youth work resource pack - part 3€¦ · groups of larger voluntary youth organisations. it is...

Part 3Background information for

youth workers and young people

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YouthWorkWalespeople like you make it what it is

1YouthWorkWales people like you make it what it is

Background informationfor youth workers and young people

Part 3

3.1 Information on youth work and Youth Services

The key purpose ofyouth work is to enableyoung people to developholistically, working withthem to facilitate theirpersonal, social andeducational development,to enable them to developtheir voice, influence and place in society and to reach their full potential.”

National Occupational Standards

(Appendix 2)

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Cardiff street based youth work

Cardiff County Council

YouthWorkWales people like you make it what it is

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In Wales youth workers work to theprinciples of the Youth Work CurriculumStatement for Wales (Appendix 1). It requires that all youth work providesopportunities which are Educative,Participative, Empowering, Expressive and with a focus on inclusion and equalityof access.

In addition and most importantly keyprinciples of youth work are:

• There is a voluntary relationship betweenyoung people and youth workers

• The Youth Service is a universalentitlement, open to all young peoplewithin the specified age range 11-25

These principles determine themethodology of youth work, how and whereit takes place and the activities undertaken.

Youth work is primarily an education based service in non formal and informalsituations. It is young person-centred and it must be enjoyable for young people and what they and their families want. It therefore has to be current, inclusive and responsive.

The Youth Work Curriculum also states that:

‘The type, mix and priorities of youth workare determined on a local, national andorganisational level.

The establishment of appropriate provisionshould be determined by the needs’

The National Youth Service Strategyrecognises the voluntary principle but also acknowledges that youth workmethodology is a vital intervention in other contexts where engagement is notvoluntary.

It states that:

‘Young people should have the choice ofvoluntary engagement in activities withyouth workers even though their attendanceis compulsory.’

Youth work, therefore, takes place in a widevariety of venues and formats as well asthrough different styles of approach. The voluntary sector contributes alongsidethe maintained sector to provide the bestpossible opportunities for the development ofyoung people into adult citizens and who alsoplay a constructive part in their communities.

Dreamcatcher Project

Momouthshire Youth Service

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However, whilst the principles and values ofthe Curriculum Statement remain constant,the activities, which are the vehicles for thecurriculum, are continually changing tomeet the needs of the young people and to keep youth work fresh and current for all those involved. Drop-in projects on high streets, for example, provide youngpeople with friendly access to informationregarding their rights, benefits, responsibilitiesand offer access to the Internet.

Initiatives are in place in both voluntaryand statutory sectors to encourage theexchange of visits with European and othercountries to foster worldwide goodcitizenship and understanding, as well as better local community life.


First Aid training for TibetanRefugees in India St JohnAmbulance in Wales

“Thanks Sam I am extremely gladthat I was offeredthe opportunity totake part in thisamazing trip. Theexperience haschanged me inways that are hard to explain.”


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The maintained sector through the LocalAuthority delivers a range of genericprovision including youth clubs, outreachand detached work. Specialist provision foryoung people in difficult circumstancesincludes a wide variety of targeted projectssupporting young people with substancerelated issues, single parents,unemployment and many more topics.These projects and activities may bedifferent in different areas and adapt andchange due to the needs of young peopleand how funding is prioritised. PrincipalYouth Officers in the Local Authorities canprovide more information about what isavailable in their areas and contacts arefound in Appendix 3.

The voluntary youth sector is diverse andworks with young people in a range ofdifferent circumstances and have their ownstated aims and approach to youth workdelivery. Some of these are all-Wales

organisations and some are globalorganisations with Welsh sections andsome are local in origin. Not all of them areyouth work agencies and some are localgroups of larger voluntary youthorganisations. It is also a changing scene.CWVYS, WCVA and the County VoluntaryCouncils are the best source of information.

These can be accessed in a variety of ways and details of further sources ofinformation can be found in Appendix 3.

3.2 Policy context

Youth work has a long history in Walesstarting with voluntary and philanthropicaction in the second half of the nineteenthcentury. From 1939, government directionand legislation set out its vision for youthwork, and actions for Local Government toestablish Youth Service provision and for

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Methodist Youth Conference

Wales Synod of the Methodist

Church, Cardiff

“Thanks Sam A lot of people madefriendships which are still going strong.It was inspiring to be with that manypeople of our ownage, all there for thesame thing.”

