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

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

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

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