• The future of advocacy services

• Help at Hand Toolkit

• WorldForum 2008

www.childreninwales.org.uk

Children in WalesPlant yng Nghymru

How are we supporting our Young Carers at School?

ISSUE 26 - Spring 2008

Speaking with One Voice

ISSN 1477-318X

Children in Wales

Also featuring

• Disabled Children Matter Campaign Update

• Members Pages

• Policy News

Interview - Jane Hutt, Minister for Children

What is the future of Advocacy Services in Wales?Advocacy services play a vital role in enabling children and young people to have their voices heard through advocates who speak up for them about their problems. Advocacy services are currently commissioned by individual local authorities in Wales, but the Welsh Assembly Government has been considering how services should be commissioned and regulated in the future. Last summer they consulted on a new service model, consisting of partnerships involving a number of local authority areas, collaborating for the commissioning of advocacy services. A summary of the consultation responses, and a statement by the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, Jane Hutt, on children’s advocacy services were published in December 2007. In her statement the Minister explained that she wanted to establish, within the Assembly, a new advocacy development and

performance unit, which would develop the national service, establish an independent scrutiny board, and provide a strategic framework and leadership for implementing advocacy nationally and locally. The responsibility for the commissioning of advocacy services would be transferred to the children and young people’s partnerships. Services would be regulated and inspected by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales, with advocates who offer the more specialist services registered with the Care Council for Wales.

The recently established National Assembly for Wales’ Children and Young People’s Committee decided to consider the Welsh Assembly Government’s proposals to deliver advocacy services as its first inquiry. Children in Wales gave evidence to that inquiry in December and highlighted some of the concerns raised by our members during the consultation last year. These included the huge variation in advocacy services across different local authorities and a lack of awareness of them among young people, parents, families and a great deal of professionals. We are particularly concerned about the independence of advocacy services, an

issue that has been raised previously by the Children’s

Commissioner’s report on advocacy services,

the Carlile report and the Waterhouse

report. During the consultation some of our members

expressed concerns that as local authorities control the funds to commission the services whistleblowing could be stifled and providers may be feel inhibited to challenge. We feel that the commissioning process should be

brought into a unit made up of a panel of key stakeholders, including children and young people, and representatives of the local authority, the third sector and the commissioners, so that a whole range of professionals and children and young people have ownership and engagement with the commissioning process.

For more information contact Sean O’Neill, Policy Director, E-mail: sean.oneill@childreninwales.org.uk

News from Children in Wales www.childreninwales.org.uk

Children in Wales

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Tel: 029 2034 2434 Fax: 029 2034 3134 E-mail: info@childreninwales.org.uk www.childreninwales.org.uk

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Children in Wales. We reserve the right to edit for publication. Registered Charity No: 1020303 Company Reg No: 2805996Design/Cynllun: Cactus Design Ltd www.cactusdesignltd.co.uk

Children in Wales welcomes appointment of new Children’s Commissioner for WalesChildren in Wales welcomes the appointment of Keith Towler as the new Children’s Commissioner for Wales. The Commissioner is an independent advocate for children and young people, promoting and supporting their welfare. Mr Towler was appointed as the new Children’s Commissioner following the sad and untimely death of Wales’ first Children’s Commissioner, Peter Clarke, in January last year. Mr Towler is well known and respected within the children’s sector in Wales and previously worked as Programme Director for Save the Children in Wales and Director of Crime Reduction for Nacro. He was a member of Children in Wales’ trustee board until he took up his new post.

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News from Children in Wales

Each year the International Forum for Child Welfare IFCW (www.ifcw.org) holds an international conference known as the WorldForum, which is co-hosted by one of its member organisations. The 19th WorldForum is being held in Cardiff from the 29th September to the 1st October 2008 and is being co-hosted by Children in Wales. The broad theme will be ‘Early Intervention and Prevention’.

The conference will serve as a forum to share good practice, emergent research

and evidence about promising approaches in this field. It will provide delegates with the opportunity to explore new ideas and research that might help them develop their own practice/policy. It will also enable child welfare organisations, and other relevant bodies to establish contact and build peer relationships.

