Toolkit for Youth and Play Settings

ForewordBackgroundWhere to Start?Raise the ProfileAdopt the LanguageCreate & Recognise the OpportunitiesValue the LearningResourcesNext Steps and Feedback

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Contents

Councillor Luthfur Rahman

Executive Member for Skills,Culture and Leisure

In Manchester we have a bold ambition to make our City the best forchildren and young people to grow up, work and live in. Children, youngpeople and their voice are at the heart of everything we do, recognisingthat Manchester's young people are the future of our City. Our Skills For Life programme is an example of how we have listened,and put into action what children and young people have told us. TheSkills For Life programme will ensure that young people are preparedfor life and engaged within democratic processes to influence policyand shape the city. We want all children and young people across Manchester tounderstand what Skills For Life means to them, to understand thecommon language which is being used across all the services theyaccess, whether that be education, leisure, culture or youth and playsettings. As always, we are learning and developing, and proactively respondingto feedback and evaluation children, young people and professionalsprovide us about the programme in the hope that we can collaborate,develop and support positive outcomes for all children and youngpeople in Manchester.

Fiona Worrall

Strategic Director -Neighbourhoods Following the votes in the Make Your Mark Ballot in 2018, it was clearthat the young people of Manchester voted overwhelmingly for thedevelopment of a Skills For Life programme.  In Manchester we prideourselves on not only listening to children and young people, buthearing their voices and responding accordingly.  The Skills For Life programme promotes the use of a commonlanguage to promote five key skills and a commitment to increaseopportunities for Manchester's children and young people to practicethese skills. Our ambition is that all providers and establishments in Manchesterwho work with children and young people adopt this language; creatingopportunities for children and young people to develop these skills, andsupport them to recognise and value their progress with these skills. This Skills For Life toolkit is a simple and innovative initiative whichprovides a ‘golden thread, ’ linking all of the services and resourcesacross the wider youth and play sector in Manchester for children andyoung people.

Background

ToolkitAims

To create a universal language andapproach for recognising and promoting thefive skills across Manchester.

In Manchester, over 20,000 young people voted in the annual 'MakeYour Mark' youth ballot. In this youth ballot young people voted for acurriculum that prepares them for life. The Skills For Life programme isManchester City Council's response to this request. Skills For Life has been piloted with over 1600 children and youngpeople in schools and youth settings across Manchester. Findings fromthe pilot project indicated that Skills For Life should be a universal andflexible approach which should be embedded into new and existingprojects across the City. Our Mission is to ensure that children and young people have the rightskills to be able to grow up happy, healthy, safe and successful. We willachieve this by promoting a common language and developing quickand easy to use resources as well as creating a city-wide movement toembed Skills For Life across Manchester. At Skills For Life we recognise that there are multiple providers workingtowards the skills agenda and we aim to develop partnerships tofurther raise the profile of skills across the Manchester.

Communication

Problem solving 

Self-belief (Inc: motivation, resilience and positive attitude)

Self-management (Inc: initiative, organisation and accountability) 

Teamwork

The foundation for Skills For Life is based upon research carried out byUK Youth Employment which reviewed 13 skill-based frameworks and86 reports regarding young people, skills and employment. This research identified that the top five universal skills are:

The Skills For Life icons will help to raise the profile of the skills andensure that children and young people can see the multiple contextswhere they are developing their skills.

The Five Skills

Where toStart?

Raise the profile Adopt the language Create & recognise the opportunities Value the skills

1.2.3.4.

Findings from the Skills For Life pilot project clearly indicated that thefive core skills were viewed very positively with multiple settingscommenting on how they were ‘a great foundation’ and were ‘buildingblocks to life’. The skills were identified as overarching and applicableto different settings that young people engage with. There was a clear response that the skills should be woven into existingprojects and that Skills for Life should remain simple, flexible and beuniversally recognised across Manchester. To do this we have developed a simple four stage process: 1. Raise the profile2. Adopt the language3. Create & recognise the opportunities 4. Value the skills This toolkit is divided into these four sections and each will be exploredin more detail. An accompanying Skills For Life Poster Pack andCertificate Pack are available to further promote the skills agenda inyouth settings.

Where to start?

1. Raise theProfile

Inform children and young people of what you are doing.Use the Skills For Life icons alongside activities and sessions. Set up a Skills For Life display board.Display posters about the skills encouraging children and youngpeople to stop and reflect.

Skills for Life is an approach which can easily be applied to youthsettings and builds on upon work already taking place. At Skills for Life we suggest that any work starts with raising the profileof skills and have provided ideas for this: Suggestions

To support this a range of posters have been developed to promoteskills in your youth setting. See Skills for Life Poster Pack.    If you have any ideas for other promotional resources email: r.denton@manchester.gov.ukyouthengagement@manchester.gov.uk

1. Raise the Profile

2. Adopt theLanguage

Use the language of skills and weave it into existing projects.Ask youth workers to reflect on the skills that they use .Encourage children and young people to reflect on skills practisedmore frequently. Tweet it, share it and let people know what skills children and youngpeople are working on.Ask each visiting speakers to reference how they use the five skills intheir workplace and to highlight this as part of any session that theydeliver e.g football coaches or sexual health services.

