Issues discussed at previous meetings of the South Wales Children's Rights Practice Exchange Group

January 2009: The Forgotten Few

Getting the message out there – children and young people need to know how to access their rights. This session identifies children and young people who are often in need of extra support and find themselves in situations out of their control.

The main focus of the practice exchange day is to share best practice, time for networking after presentations and discussion on how practitioners can instigate change.

1. Presentations:

UNCRC – Committee on the Rights of the Child Gareth Jones from the Children’s Commissioner’s Office provided a summary of the concluding observations report from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child  – what are the recommendations and how, in respect to knowing and accessing rights, can we achieve them?

The presentation raised some issues of concern one of which being – is the message on Children’s Rights getting out there?  Participants of the meeting were asked ‘who, back at your local areas and places of work, has had any notification or discussion about the concluding observations of the report of the Committee on the Rights of the Child?’  It appeared that no one had received any feedback from Partnerships or workplaces! Gareth was to feed this information back to the UNCRC Monitoring group.

NYAS Caerphilly: Emma Phipps-Magill and Alyson Sefton, shared their successes in Caerphilly County Borough Council, reaping the benefits of having a dedicated Disability Development Worker. The session explored new tools and techniques that are making a difference in engaging with children with communication needs.

Voices from Care facilitated a workshop; Participants were split into groups to discuss and share ideas around what is needed to build a bridge from exclusion to inclusion.  The groups shared some common indicators; info sharing protocol, commitment and collective responsibility, resources, knowledge and understanding, accessibility and reflection and evaluation.

NYAS Blaenau Gwent: Emma Summerill previewed the DVD Looked After Children in Blaenau Gwent have played a part in creating. The DVD certainly hit the spot bringing home to the audience the emotions children and young people experience when leaving their homes and families.

2. Evaluation: The practice exchange was well received with positive feedback from the 16 participants; a synopsis of the evaluation can be viewed here.

3. Networking: Attendees completed an Information Exchange Sheet that asked them to share ‘What they were upto at the moment?’ and ‘What do you need?’ with contact details.  These were available for sharing on the day and have since been written up and can be viewed here. This will help members to continue to network and support each other after the meeting.

 

October 2008: An Assortment of Anti Bullying Know How!

An opportunity to find out how to tackle bullying. The Practice Exchange promoted Anti Bullying week in advance, preparing delegates with some top tips that may help introduce and sustain a bully free setting.

1. Presentations: A number of anti bullying best practice examples were introduced to the network.

• Anti Bullying Policy & Best Practice – Rachel Beddoe, Cardiff Against Bullying.
• Glan Afan Comprehensive School – Five young people from the school presented their peer listening scheme, which is supported by the Bullies Out programme.
• Bee frienders – 12 week friendship programme.  Delivered by Caroline Warren and Sarah Hooke of Barnardo’s Swansea Children Matter Team.
• Community Focused Schools – Samantha Chamberlain of Gartholwg CFS Cluster, shared her work on the Welsh Language Anti Bullying Project.
• Challenging Bullying – Gill Grandon Head Teacher at Markham Primary School distributed a very useful package of anti-bullying materials.  Markham Primary school in Caerphilly have developed a resource that originated from targets within Healthy Schools Initiative and progressed into a file of useful tools and practices that are transferable to schools across the board. 
• Dr. Emily Lovegrove, specialist in anti bullying techniques, delivered a thought provoking session followed by small group discussion on perceptions on what is bullying and gaps or issues that need to be identified.

The discussion raised a number of points.  This is what you had to say:

• Members identified issues around bullying that originates in the community but still affects the child in school – there should be a community approach involving community police.
• There is often conflicting advice or possibly too much advice!
• Bullying often affects attendance at school and there are social/emotional implications – teachers should receive social/emotional training.
• There needs to be a child centred approach.  Often children and young people involved with Social Services who experience bullying will have further issues that need addressing.
• Even when there are programmes/support mechanisms in place referrals are not made.
• There is insufficient emphasis put on monitoring of incidents.

Members identified some resources that may be helpful:

• Help! I’m being bullied – 10 practical strategies to stop bullying for kids and adults (ISBN 1905170343) by Dr Emily Lovegrove
• Unicef Rights Respecting Schools Award - This new nationwide award scheme promotes the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as the basis for enhancing teaching, learning, ethos, attitudes and behaviour.
• R time - a structured programme for schools that develops positive relationships between children. It does this by creating an environment that supports and enhances good manners, attainment, and citizenship. 
• Clybiau Plant Cymru Kid’s Clubs Wales offer training called Hop, Skip and Jump.  Hop, Skip and Jump focuses on supervising and supporting children and young people during lunchtime, breaks and playground activity. 
• Respecting Others: Anti Bullying Guidance
• Anti Bullying self assessment toolkit 

2. Evaluation: The practice exchange was well received with positive feedback from all 45 participants; a synopsis of the evaluation can be viewed here.

3. Networking: Attendees completed an Information Exchange Sheet that asked them to share ‘What they were upto at the moment?’ and ‘What do you need?’ with contact details.  These were available for sharing on the day and have since been written up and can be viewed here. This will help members to continue to network and support each other after the meeting. 