Contributions are encouraged from practitioners and academics in a range of disciplines including health, mental health, education, social services, social policy,

voluntary sector and others. Contributions are encouraged from developing countries as well as advanced economies. For further information visit www.worldforum2008.org or contact Lucy Akhtar at Children in Wales at worldforum@childreninwales.org.uk

Spring 2008

Guidelines for Working with FathersChildren in Wales has been commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government to produce guidelines for working with fathers in Flying Start Areas. Flying Start is the Welsh Assembly Government’s programme promoting high quality early years services for 0 to 3 year olds in disadvantaged areas. The guidelines are intended to support the practice of those working with fathers and other male carers. They are to be developed as good practice guidelines with examples from projects in Wales. The first stage in the process of producing the guidelines has been to carry out a literature review and this was published in January 2008 and is available on the Children in Wales website: www.childreninwales.org.uk/publications . Visits to projects are currently underway and a consultation on the first draft of the guidelines is due to be carried out this Spring. For more information please contact: Tony Ivens, Fatherhood Development Officer, E-mail: tony.ivens@childreninwales.org.uk

Wales to Host WorldForum 2008

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Help at Hand - a toolkit to tackle physical punishmentChildren Are Unbeatable! in Wales launched their toolkit “Help at Hand” in March.

“Help at Hand” provides a comprehensive guide to looking at the issues surrounding the physical punishment of children, and includes:

• Resources - a guide to resources, such as leaflets, parenting packs and websites that deal with issues of physical punishment. Each resource is graded on a 5-point system, according to how useful it is

• Activities - a series of activities that can be used in group work, presentations and with individuals to consider physical punishment

• Information sheets - brief digests of significant facts, figures and suggestions in the work of outlawing the physical punishment of children

• Modules - suggestions about which materials are best to use for various groups, such as parents, children, young people, students, professionals and policy makers

Topics covered include: positive, non-violent parenting; why it is important to change the law as well as change parenting styles; children’s rights and physical punishment; the historical, social and international context and physical punishment in the context of faith and culture.

This toolkit promises to be a valuable resource for anyone who wishes to look at this issue in both the work or home context. More information is available on the Children in Wales website at: www.childreninwales.org.uk/areasofwork/endingphysicalpunishment/childrenareunbeatable

The Disabled Children Matter Wales

campaign was launched in September

2007 to promote the rights of disabled

children in Wales. Children in Wales is

one of the co-ordinators of the campaign

together with Contact a Family, Learning

Disability Wales and Mencap Cymru.

In the last few months disabled children

and young people themselves have been

playing an active role in the campaign. A

group of disabled young people visited

the Assembly in November to hear a

verbal statement by Jane Hutt, Minister

for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning

and Skills on the implementation of

recommendations from the report by

the Equality of Opportunity Committee

entitled “Why are disabled young people

always left until last?” The young people

met with AMs and Ministers and also gave

media interviews where they welcomed

the Assembly Government’s commitment

to improving services for disabled children

and young people. They stressed that these

commitments must now be delivered upon.

The Minister issued a statement on the

Disabled Children Matter campaign in

December 2007 and in this she stated

that the Welsh Assembly Government is

determined to improve service delivery for

disabled young people and announced the

establishment of a task group made up of

members of the Disabled Children Matter

Wales campaign and senior Assembly

Government officials to advise her on

prioritising services for disabled children.

News from the Young Disabled Persons’ Network:Training for Trainers

Young people from the Young Disabled Persons’ Network are being trained to provide Disability Equality Training. One day training sessions are being provided by Learning Disability Wales to help young people between 16 and 25 years become more aware of disability rights and support them in starting the process of becoming disability awareness trainers. Learning Disability Wales is also working with CWVYS (the Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services) and the YMCA College to explore the possibility of running a longer accredited course, which will enable the young people to become qualified Disability Equality trainers.

Members of the Young Disabled Persons’ Network will also be involved in participation training courses run by Save the Children. The courses will enable them to get Youth Achievement Awards and become participation trainers.

Jobs Congress

The Young Disabled Persons’ Network is planning a Jobs Congress to enable young people from the network to find out more about different job opportunities available to them. The Network is looking for partners who would like to work with it on this.

