and young people in Wales. Welsh authority youth work sectors in Wales. A Ministers must have due regard to the web-based version, designed primarily rights in the United Nations Convention for young people, is available at on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) when www.cwvys.org.uk or www.wlga.org.uk making decisions about proposed new policies or legislation or about reviewing or changing existing policies. From 1 May 2014, Welsh Ministers must have due regard to the rights in the UNCRC whenever they use any of their legal powers or duties. 02 WHAT IS YOUTH WORK? Youth work in Wales is based primarily on a voluntary relationship between young people and youth workers. The Youth Service is a universal entitlement, open to all young people within the speciﬁed age range 11-25.

Youth work respects the views and f non-formal, informal and structured opinions of young people through their educational opportunities and participation in the design, creation and experiences which challenge both the establishment of services and provision institutions and young people which meet their needs and aspirations. themselves to enhance their personal, Such provision is determined as a result social and political development; of the participation of young people taking into account their requirements, f desires, interests and aspirations. access to relevant advice, information, support and guidance. Youth work provides or facilitates: Good youth work provides all young people with opportunities, can support f places and relationships within which them through significant developments in young people can enjoy themselves, their lives, assists them to understand feel secure, supported and valued, their rights and encourages them to learn to take greater control of their lives, develop knowledge and skills. and recognise and resist the damaging influences which may affect them;

What is youth work? The key purpose of youth work is to... “enable young people to develop holistically, working with them to facilitate their personal, social and educational development, to enable them to develop their voice, inﬂuence and place in society and to reach their full potential.” Youth Work National Occupational Standards 03 THE DELIVERY OF YOUTH WORK IN WALES Youth work is provided through both the voluntary and local authority sectors and through a variety of youth work settings and methods.

Settings: Methods: f centre-based work; f curriculum specialities like arts and f street-based, outreach and mobile work; culture, ﬁrst aid, sport, etc; f work with a broad range of members f youth forums and councils; of the community, irrespective of age; f information, advice, guidance and f residential work; counselling services; f targeted provision for speciﬁc groups f project work; in a variety of environments including, f group work; for example, schools, the youth justice f one to one work; system and health environments. f the use of new technologies and media; f opportunities for young people to be involved in decision-making processes; f opportunities for volunteering in Wales, the UK and internationally.

Collaboration and partnership between organisations is often a key aspect of delivering youth work.

Although youth work is delivered by two distinct sectors, statutory and voluntary, the sectors work together to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people. 04 THE PRINCIPLES OF YOUTH WORK IN WALES

f Youth work is based on the voluntary f Youth work is essentially focused on engagement of young people. activity which is both informal and f Young people should be empowered non-formal. Informal activity seizes partners in the processes and opportunities that are not necessarily opportunities that youth organisations planned. Non-formal activity provides provide. planned opportunities which lie outside f Youth work starts at whatever point formal systems such as school-based young people are in their lives, education. Both kinds of activity might regardless of circumstance, and lead to accreditation or recognition. recognises their potential. f The identiﬁcation of youth work as a f Fundamental to youth work are the partnership with young people outside principles of equality and inclusion. formal or legal requirements is an f Youth work recognises that young important element in securing the people have rights and seeks to work voluntary engagement of young people. in a rights-based way. f Youth work has at its core the f Youth work recognises that young importance of providing safe people have responsibilities and environments for young people and of requirements placed upon them. supporting the safety as well as the Youth work seeks to help them development and well-being of young address those responsibilities and people. requirements. 05 THE PURPOSES OF YOUTH WORK IN WALES

Youth work in Wales is intended to: Youth work in Wales also: f promote and actively encourage f recognises the importance and value opportunities for all young people in of the Welsh language and the need order that they may fulfil their potential to promote its use; as empowered individuals and as f recognises that Wales is a country with members of groups and communities; a diversity of languages and cultures; f support young people through f recognises the importance of significant changes in their lives and sustainable development and equips assist them to understand their young people with the knowledge and responsibilities; skills to play their part in shaping the f support young people to be able to future; understand and exercise their rights; f encourages young people as local, f encourage young people to gain and national and global citizens to exercise develop knowledge, understanding, their responsibilities; attitudes and values and to make f encourages young people to protect constructive use of their skills, resources their own rights and those of others. and time; f promote opportunities and access for all young people whatever their race, gender, sexual identity, language, religion, disability, age, background or personal circumstances; f challenge oppression and inequality; f support and enable young people in keeping themselves safe. THE FIVE PILLARS OF YOUTH WORK IN WALES Youth work has a value base which is grounded in respect for young people and in the principles of inclusion and equal opportunity. Through its voluntary relationship with young people it offers opportunities for learning that are:

EDUCATIVE EXPRESSIVE PARTICIPATIVE

Enabling young people to Encouraging and enabling Encouraging and gain the skills, knowledge, young people to express supporting young people understanding, attitudes their understanding and to become partners in, and values needed for knowledge and their and share responsibility their own personal ideas, opinions, emotions for, the opportunities, development and and aspirations through a learning processes and fulﬁlment and as a means broad range of creative decision-making structures of contributing to society and often challenging which aﬀect their own and as members of groups opportunities. other people's lives and and communities, locally, environments. regionally, nationally, and internationally. 06