YouthWorkWales people like you make it what it is 5

recognising the contribution of thevoluntary sector.

The Welsh Assembly now sets the policycontext that surrounds youth work and theYouth Service in Wales including both thevoluntary and maintained sectors.

The Learning and Skills Act (2000)established the statutory duty for LocalAuthorities in Wales to have in placearrangements for the provision of the Youth Service that ‘should be available to all young people from 11-25 who choose to access it’.

Extending Entitlement: supporting youngpeople in Wales (2000) and thesubsequent directions and guidance in 2002set out the Welsh Assembly Government’sstrategic approach to youth supportservices which enable young people to:

• Participate in education and training

• Take advantage of opportunities foremployment

• Participate responsibly and effectively in their communities

It recognised the important contributionmade by youth work to the development of young people-centred services, throughwhich young people aged 11 –25 canachieve 10 basic entitlements. They alsoprescribed the way local stakeholdersshould work in partnership in order toprioritise, plan, coordinate and evaluate

the delivery of youth support servicesneeded in their area.

The Learning Country: vision into action (2006) reaffirmed the AssemblyGovernment’s commitment to thedevelopment of the Youth Service in Wales.

Subsequent legislation StrongerPartnerships for Better Outcomes:Guidance on Local Co-operation under the Children’s Act 2004 (2006) givesdetails of the new statutory functions forthe partnerships 0-25 years. In most areasthis has led to the setting up of Childrenand Young People’s Partnerships withinwhich youth support services are delivered.

Gwernyfed InformED Road MoviePowys County Council YouthService, Gwernyfed High School


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Young people, youth work, Youth Service:National Youth Service Strategy forWales (2007) was published afterconsultation with the field. It restated thecommitment to the Youth Service,identified the main principles and goals ofyouth work in the Youth Service and statedthe intention to support the principle ofjoined up working between the sectors. Italso referred to wider agendas includingyouth participation in decision making and14 –19 Learning Pathways and thecontribution of the Youth Service to theseareas. It also contained an action plan for the development of the Service,including an emphasis on workforcedevelopment, regional working, measuringoutcomes, marketing and collecting data toinform decision making particularly relatedto resources and filling identified gaps.

Ensuring a skilled workforce and anincreasing number of practicing youthworkers in the maintained and voluntarysectors was clearly identified. As aconsequence a workforce developmentplan is a priority of the strategy. Included

in this strategy is an aspiration to raise the number of workers that are qualified,ensure the voluntary sector workforce hasappropriate qualifications, and a focus onContinuing Professional Development.

Other structures that provide an importantinput in Wales to the workforce agendainclude the CQFW (Credit and QualificationsFramework for Wales); the JNC (JointNegotiating Committee) for pay andconditions; the professional endorsing bodyETS (Education and Training StandardsCommittee); the Sector Skills CouncilLifelong Learning UK; Estyn, Her Majesty’sInspectorate; and the CYWU (Communityand Youth Workers Union). More informationcan be found in Appendix 4.

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Inside OutDiscovery, Swansea


Introduction to youth work

City and County of Swansea

Youth Service

Other initiatives that involve young peoplethat are supported by other WelshAssembly Government policies include:

Youth volunteering, such as, the MillenniumVolunteers programme and the youth actionand engagement developments from theRussell Commission report (2005) which hasled to the GwirVol initiative.

14 –19 Learning Pathways and the WelshBaccalaureate that include communityparticipation and non formal and informalactivities as an important ingredient in young people developing skills for life and employment as part of their formal education.

Youth participation in decision-making,expressed nationally through Funky Dragonthe Young People’s Assembly, the local YouthForums and Youth Councils in Schools. The Participation Consortium and theParticipation Unit work with the WelshAssembly Government to ensure that youngpeople are involved in decisions that affecttheir lives, and that structures and theworkforce understand the principles ofparticipation and have the skills to engagemeaningfully with children and young people.The participation standards (Appendix 5) foryoung people have been developed as a resultand lay down what young people can expectfrom being involved.

Additional support comes for Welshlanguage provision and for young people in rural areas and for young people inCommunities First areas.

Funding for youth work comes from avariety of National and Local Governmentalsources and from several different policyareas in addition to education and leisure.There is a specific National Voluntary YouthOrganisations (NVYO) grant scheme thatcontributes to the core costs and someproject costs of organisations fulfilling thegrant scheme criteria.