To get involved or for more information about any aspect of the Network contact: David Baker at Children in Wales’ Caernarfon Office, Tel: 01286 677570 E-mail: david.baker@childreninwales.org.uk

News from Children in Wales - Disability www.childreninwales.org.uk

Disabled Children Matter Wales Campaign Update

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On 11 April 2008 Children in Wales will be holding an early years conference focusing on issues for disabled children, entitled “Working Together From the Start”. Children in Wales has decided to host a conference on this subject as when children have additional learning needs or are disabled, it is important that these are identified at an early stage. It is also important that the identification leads to early intervention and support for the child and their family. This early diagnosis and intervention

strengthens the ability of families to provide support for their child

and improves outcomes for the whole family. The Conference will

not only look at these issues but it will also consider the priorities

for service development and delivery and support for families.

For more information contact Cath Lewis, Development Officer at

Children in Wales, Tel: 029 2034 2434, E-mail: catherine.lewis@

childreninwales.org.uk

Conference on Early Years and Disability

Preventing Social Exclusion of Children and Young People in Europe

Spring Party Conferences

New post to improve Child Protection Practice within Refugee Organisations

A new Development Officer post, designed to improve child protection practice within the Welsh Refugee Council and Refugee Community organisations in Wales, has been created at Children in Wales. The new Development Officer: Child Protection Policy and Advice will provide specialist knowledge in this area and will develop key links and improved partnership working with both statutory agencies and the refugee sector. This work should enable children and young people to have an increased and improved level of protection so that they can articulate their rights more easily in relation to their own safety. The post is to be managed jointly by Children in Wales and the Welsh Refugee Council and the new Development Officer is due to begin work later in the Spring.

News from Children in Wales

RESEARCHChild Protection Research ProgrammeCardiff University is at the forefront of a research project to provide information on patterns of bruising in children, which arise in different contexts. Ageing of bruising has historically been based on an assessment of colour with the naked eye, however, studies have shown that this may not be very accurate.

The research project, ‘Protect’, is based upon a large prospective comparative study of bruising in children. The study compares the prevalence, distribution, size and pattern of bruising in children who have been abused, those who have sustained bruising from every day activity and those with coagulation disorders. The research team aim to develop standardised digital photographic, image colorimetric

techniques to record the appearance of a bruise. These techniques will be used to explore the evolution of bruises over time to address some of the forensic questions about the age of a bruise, its cause and resultant bruise pattern. In addition the team will explore whether DNA analysis has the potential to identify the perpetrator of an intentional bruise. The programme is aimed to increase substantially the evidence base for clinicians making decisions and giving evidence about bruising in physical abuse.

‘Protect’ is building upon the rolling programme of a systematic review of the world literature. This can be viewed at: www.core-inf.cf.ac.uk

Spring 2008

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The North Wales Voluntary Organisations Support Group met in January 2008. The group provides a forum for managers of voluntary organisations in North Wales to meet and exchange information and good practice. The meeting included a presentation on the Communities Investment Fund by WCVA and a presentation on the work of RNID Cymru in North Wales. The group is due to meet on the 22nd April 2008 at Glasdir, Llanrwst where they will discuss a number of issues and hear a presentation on the Common Assessment Framework. For more information contact: Allison Hughes, in our Caernarfon Office, Tel: 01286 677570, E-mail: Allison.Hughes@childreninwales.org.uk

North Wales Voluntary Organisations Support Group

The End Child Poverty network hosted

by Children in Wales has been holding

a series of fringe events at the Spring

Party Conferences in Llandudno.

The events focused on child poverty

and education. They provided an

opportunity for delegates at the

conference to discuss some of the

key issues and the recently published

Citizens Advice Bureau report on local

authority school uniform grants.

Children in Wales hosts the Children and Young People’s Research Network for Wales. This research programme is part of the network’s research portfolio. For more information about the Network contact: kate.evans@childreninwales.org.uk

Nearly 200 delegates from 28 countries

came together in Malta during

November 2007 to discuss “Preventing

social exclusion of children and young

people in Europe: participation and

early intervention.” Organised by

Eurochild, the conference aimed to

provide a platform for exchange and

discussion by professionals from across

Europe. The conference focussed on

three core themes, Child and Youth

Participation, Family and Parenting

Support and Early Years Education and

Care. Delegates were provided with

perspectives from countries such as

Sweden and Bulgaria and Children in

Wales were invited to present at one of

the workshops, entitled “Engaging with

Hard to Reach Families”. The workshop

stimulated some lively debate.

