Author: Helen

As you might be aware, the Welsh Government has commissioned a team of researchers from Welsh universities to carry out a Funding Review.

This is a critical piece of work and is based upon one of the 14 recommendations being worked upon by the Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board.

It is essential that the voice of the voluntary youth work sector is heard in this process, as evidence provided now will inform how and where funding can support the sector more effectively in the future.

Please complete the survey by the closing date of 12 January 2024:

https://wgu.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/arolwg-cyfranogiad-sector-gwirfoddol-2

https://wgu.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/voluntary-sector-participant-survey

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Today the Minister for Education and Welsh Language has set out the next steps to develop the Interim Youth Work Board’s recommendations aimed at achieving a sustainable delivery model for youth work in Wales. You can read more here.

Be part of the conversation

Thank you to everyone who has fed into this work to date. The collaborative approach adopted to inform the development of this work will continue to be vital during this next phase, under the advice of the Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board and its Implementation Participation Groups, as well as other partners.

A series of ‘drop in’ Empower Hour sessions for youth workers and youth support workers began on 11 December. These have covered a range of themes, including a rights-based approach, youth work definitions and functions, and leadership and partnerships. This engagement will continue in the new year, with opportunities for individuals across the youth work sector and beyond to be part of the conversation. Further details will be shared soon.

The Code has been updated to reflect new registration categories.

About the Code

The Education Workforce Council’s Code of Professional Conduct and Practice (‘the Code’) sets out the standards expected of those registered with us and is intended to support and guide their behaviours and judgements as professionals working in education and training roles in Wales. The latest version of the Code came into force on 1 September 2022 (updated in November 2023 to reflect the addition of new registation categories).

Registrants commit to upholding the five key principles of the Code:

• Personal and Professional Responsibility
• Professional Integrity
• Collaborative Working
• Professional Knowledge and Understanding
• Professional Learning

Read the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice.

Supporting documents.

We have produced posters that can be displayed at your setting:

Poster for staff room display
Poster for public display

There is also a series of good practice guides, which support registrants to comply with the Code. They provide more advice for registrants in their day to day practice.

Our guide for parents provides information and advice to parents on the services we provide and helps them to play a more active role in their child’s education.

Our new EU UK Youth Stronger Together project offers young people aged 15 – 30 from the EU and the UK opportunities to connect, cooperate, influence, and implement change together on issues of common interest. Through its strands, the project aims to contribute to the building of a close and stable relationship between young people in the UK and the EU for Europe’s collective benefit.

We would like to invite you as youth organisations to;
a. Apply for our Networking Grant > More information and the application can be found here

but also in your capacity as young people individually to

b. Be part of our online focus groups with representatives of youth organisations across the UK to express your views and identify the needs, challenges and prospects for future relations with organisations and youth in the EU . https://forms.office.com/e/CWvWPYGnyV

c. Submit your creative entry at the ongoing Competition https://forms.office.com/e/4aS5FzbDJN and get the chance to see your piece of work exhibited live in London on May 2024

You can keep in touch with the Stronger Together project through expression of interest in the following form.

Showcase your work at the latest ‘Marketplace’ at a series of Curriculum for Wales Equity and Inclusion events across Wales.  These will be taking place between November 2023 and February 2024.

You are welcome to a book space at as many of the events in the series as you wish, all we ask is that you only do so if your organisation operates in that geographical area.

To book your place please click here or on the link embedded in the attached invitation.

Please note that the ‘Marketplace’ is for third sector and not for profit organisations only.

Youth Work Webinars 

CWVYS and the National Academy for Educational Leadership have organised three online webinars to discuss all aspects of leadership within the Voluntary Youth Work Sector in Wales.  

