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Working for children, young people and their families in partnership with the National Children’s Bureau and Children in Scotland

Gweithio dros blant, pobl ifanc a’u teuluoedd mewn partneriaeth gyda Biwrô Cenedlaethol y Plant a Clann an Alba

17th November 2014

 

 

 

Dear William Powell AM,

 

re: Petitions Committee consideration the National Children and Young People’s Participation Standards for Wales

 

Thank you for your letter of October 2014 regarding the petition from Powys Youth Forum on the above matter.  Children in Wales is pleased to inform the Committee that we had already considered how best to ensure implementation of the National Children and Young People’s Participation Standards (the Standards) through the kite-marking process that had been undertaken in the past.  Although kite-marking was not in our original bid, because we didn’t wish to duplicate work that we assumed Funky Dragon would be bidding for, we had indicated that we would actively promote the Standards in all of our work including sharing good practice and training of both workers and young people.

 

Since the outcome of the Children and Families Delivery Grant Scheme however, we have updated the work-plan to include enhanced work on the Standards including kite-marking, and this is due to be discussed with the National Participation Workers Network at a meeting in early December.

 

Following consultation with Save the Children, we will be introducing a process that they would have introduced had the funding for the Participation Unit not previously been withdrawn by them and by Welsh Government.  This approach takes into account the final report of the Participation Unit ‘Small Voice, Big Vision’

 

The work will include:-

 

·         a process of updating the Standards and kite marking tool in collaboration with participation workers and young people through face to face and electronic means by February 2015  - this is not likely to involve changes in respect of principles, but will make the Standards fit for purpose for use in 2015 onwards in respect of legislation etc. It will also allow time for feedback as to what worked and what didn’t work.

 

·         resources such as the ‘Blast Off Guides’ will be held in Children in Wales and feedback sought from young people and participation workers about what was useful and what wasn’t.  On line resources will be developed and information provided to practitioners about participation, different strategies for different age groups, child friendly docs etc.

 

·         train the trainers events on the Standards to train workers on the updated Standards

 

·         training for workers on self-assessment of organisations and training young inspectors

 

·         full days of verification activity (a minimum of twice per year), of submissions from young inspectors by a nationally convened group of young people and participation workers

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         A national good practice exchange event in June 2015

 

I hope that this information is useful for the Committee and please contact me if there are any further queries.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Catriona Williams OBE

Chief Executive