Interview with Jane Hutt

Interview www.childreninwales.org.uk

Jane Hutt, Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, spoke to Children in Wales Magazine in January 2008 about her achievements and priorities.

In Children in Wales’ document “A Wales Fit for Children”, launched in May last year, we called for a strengthening of the role of the Minister for Children. Do you feel your post has achieved that?

Yes I definitely think it has achieved that. It does achieve it because I am the Minister for Children, as well as Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills. I continue to Chair the Cabinet Committee for Children and Young People, which of course is the coordinating vehicle for all Ministerial efforts in terms of children’s policy and impact. I believe that this strengthens the role which I had previously as Minister for Children. Now as a portfolio holder with a substantial budget I believe that the post has been fully strengthened.

What do you see as the Assembly’s greatest achievement with respect to children and young people during its first two terms?

Well of course it is difficult to isolate one or two achievements but I think the main achievement in terms of policy has to be that we have a rights based policy agenda for children and young people. I think that Rights to Action and our Seven Core Aims for children and young people are something quite distinctive and new for Wales and for government. I would isolate securing the legislative basis and the appointment of the first Children’s Commissioner in the UK, as being a main demonstration of that policy. Also the first Play Policy in the UK was distinctive, and the Foundation Phase is going to have a powerful impact on the opportunities for children and young people.

What are your top three priorities for children and young people during this term?

Well it does go back to actual delivery, because we have got the policies, Rights to Action and the Seven Core Aims and the joined up delivery for 0 to 25 year olds. We have to deliver on those. But it is not just the Assembly Government, it is ensuring that our partners deliver on those as well. So I would say one of my top priorities is to deliver on Rights to Action using the Children and Young People’s Partnership as a local delivery vehicle and making full use of the Children Act, because the Children Act 2004 does also steer the direction in terms of delivery locally.

I suppose I am particularly conscious in terms of the second main objective that we deliver on early years. This means that Flying Start, for 0 to 3 year olds, and the Foundation Phase are properly funded, supported, backed and rolled out. My main objective, in terms of difficult budget negotiations with a tough comprehensive spending review, was to secure that commitment for early years - knowing that, if we get that right, it is probably the biggest commitment in terms of achieving social justice and equality of opportunity not just for children and young people but impacting on their families and communities.

I suppose thirdly, in the last few weeks of my role in particular, I have been very concerned to ensure that we do deliver on the Disabled Children Matter Campaign - in terms of ensuring that what we laid out in the National Service Framework for Children and Young People actually does deliver substantively on the rights and needs of disabled children and young people. I think that my role of Minister for Children will be very pivotal in taking that forward and I am now working with a group from the Disabled Children Matter Campaign to ensure that we deliver on the policies for Wales.

Last November saw the 18th birthday of the UNCRC. What does the Minister feel are the main benefits an what challenges lie ahead with its implementation in Wales?

Well the Convention is what has underpinned our rights based policy and Seven Core Aims, and I think particularly working with the NGOs in relation to delivering on the UNCRC has been a distinctive relationship that we have developed in Wales. I think that Article 42 is critical in terms of ensuring that children and young people are aware of their rights. So I think that the challenges that lie ahead go back to delivery and monitoring and helping others use the UNCRC as a guide to the rights based agenda. I want to see it spreading to other organisations so that local authorities, schools and the health service all see the UNCRC as a useful vehicle for policy development and delivery. The UNCRC monitoring group has a very valuable ongoing role to play and I would hope that it would continue in terms of taking forward where we go from now in terms of implementing the charter.

Children in Wales is concerned about the media portrayal of young people. What do you feel is your role with respect to this and what action is planned to inform and educate those responsible for the misrepresentation of young people?

Well this is something where I do feel we have a responsibility as Ministers and politicians to challenge negative portrayals by the media of children and young people. I am fortunate in my role of constantly seeing and admiring the extraordinary contribution of children and young people living in Wales, in terms of their value base, their outlook on life, their enthusiasm, and their respect. They therefore must have our respect. I think that is the real challenge. Let’s admire and recognise what they have achieved. It is a difficult balance because it is hard

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to trust politicians and children and young people rightly should look, and do look, to the independence of the Children’s Commissioner as someone who should speak up for them. I think that is going to be a key role for the new Children’s Commissioner, Keith Towler. I think what we as Ministers and politicians have got to prove to children and young people, and therefore to the media, is that our recognition and respect for them, their contribution, their aspirations and the difficulties that they face in their daily lives are something which should require positive and sympathetic media portrayal at every possible point.