INCLUSIVE EMPOWERING

Enabling young people to develop Equipping young people with the knowledge, understanding and positive understanding and skills to enable them attitudes and behaviour in relation to: to exercise their rights including: f racial, social, and cultural identity f recognising that all young people and diversity; have rights and that this implies f heritage; respecting the rights of others; f languages and the value of one's f supporting young people to carry own and other languages; out their responsibilities as citizens f citizenship; and members of their communities; f respect for other people’s choices. f encouraging young people to engage with the personal, social and political issues which affect their lives and the lives of others and to develop qualities of leadership. 07 DELIVERING HIGH QUALITY YOUTH WORK To deliver the Five Pillars of Youth Work (see Section 06), organisations and youth workers use a range of processes including: f developing relationships and trust; Youth work organisations and all engaged in youth work are expected to assess f emphasising the role of the young outcomes and impact and to have systems person in the processes of youth work; for the planning, monitoring and evaluation f assessing need; of all aspects of their work with young people. Organisations and individual f providing information; youth workers should be able to use self- f referring young people to other assessment and self-assessment tools to provision as appropriate whilst offering identify positive benefits for young people and to reflect on and develop their practice. continued support if required; f mentoring; In developing and evaluating their work, f advocating; providers should take account of the f challenging; National Occupational Standards (NOS) for f Youth Work, the Participation Standards building personal and social and the Information Standards. development and resilience; Links to these standards f planning, monitoring and evaluation. have been provided in Section 09, Signposts to Other Information.

Youth work seeks to implement these processes whilst ensuring the health, well-being and safety of young people. 08 EWC AND YOUTH WORK On 1 April 2017, qualiﬁed youth workers and youth support workers joined school and FE teachers, school and FE learning support workers, and work-based learning practitioners on the EWC list of registered practitioners, making the EWC the largest professional body in Wales with over 80,000 registrants.

This means that Wales is one of the few Registrants can also share best practice countries in the world that regulates with colleagues. qualified youth workers and youth support workers, bringing their skills and expertise It includes free access to EBSCO, an in line with those working in formal online database of over 4,500 academic education and valuing their contribution education journals and e-books. to education in Wales. We also offer full support and guidance By bringing non-formal and in-work through bespoke presentations and education in line with formal education, workshops where registrants can learn we are enhancing the status of the often more about their rights and the overlooked profession of youth work and professional conduct expected of them. the important role that it plays in young Our popular good practice guides on people's wellbeing and education. topics such as using social media responsibly are available on our website. The youth work landscape in Wales is rich and varied, with local authority services Registrants can apply for the EWC and voluntary organisations supporting research bursary. Those interested in our work to raise the profile of the conducting close-to-practice research as profession and to give the youth work part of their career development, and sector and the young people they work meet the criteria can be awarded up to with a voice. Our unique data and insight £2,000 in funding. into the youth work sector can then be used for workforce planning and development. Anyone wishing to work as a qualified youth worker or qualified youth support How we support youth work in Wales worker in Wales must be registered with Being registered with the EWC has many EWC. Contact us on 029 2046 0099 or e- benefits. All registrants get free access to mail [email protected] for more the Professional Learning Passport, an information. online platform which allows users to record and reflect on their professional Follow us on Twitter using @ewc_cga and development by uploading documents, visit our website at ewc.wales. videos, presentations, and audio files as you progress through your career. 09 SIGNPOSTS TO OTHER INFORMATION Interim Youth Work Board for Wales United Nations Convention on the Rights E-mail: [email protected] of the Child (UNCRC) www.childrensrights.wales/index.php Welsh Government Youth Engagement Branch National Participation Standards for www.gov.wales Children and Young People in Wales www.gov.wales Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services (CWVYS) Children’s Commissioner for Wales www.cwvys.org.uk www.childcomwales.org.uk

Principal Youth Oﬃcers’ Group (Wales) Learning & Skills Act 2000 (Section 123) www.wlga.wales/principal-youth-oﬃcers- www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/21/contents group-wales Welsh Government ‘Rights of Children Education and Training Standards Wales and Young Persons Measure’ 2011 www.etswales.org.uk www.legislation.gov.uk/mwa/2011/2/contents

Education Workforce Council Welsh Youth Parliament www.ewc.wales www.youthparliament.wales/

Estyn National Academy of Educational Leadership www.estyn.gov.uk www.nael.cymru

Association of Youth Workers Cymru Education Act 1996 www.aywc.co.uk/ www.legislation.gov.uk

Youth Resource Base Future Generations Commissioner www.youthworkwales.org.uk for Wales www.futuregenerations.wales National Occupational Standards www.youthworkwales.org.uk

Code of Professional Conduct and Practice for Registrants www.ewc.wales