Welsh Language: Welsh and English haveequal legal status in Wales. Iaith Pawb(2003) is the Welsh Assembly policydocument which reaffirms that Wales is abilingual country and describes the actionsrequired by public bodies to achieve theseaims. The Welsh Language Board (WLB),which grant funds some voluntary sectororganisations has a range of useful researchdocuments and publications that arerelevant to young people and the YouthService. The WLB has recently published ayouth strategy with the aim of increasingthe social use of Welsh by young peopleoutside school. The Youth Service has animportant role to play by upholding anddeveloping situations where young peoplecan communicate in Welsh. More trainingfor youth workers in the medium of Welshhas recently been a priority area.


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3.3 Skills of youthworkers

Youth workers help young people gaincontrol over their own lives, whilerespecting the lives of others. As informaleducators youth workers are in keypositions and are able to impact upon andalter the direction of a young person’s life.If good relationships are established, ayouth worker can help to reinforce thepositive aspects of a young person’scharacter or situation. Youth workersensure that young people can access theinformation that they need, in ways thatthey understand, to make informed choicesabout their lives.

Youth workers need a range of skills andpersonal attributes to engage effectivelywith young people. These skills can bedeveloped as an individual, through “on-the-job” practical experience and trainingsuch as volunteering and by workingtowards youth work qualifications.

Some skills required depend upon whereyouth work takes place, in a youth centre or ‘detached’ on the streets.Detached youth workers have differentresponsibilities and procedures, takinglonger to establish relationships withyoung people. Youth workers in youthcentres have a responsibility to ensure thatthe building remains a safe environmentfor young people.

There are a number of importantinterpersonal skills that a youth workershould have:

• Good communication and listening skills,being able to build effective relationshipswith young people, being tactful andsensitive to issues, earning youngpeoples trust and respect.

• Enthusiasm and motivation, instigatingand organising activities that provideopportunities for young people’senjoyment, education and interactionwith their peer group.

• Patience, resilience, self-awareness andself control.

• Encouraging and challenging youngpeople to think about their behaviour, its consequences, questioning theirprejudices and assumptions.

• A non-judgemental attitude andcommitment to equal opportunities andbeing able to relate to young peoplefrom a variety of backgrounds andcircumstances.

Youth workers are placed in a position oftrust, guided by child protection policies to ensure young people are not at risk ofbeing harmed. Youth workers may be toldof difficult personal circumstances by

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young people and should be able torecognise when it is necessary to involveother professionals with specialist skills and knowledge.

It is important that the young person issupported, explaining why the informationcannot remain confidential in a way thatthey can understand. Sometimes this canalso mean acting as advocates for youngpeople in a variety of difficult situations.

In addition to knowledge of childprotection policies, youth workers shouldhave an understanding of how legislationand wider policy developments affectyoung people and youth work.

In this respect a worker cannot be expected to know everything affectingyoung people, but should have anawareness of other agencies andorganisations in their community and what support they can offer young people.

A youth worker’s own interests can be used as tools to engage with young people,providing the opportunity to teach andpass on their knowledge. Personal talents,interests and abilities have been used aseffective and productive ways of engagingwith young people by tutoring in a particularsubject or area of expertise. Obvious areas ofinterest to young people are sports, music,arts/crafts, dance, IT, drama, and cookery (seecase studies). However, activities are asvaried as an individuals interests.

In some organisations youth workers are ameans of providing alternative educationand accreditation, where activities areflexible and allow individuals to progressand succeed at a pace appropriate to theirrespective abilities and circumstances.

The range and level of skills needed fordifferent aspects of youth work are detailedin the National Occupational Standards forYouth Work to be found in Appendix 2.


‘It's all Gravy’ Media ProductionMerthyr Tydfil Youth Service

“Thanks Sam When I saw the DVDwe had created I waswell happy and feltthat I had achievedsomething.”


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3.4 Outcomes for youngpeople involved in theYouth Service

The National Youth Service Strategydescribes outcomes of active participation,wider skills development and enhancedemotional competence.

These include skills such as team work,communication, life skills, and understandingof the world and other people in it. Youngpeople develop specific skills but also learnabout themselves and gain self esteem,confidence, coping skills, motivationrelationship building and self awareness.Other outcomes are related to communitybenefit and the contribution young peoplemake and enjoying themselves.

