In March 2010, CWVYS members identified ‘their work as important and valuable and wish to establish professional standards across the voluntary youth sector that is recognised’.
From April 2013 to March 2015, the CWVYS Quality Mark in Workforce Development was developed to reflect an organisation’s active commitment to the learning and development of employees, volunteers and trustees to ensure the quality of services delivered is in accordance with recognised youth work strategies and policies in Wales
The CWVYS Quality Mark reflected an organisation’s active commitment to learning and development of volunteers, trustees and employees to ensure the quality of services delivered is in accordance with recognised youth work strategies and policies in Wales.
It enabled volunteers, trustees, employees and funders to feel confident that the organisation has the understanding and knowledge of good practice, and how to measure and maintain it.
The Quality Mark was based around 5 key principles:-
- National strategies underpin the services delivered by voluntary youth work organisations – Youth Work Policy and Practice
- Demonstrate a commitment to organisational development through the development of volunteers, trustees and employees – Learning Strategy
- Learning is accessible to volunteers, trustees and employees – Learning and Development
- The importance of learning and development is recognised and celebrated – Recognition
- Standards of learning and development are reviewed and continuously improved – Monitoring and Performance Management
The CWVYS Quality Mark was awarded to organisations which satisfied the Quality Statements in the Assessment Framework. By completing a self assessment form and providing the satisfactory evidence to an independent assessor, organisations were be awarded the Quality Mark.
The CWVYS Quality Mark was developed in parallel with the Youth Service Quality Mark developed by the ETS Wales (Education and Training Standards Wales), to ensure that both quality marks complement each other and are appropriate for use in the youth work sector. For further details of the ETS Youth Service Quality Mark visit www.etswales.org.uk
Here are the Quality Statements within each of the 5 key principles.
Youth Work Policy and Practice
- The organisation is aware of the key national policies and strategies relating to their provision of Youth Work
- Key National Youth Work policies are applied across the organisation in design and delivery of the Youth Work provision
- There is a person responsible within the organisation for regular reviews of the application of Youth Work policy.
Learning Strategy
- Resources are in place for the learning and development of volunteers, trustees, employees
- Individual learning needs are regularly identified by the organisation.
- Specific learning needs for the service are regularly reviewed by the organisation.
- There is a person who is responsible for overseeing learning and development activity.
Learning and Development
- The organisation provides information and encouragement to access learning for volunteers, trustees and employees.
- Opportunities are in place to for all to access accredited learning programmes
- All volunteers, trustees and employees are aware of the progression in the profession of Youth Work
- There is an inclusive induction programme in place for all volunteers, trustees and employees
- Learning programmes have been successfully completed by volunteers, trustees and staff.
- Learning resources are regularly accessed by all users of the organisation
Recognition
- There are systems in place to record and recognise good practice that takes place within the organisation
- The achievement of volunteers, trustees and employees is recognised and celebrated
Monitoring and Performance Management
- There are procedures in place for the organisation to monitor and evaluate its learning and development activity
- There are procedures in place to demonstrate learning and development feedback is acted upon
- There are procedures in place for the organisation to monitor and evaluate the quality of provision to young people
- Input is gathered from young people in how they experience the Youth Work provision
- The impact of learning within the organisation is recognised
Success Criteria
Organisations were awarded a Quality Mark where at least 16 (80%) of the Quality Statements are satisfactorily evidenced as meeting or exceeding required standards with the remaining areas categorised as ‘Developing’.
Successful Organisations
The following achieved the CWVYS Quality Mark:
Ethnic Youth Support Team
Cwmbran Centre for Young People
Girlguiding Cymru
ASH Wales
Dyfed & Glamorgan Reserve Forces & Cadets Association
The CWVYS Quality Mark is no longer availible. For details of the Welsh Government’s Quality Mark for Youth Work in Wales, go to: Quality Mark for youth Work in Wales