Should young people be allowed to vote at 16? If yes what action will the Minister be taking to help ensure that entitlement to vote is extended?

I think that is definitely an issue. I feel that that is a useful debating point for children and young people. I have a lot of visits from children and young people to the Assembly and I often ask them what they think about it. My main responsibility, because it is not a power that we have got anyway, is to try to engage and enthuse children and young people in participating in their communities and education, and then ultimately in wider democracy. So that could lead to a consideration of lowering the voting age to 16. I think my role, and that of the Welsh Assembly Government through making schools councils a statutory requirement, is paving the way for a much more vigorous participation and enabling young people to value their entitlement. I worry enormously that we have such a poor record in terms of voting for the 18 to 25 year olds. So at this moment I want to concentrate on the powers and opportunities that we have got to engage with children and young people and certainly use this as a point for debate.

Free school meals are available to some, but not all children living in poverty. The Scottish Executive is piloting a programme of universal free school meals in some disadvantaged areas. Given your commitments to tackling child poverty and promoting healthy eating can we expect a similar programme here?

Well I think the whole provision of food in schools is key to an anti-poverty agenda. Clearly our free breakfast scheme is about promoting the opportunity for children to have a free healthy breakfast at the start of the day. It is a universal provision, which is important in terms of not attaching any kind of means testing. We are piloting Appetite for Life to make sure that we don’t just force change because we know that the take up of free school meals and schools meals in general in England has declined as a result of enforced change. We want to take children and young people with us. We have got an Appetite for Life Action Plan, which does link to the Child Poverty Network on non-take up of free school meal entitlement. I hope that we will learn from the rest of the UK, Scotland as well as England, in terms of the way they’ve introduced regulations, but I think at the moment, rolling out the free school breakfasts to children, Appetite for Life and

also more healthy food and drink in schools is the way forward.

With the new powers under the Government of Wales Act 2006 what expectations do you have of influencing the UK Government on reserved matters such as abolishing the physical chastisement of children and youth justice?

It is early days in terms of new powers. We have already taken forward two legislative competence orders, one on additional learning needs and one on vulnerable children. At this stage we have to ensure that we get these legislative competence orders through Westminster. In relation to youth justice, though non-devolved, we have developed over the years, with the Youth Justice Board, a Welsh Youth Justice Strategy, which is very important in terms of our influence on the policy positions being considered in Westminster. Also we have a strong record in terms of physical punishment for children with the parenting strategy and finding ways that we can help parents to avoid using physical punishment. But I think as far as our powers are concerned what we have to do is ensure that we now pursue legislative competence for the important issues that we are responsible for.

InterviewSpring 2008

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Young Carers and Education

Special Feature www.childreninwales.org.uk

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Children in Wales has been commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government to carry out an evaluation of the Caring for Young Carers pack, intended to help schools identify and support young carers. The work was carried out by Lynn Williams, an Associate of Children in Wales, and in this article she describes some of the problems associated with the education of young carers and how they could be helped.

‘A young carer is someone who takes

responsibility for someone who is ill,

disabled, elderly, experiencing mental

distress or affected by substance use, or

has substantial responsibility for caring for

a sibling. A young carer could be from any

family. They may be the person providing

all of the care, but may also help someone

else to provide the care. Care is not only

the things people can see, like changing

bandages, helping someone to use the

toilet or have a wash, but it’s also about

how the young carer feels or thinks

because of their role.’

In 2004, the Welsh Assembly Government

produced a staff training resource, “Caring

for Young Carers, Raising awareness of

young carers’ issues”. It was developed

to raise awareness of young carers and

their needs within the school setting. The

pack went out to all schools in Wales with

a view to introducing it to all school staff.

The resource was developed as a result of

identified need following consultation with

young carers and young carers’ project

staff. It was hoped that the resource would

provide a greater understanding of the

needs of young carers and, in turn, allow a

much better learning experience for those

pupils with caring responsibilities.