These personal development outcomes for young people are skills for both life andwork and form an important part of theireducation. The 14 –19 Learning Pathwaysrecognises the contribution of the YouthService to young people’s development and tries to capture and demonstrate thesepersonal achievements and encourageyoung people to go further.

If young people wish to become youthworkers taking every opportunity to makethese connections between formal andcommunity experience and linking theskills gained is one of the ways that cangreatly assist their career path.

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Millennium Volunteers

Urdd Gobaith Cymru

Policy context on training

The management of youth work training is evolving to bring all these elements together and make things clearer and more effective in the future.


Degrees

You own this processyou can stop or startwherever you want.

Young People who are• involved as participants in voluntary organisations

• volunteering / helping out / supporting youth workers• working towards qualifications / awards (e.g. Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Welsh Baccalaureate etc)

Core training in• Health & Safety• Child Protection

Experience in• Activities • Individual Organisations’

aims, methods and principles of youth work

Based on National OccupationalStandards, youth work principles and the Youth Work Curriculum Statement

NVQsCity & GuildsQualifications

In-houseQualificationswith VoluntaryOrganisations

NationalOpen College

Network

VOLUNTARYAND

MAINTAINEDSECTOR

TRAINING

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT


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3.5 Training routes and opportunities to get qualified

There is a wide range of training andqualification routes for youth work within Wales due to the diverse range of organisations and opportunities in thevoluntary and maintained sectors. Thisdiversity is to be celebrated, but it results in the need for support for young people in the task of guiding people interested inyouth work progression and qualification to the most appropriate sources.

The previous page shows the ‘Training Tree’and gives a picture of training opportunitiesand routes for young people to take.

Young people often start at the roots of thetree through volunteering and participationin youth work activities. Sometimes youngpeople start in paid work.

The trunk of the tree represents trainingthat is undertaken both in the voluntarysector and maintained sector. There arecore skills and information all youthworkers need which include childprotection and health and safety. Othertraining will include youth work methodsand principles, activities and the aims andpurposes of the organisation. Training varieseven at this stage and is undertaken invarious ways including within organisations

and through courses run by the LocalAuthority, for example. All training will be based on the National OccupationalStandards and the principles of theCurriculum Statement, although notnecessarily described as such. It is theindividual’s own choice about when tostart and stop training and the jobundertaken will depend upon the level of training undertaken.

Further training as in the branches leads toqualifications – either externally recognisedor in house qualifications from Voluntarysector organisations. Some courses arerecognised as professional qualifications in youth work and can be used as a basisfor a professional career. In Wales there is a ‘coherent route’ which identifiesprogression through to a degree and thequalifications necessary to achieve thislevel. Young people could also opt for ayouth work degree as an active choice after they leave school.

Continuing Professional Development(CPD) is seen to be important encouragingyouth workers in all sectors to continuetheir learning, and many organisationsrequire it as a condition of working – both voluntary and maintained.

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There is also a drive to encourage moreyouth workers to work in the medium ofWelsh and there are specific courses atseveral levels to increase the number oftrainers and other training opportunities.

Young people should take advice from theiryouth worker and use the information andcontacts in this pack to identify suitabletraining opportunities.

Contacts for Local Authorities, voluntaryorganisations and training organisations are in Appendix 3. An explanation of thequalifications in the branches of the treeand additional information on the Coherentroute is to be found in Appendix 4.

3.6 Volunteeringopportunities for young people

The contribution of volunteers of all ages isparticularly important to the youth worksector, supporting the work that is alreadycarried out with young people.

Young volunteers support youth workers(paid and unpaid) in a variety of voluntaryand maintained settings, assisting withplanning, development and delivery ofactivities with young people. Youngvolunteers have a particularly meaningfulcontribution providing ‘peer support’ andinsight into youth culture and current trends.


Just @sk

BCBC Youth Service, Bridgend


Part 3

It requires passion and perseverance to be a volunteer and youth worker; somesituations can be challenging. Volunteersneed to be able to develop relationshipswith young people just as youth workers do.

It is a recognised step towards becoming ayouth worker and in many cases volunteersgo on to gain recognised accreditedcertificates or qualifications, or undertakethe in-house training offered. Examples can be found in both voluntary and themaintained sector and the young volunteersthat have benefited from involvement inthe organisation are trained and becomethe youth workers and leaders for the next generation.

In some volunteer-based voluntaryorganisations it is a natural progression for young people already involved to go onto be long term volunteer youth workers. This is a leadership role that is promotedand supported by planned training andopportunities to gain experience.

