Your Voice Your Choice

1. Workshop: Words Talk?, Numbers Count?

WAG Official:
Sheila O’Brien

Key questions:
Do you know someone who finds it difficult to read and/or write?

Context:
In this workshop we would like, if possible, to split the group in three. Each team will visit/take part in the following activities:

Table with selection of resources from Basic Skills Cymru (BSC), The Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and SkillsThe Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS), other organisations. We’d like to ask what’s good and what’s not?
We would like an individual from Llamau to come and talk to the group. Give them an insight into their background/ experiences/ problems with basic skills.
We’d like to ask people’s opinions about the following programmes/ initiatives we have running at the moment. What do they like/dislike about them? What’s the best way to develop somebody’s reading skills?
Buddy reader
Developing young sport coaches
Short intensive basic skills courses

At the end of the session young people will

Have a better understanding of what ‘basic skills’ is, and how to perhaps recognise it in friends/family.
Young people will also have the opportunity to contribute to the development of our materials/programmes.

2 Workshop: Getting your voice heard in school

WAG Official:
Jane Harries and Laurence Howells

Key questions:
1. What do your think of the content of the proposed legislation for governors and headteachers? (Is the emphasis and scope right? Will it meet the needs of all pupils in your school? Will it help children and young people to really be part of decision-making if they want to be?)
2. What is missing, or is there anything you think should be done differently?
3. How would you like children and young people to be involved in consultation and in implementing this policy?
4. What would children and young friendly information on this legislation look like? (format./ presentation/ colours / design)

Context:
Children and young people being involved in decision-making in schools At the end of the session young people will (i.e what the outcome of the session will be for the young people:

At the end of the session young people will

1. Be aware of forthcoming legislation on pupil participation, and of how this will affect them
2. Know how they can be involved in developing and implementing effective pupil participation policies and processes in their schools
3. Have clear ideas about how they would like information about pupil participation to be shared and implemented in their schools
4. Feel more confident that they can have a say and be part of decision-making processes in their schools

3 Workshop: Learning for young people in youth detention in Wales - Statutatory Guidance

WAG Official
Nick Keating

Key questions:

What do you think Local Authorities need to think about when they have the duty to support young people from Wales in custody and their education & training?
How can the lack of internet access be addressed for these young people?
Coming back into the community, what are the key things Local Authorities in Wales need to focus on most in relation to their resettlement into education and training?
The host local authority needs to commission education for the institution in their area. What do you feel should be the priorities for them in developing the young people's skills?
What is the best way the host local authority in England support Welsh culture, heritage and language for young people from Wales?

Context:
This consultation is to give information and seek views on the new legislation as part of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 related to the education and training of young people within a youth detention setting. The main purpose of this is to move the learning of young people in custody into line with mainstream provision in the community and more significantly under education legislation for the first time. At this present time there are two youth custodial establishments in Wales. HMP Parc Young Offender’s Institution (YOI) in Bridgend and Hillside Secure Children’s home in Neath Port Talbot. In each case they are under contractual obligations at this stage. Parc is a privately G4S managed prison and Hillside is in a contract with the Youth Justice Board.

The ASCL is legislation for England and Wales and it is important to recognise that a percentage (currently around 50%) of young people from Wales serve their sentence in England. Throughout the legislation development process this has been highlighted and taken into account in order to ensure that issues such as Curriculum Cymreig are addressed appropriately.

At the end of the session young people will

Have had the opportunity to look at a new piece of legislation.
Have allowed them to explore the issues in trying to re-engage, using education and training, young people from Wales in a detention setting.
Use their experiences of education, training and employment to help inform the guidance.
Have helped develop further guidance which in the longer term will support young people re-engage with education and stop a number re-offending.

4 Workshop: Preventing Homelessness and Supporting Tenancies

WAG Official:
Geoff Marlow

Key questions:
What steps do you think the Welsh Assembly Government need to take to help prevent young people from becoming homeless?
Do you think the law should be changed to give more protection for young people when they become homeless?
What types of support do young people most need when they are starting a tenancy?

Context:
The Ten Year Homelessness Plan was launched in July 2009, and the Welsh Assembly Government is also developing a strategy for supported housing and an overall housing strategy. We are now working on an action plan for the period April 2010-March 2012 to provide a clear programme for taking forward action to ensure young people can access the housing they need.

At the end of the session young people will

have an understanding of the Welsh Assembly Government objectives in preventing homelessness and helping young people sustain their tenancies, and contributed their views on how this should be taken forward through an action plan.