It is now three years since the launch of the training resource and I am, at present, evaluating its success. As part of the process I have consulted with head teachers, education welfare officers, young carers’ project staff and many young carers of all ages. Young carers have welcomed the opportunity to talk about their experiences at school and the

sometimes difficult task of balancing their

education with their caring responsibilities.

The problems they have highlighted

include:

• Finding it difficult to get involved with

extra curriculum activities because they

have to get home to undertake their

Special FeatureSpring 2008

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Key issues concerning

Young Carers in WalesOn the 14th February 2008, five young carers, representing the Young Carers Network in Wales met with Gwenda Thomas, AM, Minister for Social Services to discuss the key issues concerning young carers in Wales and presented her with a report that was developed at the Network conference held in October 2007.

The issues raised by the group can be grouped under four main themes:

• Raising awareness, such as a young carers website and information packs for professionals

• Support for young carers, in school, from health visitors and

social workers, and in accessing training

• Better outside services, such as advice and information services, more involvement in planning and developing services

• Better young carers services, including one to one support, residential activities, more funding for services and support for young adult carers aged over 18

The young carers who attended were very pleased with the reception they received from the Minister, but are now waiting to see what the long-term response to their meeting will be.

other responsibilities and therefore feel that lunchtime activities would suit them best

• Finding it difficult to keep up with their homework. Young carers have suggested that they would welcome an innovative approach to providing alternative opportunities for homework to be completed in school. Unfinished homework has often resulted in after school detention, which again places more stress on the young carer because of their need to get home on time or to collect younger siblings from school

• Many young carers don’t want to be seen to be different and realise that detention is given as a result of inappropriate behaviour of some sort. Young carers say they are happy to do detention but at a time which fits in with their caring responsibilities eg, lunchtime

• Feeling isolated and as a result of the

lack of understanding from their peers,

some have experienced bullying both in

and outside school

• Finding it difficult to tell teachers about

their caring responsibilities for fear

of being treated differently from their

peers. They do realise however that

teachers can only help if they are

aware of the full situation and their

need for support

The case study identified in the resource

was based on the work being done in

Pen-y-Dre High School in Merthyr Tydfil

and undertaken by the local young carers’

service staff. Young carers had identified

in-school support as an area of concern

and, as a result, discussions between

Merthyr Young Carers Service Manager

and a teacher took place. The in-school

support group was initially piloted for

a period of one term and, following its

evaluation, became a permanent area of

support within the school. The support

group has continued to develop and has

provided a much needed resource for

pupils attending the school who have to

balance their education with their caring

responsibilities.

It is hoped that other schools will

incorporate some form of support for

young carers in order to help them achieve

their full potential, whilst balancing a

positive experience of education alongside

their caring responsibilities. Some young

carers don’t realise they are young

carers with specific needs and by raising

awareness among professionals these

needs can be identified.

One young carer wrote this short piece as part of a consultation event:

Schools and Young CarersYoung carers report to us that they are not understood by teachers in various schools. Young carers get tired and are unable to do homework because of problems at home. These problems get the children and young people into trouble in school. They do not understand fully because they cannot concentrate. This lack of concentration causes young people to get detention and they do not stand up for themselves because they are too shy or embarrassed to say. When these issues are addressed, there is no confidentiality between the young person and the teachers. This eventually causes children and young people to not attend school because teachers don’t understand that being a young carer can be very difficult at the best of times, without school worries to add to them. In conclusion teachers and schools need to KNOW more and understand.

Toy Libraries in Wales

Members’ Pages www.childreninwales.org.uk

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Toy libraries in Wales have been providing a range of services for well over twenty years and are a unique and very special collection of specialist providers. Toy librarians all work in slightly different ways, but the common denominator is toys, and even they can vary according to who the service is there to help. They work with children and young adults, parents and carers, and other service providers.

Toy libraries offer a place to play, a place to talk and share, and a place from which to borrow resources. They can also be a venue for training or focussed support, and nearly all offer a stigma-free place for people to come and access other support. They have an expertise in the play process and how toys add to it, stimulate it and enrich it. They are aware of the limitations of the word ‘toys’, and that to most children the distinction between something designed to play with may look just the same as a wooden spoon or a cardboard

tube. Toy libraries are able to gather, care for and share resources for play at little or no cost to the parent or child. There are toy libraries scattered all over Wales, from Llandudno to Barry, Wrexham to Swansea, all over Radnorshire and around Machynlleth. There are around 30 projects in Wales some of which are mobile projects, some are housed in libraries and some in Integrated Children’s Centres.