Through volunteering young people can gainvaluable experience and skills, increasingtheir confidence, improving communicationand organisational skills. Opportunities toexplore new places and go abroad are alsooptions young people can consider.

Volunteering also has the benefit ofimproving prospects of further educationand employment with employersrecognising these skills and thecommitment shown through undertakingvoluntary opportunities. In schools andcolleges the 14 –19 Learning Pathways and the Welsh Baccalaureate expect somevolunteering and community action andthe experience and skills gained countstowards qualifications.

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Oasis ProjectBlaenau Gwent County Borough Council

“Thanks Sam The time I spent in OASIShave been the bestmoments of my school life. It has been brilliant fun and very educational.”

Through volunteering young people get achance to experience the role of a youthworker before making a commitment toundertaking further training. Often it caninclude a commitment to a particular issue or agreement with the aims of anorganisation. Volunteering provides anopportunity to assess whether youth work is a suitable paid career choicethrough direct experience or to continue as a volunteer while undertaking anothercareer choice or fit around family or theirother commitments.

When youth organisations are recruitingvolunteers over 18 years most have strictly adhered to child protection policieswhere volunteers are recruited with thesame scrutiny as paid employees. It is astatement of intent that demonstrates a commitment to safeguard children from harm. The policy applies to anycircumstance where there is access andcontact with young people. These policiesalso protect younger volunteers under 18 years of age. Guiding undertakes checks at 16 years.

There are volunteering opportunitiesavailable through organisations acrossWales with placements as volunteer youthworkers. If a young person knows wherethey would like to volunteer and theorganisation is not registered to take onvolunteers, they may still be willing to

provide an opportunity. This could apply to volunteering in a school or smallercharitable youth project, for example.

New placement opportunities are beingadded and created in a number of localauthority areas. Some useful sources ofvolunteering information are listed inAppendix 3.

Millennium Volunteers

There is a scheme called MillenniumVolunteers that is open to young people 16 – 24 years old who want to make adifference to their local communitiesthrough volunteering.

Young people make a commitment tovolunteer over the course of a year, with two levels of certificate awarded, 100 hours and 200 hours. When thevolunteer completes the course of 200


Peer Education Sex and

Relationships Programme

Carmarthenshire


Part 3

hours (average of 16 hours per month, 4 hours per week) they receive an Award of Excellence signed by the First Minister of the National Assembly.

Help and support is available to help youngpeople find volunteering opportunities andplacements that are interesting andchallenging. Many youth projects andorganisations offer Millennium Volunteeropportunities.

Volunteers can claim some expenses, suchas travel to and from their placements,some childcare costs and in some caseslunch and refreshments.

This is a very successful volunteerprogramme with over 2000 young peoplehaving already completed their award.

Volunteer Centres

Volunteer Centres provide advice, guidanceand support in helping people find the rightvolunteering opportunity for them.

There is a volunteer centre in every localauthority area with links to organisationsand projects that offer volunteerplacements and they will have a list of the current opportunities.

For more information about opportunitiesand to find out where your nearestvolunteer centre is go to:

www.wcva.org.uk/volunteering

There are other plans in Wales for a young persons volunteering website(through the Russell Commission) that will help young people work out what they want to do, give links to availableopportunities and let people know what to expect from volunteering.

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Summer ProgrammeCity and County of Swansea Youth Service

3.7 Accreditation along the way

There are a number of opportunities foryoung people to gain accreditation fromtheir involvement in youth work, recognisingtheir learning and achievements.

These schemes can be extremely useful,providing a structure to their engagementthat is not only enjoyable, but challenges theircapabilities and help the individual to becomemore self-aware.

Participation becomes more meaningful when there is recognition for a young person’s achievements and developing skills,increasing their self-esteem and confidence.The commitment required to complete anaccredited scheme or award is recognised byemployers and improves the prospects foryoung people.

Accreditation is achieved at the end of ascheme or programme, completed at a pacethat is comfortable to the individual andthrough a series of activities and actions that they have chosen to carry out. Thesepersonal development schemes and awardscan be a good starting point for potentialyouth workers requiring perseverance,commitment and developing a number ofvaluable skills through their participation.