5 Workshop: Youth Service Methodology

WAG Official
Tanis Cunnick

Key questions:
How can young people shape the development of youth work in Wales? Context:

The development of the above are key for driving on this agenda
National Youth Work Strategy is currently being reviewed with a view to create a vision for the future
National Standards for Youth Services in Wales
Youth Service Methodology

At the end of the session young people will have

Knowledge
Confidence
Informed judgements
Opportunity for a voice, be heard and responded to
Influence at a local level

6 Workshop: School Uniform

WAG Official
Sarah Fulthorpe/Claire Roberts

Key Questions:

What do you think about school uniforms?
Are they a good/bad thing? Why? Do you like your particular uniform?
If yes, what do you like about it? If no, what don’t you like about it and what would you change?
What do you think about the material of your school uniform? Is it comfortable? Is it hard wearing?
Does your school uniform have many items with logos? What do you think of logos? Do you know how much your uniform costs? If so, what do you think about the cost?
Do you know whether your uniform can be bought from one shop or can it be bought from a variety of shops (e.g. Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Asda) Were you consulted by your school on requirements or changes to your school uniform? If yes, were you consulted? (e.g. via school councils, classroom debates, questionnaires etc).
If you have been consulted about your school uniform, has there been any change as a result of what pupils had to say?
Have you raised any concerns about the uniform you wear? If so, how did you do this?

Context:
For young people to share their views and experiences on school uniform with the Welsh Assembly Government.

At the end of the session young people will: have contributed to building an evidence base along with research that is currently underway on parental views of school uniform and the wider costs of school uniform for the Welsh Assembly Government.

7 Skill Build after leaving School/College: what should it look like?

Skill Build is not universally recognised as a title by young people. A lot of Skill Build learners join the programme because they wanted to "get a job" or "find an apprenticeship". So perhaps some time at the start of the session would need to be spent explaining what the Skill Build programme is. Workshop:
Skill Build after leaving School/College: what should it look like?

WAG Official:
Roger Bell

Key questions:

How aware are you about Skill Build?
What advice have you had about Skill Build?
Does the idea of Skill Build interest you?
If you could change the name, what would you change "Skill Build" to?
There are many options available after school.Why would you/did you choose School/College instead of Skill Build? (influences on decision-making, what can we do to help make their decision-making more equal re WBL as a pathway?)
(discussion on skills needed to do well in the workplace/get a job) (get to point about not all young people having the skills that the group identifies) (implications for not demonstrating these skills in the workplace)
Any suggestions on how to tackle this? (When? Should we start this? Would it be useful for Skill Build to offer training on how to be more employable? )
How many hours per week should you have to do on Skill Build? (should some people be expected to attend for fewer hours in a week on Skill Build?)
Should you be paid the same amount of money on Skill Build as Sixth Form/College students get? (should you be paid more if you're ready to cope full time in the workplace than if you aren't?)

Round off question:
What should be THE NEXT STEP after Skill Build if there are not many jobs around?

Context:
Skill Build is a very important first step into employment for the majority of 16 and 17 yr olds in Wales. The Government is looking at how the Skill Build programmme can be improved to meet the needs of the wide range of young people who experience it. At the end of the session young people will : know that their opinions have been taken into account.

At the end of the session young people will

have a better understanding of an apprenticeship and the opportunities they offer. Young people will also have given their views on how we can better inform them of all the different apprenticeships on offer, clarify at what age we should be promoting apprenticeships as an alternative to the sixth form, or other options and have given their views on the Apprentice Matching Service we are piloting next year.

8 Workshop: Apprenticeships – An alternative to Sixth form for those young people wanting to develop high level skills and knowledge in the workplace

WAG Official:
Simon Phelps, Jacqui Bastock and Ian Mitchard

Key questions:
1. An Apprenticeship: What is it and who do you think its for?
2. What information do you receive on apprenticeships, from where and what other information would you like?
3 How many different apprenticeships do you think are available and how many can you name, what can we do to make you more aware of the different apprenticeships available to you.
4. Apprentice Matching Service – a new development, how can we make it more accessible and easier to use for young people.

Context:
Apprenticeships are a real alternative for those young people wanting to develop high level skills and knowledge in the workplace., We want the young persons perspective on how best we can ensure that apprenticeships are considered on par with other options, including the sixth form when a young person is deciding about their future career path.

At the end of the session young people will – have a better understanding of an apprenticeship and the opportunities they offer. Young people will also have given their views on how we can better inform them of all the different apprenticeships on offer, clarify at what age we should be promoting apprenticeships as an alternative to the sixth form, or other options and have given their views on the Apprentice Matching Service we are piloting next year.