The National Association of Toy and Leisure Libraries/Play Matters in Wales is there to support member toy libraries and wants to see the new ones developed. To find out more contact them on: 029 2056 6333, E-mail: natll.wales@playmatters.co.uk The website www.natll.org.uk has a link to Wales and you can read the latest research on the role of toy libraries within Play Policy in Wales.

The Maze Advocacy Project is a specialist service for young people aged between six and 19 years in Cardiff and Somerset who are experiencing emotional distress. The project is a joint enterprise between the Welsh children’s rights charity, Tros Gynnal, and Advocacy in Somerset, a mental health advocacy service based in Taunton.

Young people with emotional health issues may be involved with a range of agencies or, alternatively, may have little support and be unsure how to access help and so may be feeling scared, confused or disempowered. The Maze Project can support young people to obtain information, access appropriate services and help them to speak up for themselves about a range of issues that may impact on their emotional health. The young people who access the Maze Project may be experiencing difficulties such as anxiety, depression, phobias, self harm, eating disorders or psychosis.

The Maze Project works with young people to help them express their views and get their voice heard. Young people are supported to identify the

issues that are important to them, understand what their options are and the possible outcomes of any action taken. Through the advocacy process, young people are empowered to participate in the decisions that impact on their lives. Advocates provide impartial information and this can be done in person, by phone, e-mail or post. Maze Advocates can support young people to express their views during meetings, by accompanying them to those meetings, or by helping them to prepare what they would like to say. The relationship between the advocate and young person is based on mutual trust, respect and honesty. Advocates support young people through decision making processes, but do not direct young people what to say. All services are free, independent and confidential.

The Maze Project accepts self-referrals or referrals from third parties as long as the young person has given consent. For further details contact the Cardiff Office: 029 2037 4479, email cardiff@mazeadvocacy.net or visit the website: www.mazeadvocacy.net

Maze Advocacy

New Member Profile – Child SafetySpring 2008

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NEW MEMBER PROFILE

Safer WalesSafer Wales was formed as Safer Cardiff in 1998. Its aim is that every member of the community should feel safe, and therefore confident, in every area of their lives. It started with a team of five staff but now has 40 paid staff plus numerous volunteers and has developed from Safer Cardiff into Safer Wales.

Safer Wales works by building strong multi-agency partnerships to create change, and new innovative projects. It manages 11 key community safety projects and supports victims of race or homophobic hate crime, attack and harassment, burglary, rape, domestic abuse, and prostitution.

It also combats the causes of crime and criminality, and works to change negative societal attitudes.

Safer Wales projects include a Women’s Safety Unit for the victims of Domestic Violence, a Street Life project which was established because of concerns about underage prostitution in Cardiff and the Looking Ahead Mentoring Project which supports young people being released from Parc Prison. The Restart youth inclusion project includes a youth centre, outreach service via a youth bus, and an anger management programme. Safer Wales also runs the “Say NO to Homophobia”

campaign which works with schools and businesses from across Wales. In addition to this Safer Wales carries out work to improve safety in the home. The ChildSafe projects aim to increase the appropriate use of fireguards and stair gates and the HomeSafe projects work to secure the homes of victims of crime including domestic abuse.

For more information about Safer Wales or any of its projects, contact: Simon Borja, HomeSafe Manager, Safer Wales, Tel: 029 20461564, E-mail: sb@saferwales.com www.saferwales.com

Would you like to profile your organisation’s work in Children in Wales Magazine? We are interested in hearing from members from all parts of Wales who would like to write about their work. For more information contact: Nell Warner, E-mail: nell.warner@childreninwales.org.uk

The Child Safety Action Plan project is

a large-scale initiative and its aim is to

develop government endorsed National

Child Safety Action Plans in countries in

Europe. The Action Plans enhance child

and adolescent safety by increasing

awareness of the accidental injury issues,

and by improving uptake of evidence based

prevention strategies by government,

industry, professionals and organisations

and families themselves. The initiative has

three main objectives:

• The creation of child safety report cards and profiles based on a set of indicators for every county

• A good practice guide for child safety highlighting evidenced strategies proven to reduce child and adolescent injury

• A Child Safety Action Plan development and mentoring processes to facilitate country partners in national plan development

Child Safety Action Plan development is underway in 18 countries, led by an Alliance of partners in each of the participating countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain and Sweden. In addition, five countries chose

to follow the process as observers: Cyprus, England, Finland, Iceland and Malta. The initiative is led by the European Child Safety Alliance of EuroSafe, in partnership with the European Commission, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, the Universities of Keele and the West of England, World Health Organisation - European Office and partners in each of the 18 participating countries. After participating as an observer only for the first phase of the project, Wales has now been invited to join the Child Safety Action Plan project as a full partner country for the second phase

of the project.

WALES TO BECOME FULL PARTNER IN PANEUROPEAN CHILD SAFETY PROJECT

LEGISLATIONLegislation will not allow a Ban on SmackingThe Legislative Competence Order (LCO) on Vulnerable Children is to be amended to ensure that it will not give the National Assembly for Wales the powers to ban smacking. There had been some discussions about whether or not the LCO would enable such a ban while scrutinising the proposed LCO in committee. As the situation was unclear the UK Government asked the Welsh Assembly Government to redraft that part of the LCO to make it clear that it does not cover the issue. In a letter dated the 22nd January 2008, Gwenda Thomas, Deputy Minister for Social Services explained that there were concerns that if it was not amended the whole of the LCO might be endangered and because of this the Welsh Assembly Government had agreed to amend it.

Assembly Members propose legislation on playing fields and on carersThe third ballot for Assembly Members

wanting to propose legislation took place

in December. The ballot to introduce

an Assembly Measure was won by Dr

Dai Lloyd who proposes to introduce a

measure which would place a duty on

local authorities to consider the impact of

selling any playing fields before they are

able to do so. Helen Mary Jones AM won

the ballot to propose an LCO on carers.

This would give the Assembly the powers

to ensure that health and social care

providers identify carers and inform them

of their rights.

Learning and Skills (Wales) Measure– The Welsh Assembly Government is consulting on a Learning and Skills (Wales) Measure. This Measure is being proposed to underpin the implementation of 14-19 Learning Pathways. It is intended to secure equality of opportunity and entitlement to a wide range of both academic and vocational courses of study for all 14-19 learners in Wales.

More information about current legislation is available in the Children in Wales’ members’ briefing.

Policy News www.childreninwales.org.uk

Communities Next Consultation on the future of the Communities First Programme The Welsh Assembly Government is consulting on Communities Next – Taking Communities First Forward. The consultation sets out how the Welsh Assembly Government intends to take the Communities First programme forward. It states the Welsh Assembly Government’s view that Communities First needs to have a clearer focus on addressing the causes and effects of poverty. The consultation runs until the 28th April 2008.

New All Wales Child Protection Procedures PublishedThe All Wales Child Protection Procedures have been thoroughly revised to take into account recent legislation such as the Children Act 2004 and independent reports including those of the Climbie and Bichard Inquiries. They will come into effect on the 1st April 2008 and can be obtained from Local Safeguarding Children Boards across Wales. Children in Wales has produced a briefing for members outlining the key differences between the new and old procedures.

Guide to the Assembly’s PowersUnclear about what Legislative Competence Orders and Assembly Measures are? Visit the guide on the Children in Wales website to find out more about the National Assembly for Wales’ powers.

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Blast Off Guides available in hard copyThe Blast Off Guides are a series of good practice guides produced by the Participation Unit. They are based on the experiences of participation workers in Wales, and are designed as help sheets with practical tools. They can be obtained by e-

mailing: Sean.Price@wales.gsi.gov.uk or for more information on participation visit the the Participation Workers’ Network for Wales website on: www.participationworkerswales.org.uk/participation

Association of Chief Police Officers Strategy for Children and Young PeopleThe Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has published its strategy on tackling youth crime.

It sets out four key themes which cut across the situations in which children and young people will come into contact with the police: engaging with young people, supporting child victims and witnesses, helping those at risk of becoming offenders, and tackling offenders