There are many examples including YouthAchievement Awards, Duke of Edinburgh’sAwards, Guiding and Scouting Awards,Mencap Gateway Award, Princes Trust, theFairbridge Programme and Weston Spirit.Additional details of some of these are to be found in Appendix 6.


Welsh Deaf Youth Forum

Deaf Association Wales

“Thanks Sam It was all amazing. I had a great week and had lots of funwith all the staff andthe other youngpeople who went.”


Part 3

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3.8 Youth work as a paid career

There are opportunities for youth workers in a number of settings both within the Local Authorities and within voluntarysector. Within Local Authoritiesopportunities exist not only in the youthservice but also in social servicesdepartments, the health service, schools,within alternative curriculum provisionsand the leisure industries. The voluntarysector offers a range of youth work optionsfrom charities that work directly withyoung people through to specific interestgroups, housing associations and shelters, and youth mentoring, for example.

For more details about terms andconditions of service and pay scales foryouth workers in your area, go to the LocalAuthority website and look under theemployment sections or contact the CYWU(Community and Youth Worker’s Union).Contacts can be found in Appendix 3 withmore information on pay scales andconditions of service in Appendix 4.

Supporting Community Diversity

UNA Exchange, Merthyr Tydfil

3.9 Youth work as an unpaid career

Youth workers may choose to undertakeyouth work in a voluntary capacitymotivated by their interest in young peopleand a commitment to an issue or particularorganisation. This could be on a full time orpart time basis. Working as a volunteer youthworker requires the same skills as a paidyouth worker and there is an expectationthat the youth work intervention is of a high professional standard irrespective of whether people are paid or unpaid.

Organisations such as Guides, Scouts, St John’s Ambulance, Boys Brigade and some faith based organisations are almostentirely made up of volunteer workers. Some paid staff undertake functions such as administration, support for volunteers or some development activities such asrecruiting adult volunteers. The volunteers,who can be of all ages, are usually communitymembers and may have paid employmentelsewhere, or other commitments orcircumstances that define when, where and how youth work happens.

Good practice demands that unpaidvoluntary youth workers should also haveconditions of service and should expect that the context in which they work is of an equivalent standard to paid work. Someorganisations have volunteer contracts and others handbooks and prescribed situations

through which volunteers interact withyoung people. Training, support andsupervision is also an expectation and someorganisations may support with out ofpocket expenses in some circumstances.

Some organisations recruit volunteersformally similar to paid employment andothers become involved in less formal ways.There should be recruitment and inductionpolicies that ensure appropriate positions for suitable volunteers.

Child safeguarding is also a priority andorganisations will have policies that requirecriminal records checks and training in healthand safety and child protection.

Further information on good practice involunteering is available from WCVA andfurther information on organisations tocontact is in Appendix 3.


The Big Eye Arts Workshop

Monmouthshire


Part 3

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3.10 Careers Advice

Careers Wales is the national brand for all age careers guidance and informationservices in Wales. Careers Wales’ servicesare FREE to anyone living and working inWales. Advice on accessing youth work as a career and courses offering youth worktraining can also be accessed.

Careers Wales services for young people include:

• Free impartial, accurate, up to datecareers information, advice and guidance

• Help with choosing and applying forcourses, jobs and training

• Working with schools, colleges andemployers to arrange work experienceplacements, industry and enterprise days

• Specialist support for those withadditional needs

• A vacancy and placement service for young people looking for jobs,apprenticeships training.

Any young person in Wales can access this online interactive service atwww.careerswales.com/www.gyrfacymru.com,providing they have a computer linked tothe Internet. This might be at a careerscentre (all Careers Wales 80+ centres havepublic access machines which are free touse) at home, in a public library, youthcentre or other community venue.

The main features of the site include:

• Career Ideas – a careers informationdatabase of over 600 different careers and careers related information (includingyouth work) and a simple career ideasgenerator based on answers to a careersquiz on skills, interests and abilities.

• CV, application and planning wizards

• An e-portfolio or online progress file in which individuals can store documentssuch as CVs, applications andachievements which can be added to throughout their lives.

Youth Information ServiceNewport City Council – Youth and Community Service

“Thanks Sam Me and my friendsknow that if we everneed advice onanything, there’s always someone there to help us.”

• Interactive exercises, games and quizzeswhich help individuals assess their skillsand abilities and help them prepare forjob interviews etc.