July 2008:

1. Mental Health and Young People: Sally Jenkins, Assistant Director of Children’s Services, Barnardo’s Cymru delivered a presentation and subsequent discussion on the recently published Policy and Practice Briefing on Mental Health Provision for 16 and 17 year olds in Wales. Downloads available: Briefing Paper and Presentation

After the presentation and discussion the participants were split into small groups to consider a case study.

2. Evaluation: The practice exchange was well received with positive feedback from all 27 participants; a synopsis of the evaluation can be viewed here.

3. Networking: Attendees completed an Information Exchange Sheet that asked them to share ‘What they were up to at the moment?’ and ‘What do you need?’ with contact details.  These were available for sharing on the day and have since been written up and can be viewed here. This will help members to continue to network and support each other after the meeting.

Contact details of those who attended are available here. 

April 2008

1. School Exclusions: Official and Unofficial - Peter Hosking, Policy Officer at the Children’s Commissioner for Wales Office delivered a presentation discussing school exclusion.
2. Review - The Children’s Commissioners Office has also published a ‘Report following investigation into unofficial school exclusions’ which can be downloaded from the Children’s Commissioner’s website.

     Comments: The presentation encouraged some debate and raised issues and concerns within this area. Comments recorded on the day include:

• Do Looked After Children know they have a designated teacher?  Do the teachers, social workers know this?  Is this a bureaucratic role or a role the child can go to for help?
• When children are excluded, why can’t services such as Social Inclusion claim the money designated to that child to support that child after the 15 days?

         Evaluation: The practice exchange was well received with positive feedback from all 24 participants, a synopsis of which can be viewed here

    3.   Networking: Attendees completed an Information Exchange Sheet that asked them to share ‘What they were upto at the moment?’ and ‘What do you need?’ with contact details.  These were available for sharing on the day and have since been written up and can be viewed here:  The purpose of this is to follow up after the meeting with anyone who you may feel can help you with a piece of work or vice versa.

January 2008

1.  Funky Dragon

    2.  Why do peoples ages go up not down?

    3.  Children & Young People in Wales ~ The Policy Context

    4.  The Partnership Support Unit Purpose and Programme

    5.  Review of the Meeting of 15 January 2008

 

Autumn 2006

1. Funky Dragon – UNCRC Children’s Report
   As part of the Monitoring Process for the UNCRC, Funky Dragon presented information about their plans for a young people's independent UNCRC report.

2. Pyramid Trust Cymru – Building Friendships, Creating Confidence
   A presentation outlining the work of Pyramid Trust Cymru and opportunity to learn more of their role and the target group of children/YP they aim to work with.

3. CLIC – Young People’s Information service
   

Summer 2006

1. The Group provided comments in respect of the draft consultation 'Good Practice Guide for Children: Young People's Participation'

2. Care Standards Inspectorate Wales delivered a presentation of their developing participation agenda with children and young people.

Spring 2006

1. Presentation by NSPCC Cymru on child protection and children’s rights, linking the discussion with the key recommendations contained within the recent publication ‘Righting the Wrongs: The Reality of Children’s Rights in Wales’
2. Presentation by the Care Council for Wales on their current consultation seeking to involve service users and carers in the work of the organisation.

Winter 2005

1. Presentation and workshop session by the End Child Poverty Network Cymru.
2. Discussion on Advocacy and Participation.

Autumn 2005

1. Workshop session led by the Advocacy in Somerset project on advocacy and mental health with the introduction to a recently developed resource - the ‘Headspace Toolkit’ (a self advocacy and rights toolkit for young people)
2. Presentation by Funky Dragon, the children and young people’s assembly for Wales

Summer 2005

1. ‘Children Don’t Complain….’ Presentation by the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ Policy and Evaluation team
2. A presentation on children and young people’s consultation and engagement (Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ Communications Team)

Spring 2005

1. Presentations by Participation Unit on ‘Participation in Wales’
2. Presentation by Children’s Rights Merthyr Tydfil (Tros Gynnal) on Merthyr Tydfil’s Participation Toolkit and Strategy

Winter 2004

1. Presentation by Victim Support Wales
2. Presentation by Spurgeon's Advocacy
3. UNCRC Monitoring ‘How can we apply a rights based approach to our work'’

Autumn 2004

1. BAAF Cymru – Adoption and Children Act 2004
2. Save the Children – UNCRC Monitoring

Summer 2004

1. Canllaw On-line – overview of services for Children and young people
2. Stonewall Cymru – Overview of their work in relation to the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people
3. Electoral Commission – overview of Outreach Programme

Spring 2004

1. Children are Unbeatable Cymru – presentation of the CAU campaign and current legislation around ‘resonable chastisement’
2. Children’s Rights Unit (Neath Port Talbot) – overview of proposals to establish a one-stop shop in Neath

Archive sessions include:

Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 (speaker: NACRO Cymru)

1. Advocacy Service providers
2. Peer Education (Speaker: Youthlink Wales)