There are three key dates and themes, and these are as follows: 

• Leading and Leadership in Voluntary Youth Work Sector in Wales – 25 October 2023, 2-3pm 
• Leadership Issues and Challenges in the Voluntary Youth Work Sector in Wales – 27 November, 2023, 2-3pm 
• Navigating Unknown Territory: Support and Opportunities for Leaders in the Voluntary Youth Work Sector in Wales – 12 December, 2023, 2-3pm. 

If you would like to register, or require any additional information, please contact Emma Chivers at Emma@ec-consultancy.co.uk or Paul Glaze at paul@cwvys.org.uk

The report from the first phase of the Youth Work Funding Review has now gone live.

The full report can be accessed on University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s website here, and the summary here and via Welsh Government here.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this vital work so far. This work will help us to understand how the funding works in Wales, and the outcome of the research will underpin a lot of the work we are doing to develop a sustainable model for youth work going forward.

It is important that we get the views from a broad range of organisations who are delivering youth work services to help, so you if you are asked to participate, please do everything you can to support this work.

Our Voluntary Youth Work Organisations Support Scheme has now closed. This is a fantastic opportunity for local youth group organisations to gain access to crucial funds that will enable them to support young people across Wales.

Please ensure that you’ve read the guidance form before filling out an application form as this contains the key dates for applying in Round 2, information regarding the requirements for eligibility and general information on the scheme. If you are eligible, please contact Amanda@cwvys.org.uk in the first instance, using the application forms provided.

This is an ’emergency’ fund to support voluntary youth work organisations from going under and/or to be able to pay the bills and keep the doors open with current provision and services.

If you have been successful in your application and were awarded anything in Round 1, you will not be able to reapply. For those other applicants who we couldn’t support because we simply didn’t have enough to go around and/or were unsuccessful because they didn’t articulate the critical situation they faced and the need for the money, can reapply.

We will need organisations to give us a (estimate) breakdown of how much they need over the next 6 months and for which ‘bills’ rather than to and ask without any clear indication of where they will ringfence the money.

The VYWOSS fund It is not for new projects/activities that organisations would like to deliver.

The call for Taith Pathway 2 applications will open on October 5th! Further details and guidance will be available soon, but in the meantime, if you have any questions please contact enquiries@taith.wales

Bydd yr alwad am geisiadau Llwybr Taith 2 yn agor ar Hydref 5ed! Bydd rhagor o fanylion a chanllawiau ar gael yn fuan, ond yn y cyfamser, os oes gennych unrhyw gwestiynau, cysylltwch ag ymholiadau@taith.cymru

WCIA and CWYVS were working collaboratively as the Sector Organising Body for youth, and they have been very successful in promoting Taith to the sector.  In addition, WCIA were also successful in obtaining both Pathway 1 and Pathway 2 funding in 2022.

Looking ahead, Pathway 2 will be re-opening for it’s 2023 call on the 5^th October and as such Taith will be hosting support events for potential applicants. Below are the event details and it would be great if you are able to attend and we can introduce you to the sectors as the Taith Champions and give you an opportunity to advice the attendees on your role and the support you can offer.

The events will all be online and the schedule is as follows:

• Wednesday 27^th September 2023 12.30-1.30pm Introduction to Taith (Welsh)
• Wednesday 27^th September 2023 4-5pm Introduction to Taith (English)

• Monday 16^th October 2023 12.30-1.30pm Introduction to Pathway 2 (Welsh)
• Monday 16^th October 2023 4-5pm Introduction to Pathway 2 (English)

• Monday 23^rd October 2023 12.30-1.30pm Application form, assessment criteria and assessor hints and tips (Welsh)
• Monday 23^rd October 2023 4-5pm Application form, assessment criteria and assessor hints and tips (English)

• Monday 6^th November 2023 4-5pm Q and A sessions for P2 (Bilingual)
• Monday 13^th November 2023 4-5pm Q and A sessions for P2 (Bilingual)
• Monday 20^th November 2023 4-5pm Q and A sessions for P2 (Bilingual)

Events will be listed on the Taith website Events – Taith over the next few weeks for people to register.