• Case studies / job profiles of peopledoing different jobs in Wales (includingyouth work)

• The Learning Choices database ofcourses and training opportunities inWales – including youth work courses

• Weblinks – a directory of careers relatedwebsites which includes links toprofessional bodies and their careersinformation resources which areincreasingly being provided online.

Careers Wales Advisers work in everyschool and college in Wales. Young peoplein Year 9 and 11 will automatically beoffered an interview but young people canask to see their Careers Adviser at any time.

Careers Wales has a network of over 80 full and part time centres across Wales andmobile units operate in some areas of ruralmid Wales. Details of careers centres can be found on www.careerswales.com/www.gyrfacymru.com

For the learndirect helpline managed and run by Careers Wales call free on 0800 100 900.


Chill Down Room ProjectVale of Glamorgan YouthService, Llantwit Major

Grime Busters (Bodringallt Youth Centre)

RCT County Borough Council, Ystrad,

Rhondda Cynon Taff


Part 3

3.11 How to find outabout jobs in youth work

Employment and some specificvolunteering opportunities can be found in the local press; youth work magazines,such as Children and Young People Now’;www.cypnow.co.uk, Youth Work Now,www.youthworknow.co.uk, Big Issue Cymru,www.goodmoves.org.uk; jobs websites; and the Local Authority websites and local magazines.

It may be worth contacting the LocalAuthority Principal Youth Officer for more information. The County VoluntaryCouncils also have job adverts in their local magazines and bulletins and on their websites.

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Y.I.K.E.S TVBridgend County Youth Service

“Thanks Sam I’ve really enjoyed making films and I’velearnt so much about what it takes to makedocumentaries and music videos.”

3.12 How to get funding for training

Most organisations that involve volunteers,support with free training that is paid forby the organisation or through grants.Occasionally participants are asked for acontribution and may also be expected topay for their own transport. This reallydepends on the organisation and underwhat circumstances the young people areattending. Out of pocket expenses may bepaid in some circumstances but there arelegal restrictions such as the tax laws thatinfluence what can be paid. There is also anissue about payments for those claimingbenefits and regulations about availabilityfor work. It is best to check with the BenefitsOffice or contact the local volunteer centrefor more information. (Appendix 3)

There may also be special schemes forvolunteering abroad that include board and lodging and it may be useful to checkthis with the local volunteer centre ororganisations that support overseesvolunteering.

If you are in employment as a youthworker then the employer may have abudget to support training and it would be a question of negotiating this. Theemployer may also support with dayrelease or pay fees for college courses.

The Local Authorities run free traininginitial courses for youth work and localinformation can be found through the local Principal Youth Officer (contacts inAppendix 3). They may also be prepared to support some further and highereducation costs but this will depend on demand and the area.

For those that want to go on to do degreesfull time then a University application isnecessary and funding would be the sameas other University students through loans,part time work, family support and otherbenefits according to need.


'Inspire' youth work in hospital

Wrexham County Borough Council


Part 3

3.13 Information on Safeguarding

The safety of children and young people is of paramount importance in youth workorganisations. Additionally, those who work in organisations can also expect a safe working environment where they arealso protected.

To ensure safety all organisations shouldhave a series of policies that are live andupdated regularly. They include recruitment,child protection and health and safety andwhistle blowing.

Organisations will have procedures in placeto undertake criminal record checks (calledDisclosures) on all paid and unpaid staffthat have regular contact with children andyoung people. There are definitions of thetype of contact and different types ofchecks accordingly. Applicants for posts,paid and unpaid and for young people over18 (or sometimes 16) will be required tohave Disclosure and organisations haveprocedures in place to obtain them. Thepresence of a criminal record does notnecessarily exclude people working, unlessthe disclosure identifies something thatputs children and young people are at risk, or that person is on a barred list.Organisations should have policy on thisissue and what their guidelines contain.

At the time of writing the IndependentSafeguarding Authority (ISA) is beingestablished to set up a vetting and barringscheme following legislation after theBichard enquiry in to the Soham murders.This scheme will register all people workingwith children and vulnerable adults underdefined circumstances and bar any that it does not consider suitable. It will becompulsory for organisations to check iftheir workforce is ISA registered and anoffence to engage anyone who is barred.

Organisations should also have in placepolicies about what to do if a young persondiscloses any information about theircircumstances which should be acted upon for their safety.

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Dreamcatcher ProjectMomouthshire Youth Service

youth work resource pack - part 3€¦ · groups of larger voluntary youth organisations. it is...

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