9 Workshop: How can I help make Wales a ‘one planet’ nation?

WAG Official:
Toria Thomas, Victoria Thomas, Jo Issitt, Tina Hawkins

Key questions:

What is sustainable development?
What is ‘One Wales: One Planet ‘?
What has ‘One Wales: One Planet’ got to do with me?
What can I do to act more ‘sustainably’?

Context:
Wales currently uses 2.7 planets’ worth of resources; unchecked, this could increase to 3.3 planets’ worth by 2020.
In its new Sustainable Development Scheme - One Wales: One Planet - the Assembly Government has set out how it hopes to achieve Wales becoming a 1 planet nation, and a nation that is more just and fairer, within the life of a generation.

The Sustainable Development Branch of the Assembly Government is talking with all areas of life in Wales – businesses, communities, public sector, voluntary and non-profit businesses – and now young people - in support of One Wales: One Planet.
The challenge is being put to everyone:

see what SD has to do with you;
make a commitment to one planet living;
think differently; and
act sustainably.

At the end of the session young people will:

understand what sustainable development is;
see what One Wales: One Planet has to do with them’;
found ways in which they can help to make Wales a one planet country;
know how to act more sustainably everyday; and
be confident to talk about sustainable development with others (e.g. with friends and family, in school or at college, their clubs / societies etc).

10 Workshop: Adults often associate anti social behaviour with the activities and actions of young people. What can be done to change this perception ?

WAG Official:
Supt Tony Matthias and Insp Dean Piper

Key questions:
what behaviour do you consider as anti social ?
What type of behaviour creates fear ?
is there a generation gap and does this influence perceptions of anti social behaviour ? If so how can we address this ?
How can we better raise awareness of the positives that young people bring to communities?

Context:
Anti social behaviour is the number one concern for the majority of communities across Wales. It undermines quality of life and creates fear and anxiety, particularly amongst the vulnerable and elderly which can undermine community cohesion and become a barrier to the development of that community

At the end of the session young people will

have a better awareness of the unintended consequences of some types of behaviour
have contributed views which will help promote a civil society
an ability to promote a positive youth image in local communities

11 Workshop: New Child Poverty Strategy for Wales

WAG Official
Beverley Morgan

Key questions:
The Children and Families (Wales) Measure places a duty on the Welsh Assembly Government to publish a strategy (in 2010) to address child poverty in Wales. In 2009, preparatory work for the development of the new Child Poverty Strategy was undertaken by the Assembly Government. This work identified a series of “national priorities” – where evidence suggests is where the Assembly Government is likely to have the most impact in terms of reducing the number of children living in poverty in Wales, and improving their outcomes in life (for example, in terms of their health and education). A first draft of the new strategy is currently being developed and will be published for consultation at the beginning of April 2010.

We would welcome children and young people's views on the focus of the national priorities which underpin the new strategy and how we plan to reduce child poverty in Wales. In particular, we would welcome children and young people’s views on the following:

What are the barriers / issues associated with different aspects of child poverty in Wales?
What would help to improve things and address these barriers and issues?
What is important for children and young people – in relation to the national priorities set out in the new child poverty strategy?
Do the actions being planned by the Welsh Assembly Government sufficiently address the barriers and issues around child poverty – as identified by the children and young people themselves?

Context:
The Children and Families (Wales) Measure places a duty on Welsh Ministers to publish a new Child Poverty strategy for Wales in 2010. This workshop will feed into the development of this new strategy. It will provide us with information on where we need to develop further action to tackle child poverty and improve outcomes for children and young people living in poverty in Wales.

At the end of the session young people will

Children and young people will have an understanding of the national priorities that have been identified for the new child poverty strategy for Wales. They will have been given the opportunity to comment on these national priorities – which will feed into the development of the new strategy.

They will also be given the opportunity to highlight the barriers and issues that exist around child poverty – and to identify where further action is needed to tackle child poverty in Wales.

The information gathered during the workshop with children and young people will also be used to draft a children and young people’s version of the new child poverty strategy for Wales. This will be published alongside the draft strategy for consultation in April 2010.

12 Workshop: Sex and relationships education in schools

WAG official
Mark Lancett

Key questions:

Why should schools teach about sex and relationships?
What do you think about the sex and relationships education (SRE) you have received in your school?
How have your school experiences of SRE influenced you?
How would you improve SRE in your school?
How can young people influence their schools’ sex education policy?

Context:
To collect the views of young people as part of the consultation about the revised Sex and Relationships Education guidance circular for schools.

At the end of the session young people will

Have discussed and reflected on their own experiences of SRE
Have had an opportunity to express their views on the revised SRE guidance for schools
Know more about the role that they can play in developing their school’s sex education policy