Universal definitions of each skillA more in depth overview of each skill

Suggestions:

To support this, the following resources have been developed:   

If you have any ideas for other resources please email: ruth.denton@manchester.gov.ukyouthenagement@manchester.gov.uk

2. Adopt the Language

Definitions

Problem solving is the process of working through detailsand ideas with the aim of finding a solution. The ultimategoal of problem solving is to overcome obstacles to find asolution that resolves an issue.

Problem solving is:

Self-belief is about having a positive outlook, the drive orinspiration to have a go and the resilience to recover fromsetbacks whilst seeing mistakes as learning opportunities.

Self-belief is:

Being prepared and being ready.It means being organised, being accountable for your ownactions. It's using your head and your initiative to takeaction without being told what to do.

Self-management is:

Being together and working towards a shared goal.It means that you can recognise each others' skills andstrengths to help the team to achieve their goal in themost effective way.

Teamwork is:

Being connected to others.It means the transfer of information from one person toanother. It can be verbal, non verbal, written or evenvisual.

Communication is:

Humans have been communicating since the beginning of time.Communication occurs everywhere! Babies cry to get attention andas they grow up they develop more sophisticated ways to let othersknow what they want and to tune into what others are saying.

Communication is one of the most important skills you need tosucceed. Every relationship is affected by a person’s ability orinability to communicate well.

Main types of communication include verbal, non-verbal, bodylanguage, written and visual.

Communication is a two-way process, it is the transfer ofinformation from one person to another which can be done in manyways. This includes being a good listener in a way that gains the fullmeaning of what’s being said and makes the other person feelheard and understood.

Effective communication sounds like it should be instinctive but it isnot! When we communicate the message can go astray and canlead to misunderstandings, frustration and even conflict. This cancause problems and tension at home, school, and in relationships.School reading, writing, expressing yourself well and being able tolisten are four of the most critical communication skills to learn.

Learning these skills can create a foundation for being able tocommunicate effectively in relationships and beyond that into theworkplace. Most people know how to communicate, but this doesnot mean that they have engaging and effective communicationskills.

Communication Overview

A problem is a situation or issue that is unwanted, unwelcome or evenharmful and it needs to be dealt with or overcome.

Problem solving is the process of working through ideas and beingable to weigh up your options before making decisions and takingaction. The ultimate goal of problem solving is to overcome obstaclesto find a solution to resolve the problem.

Problem solving can involve being curious and creative to makechanges to improve a situation.

Problem solving skills will help in every aspect of life and is one of themost critical skills that a young person and adult can learn.

Problems are usually solved either intuitively, which means that aperson automatically knows what they need to do or systematicallywhen they work through a process to find a solution to the problem.

Learning to solve problems takes time. It can take hours, days, weeksor months depending on the complexity. Problems can have differentparts that need to be completed like a puzzle, making solving it moretime consuming.

Solving a complex problem comes with a process. It involves taking aseries of steps in a certain order. This is important because knowinghow to think about a problem as a whole is an important life skill.

Use STEP - Simple problem solving method. Say the problem (without blame)Think of solutions (safe and respectful)Explore the consequences (what could happen if…)Pick the best solution (make your plan)

1.2.3.4.

Problem SolvingOverview

Self-belief is confidence in your own ability.

Self-belief is how a person thinks and feels about their skills andabilities. It is how a person feels about who they are, what they can doand their attitude and approach to life. Self-belief can affect almostevery area of a person’s life and that is why it is so important.

The three key elements to self-belief are:

Having a positive outlook Having motivation Having resilience

Everyone makes mistakes, experiences setbacks or even failure. Itmight be not getting the grades wanted, losing at a game or evenfailing an exam. All of these setbacks can affect a person’s feelingstowards themselves. These feelings can also affect whether thatperson attempts the tasks again.

Self-belief is that inner voice which tells us that we ‘can’ or ‘can’t’ dothat task and how a person responds to that.

Healthy self-belief is not about bragging or boasting. It is a realisticand optimistic evaluation of a person’s abilities and a sense of trustand confidence in themselves.

Employers value self-belief and confidence in their employees.

1.2.3.

Self-beliefOverview

Self-management is the ability to see tasks that need completing,being organised to be able to get the task done and then takingresponsibility to see that the job is done properly.

The three key elements to self-management are:

Being accountable for your actions Being able to organise yourself Using your initiative

Accountability is when a person takes responsibility for their actions. Italso means that they care and want to complete the tasks to the bestof their ability.

Organisation is being able to structure your time, your tasks and your resources effectively. Something as simple as arriving on time andhaving the right kit and books for the day are simple ways todemonstrate this skill. Having a daily 'To do' list is another simple butgood example of strong organisational skills.

Initiative is about taking action rather than waiting to be told what todo. It is having the ability to decide in an independent way what to doand when to do it. Showing initiative is especially useful in stressful orproblematic situations. Using your initiative means that you can thinkfor yourself and aren't reliant on others.

1.2.3.

Self-management Overview

A team: when two or more people come together to achieve acommon goal. A team must include at least two members and teamsrange in size from two to one hundred or even more.

Team worker/player: Someone who enjoys working in a team orgroup of people.

Leader: someone other people look to. Leadership takes many formsand different leadership skills can be divided amongst variousmembers of a team.

Teamwork: the combined action of a group, especially wheneffective and efficient. Teamwork is present in lots of different areasof life but most commonly where a group of people are workingtogether to achieve a common goal.

Good team work recognises each person’s skills and strengths tohelp the team to achieve their goal in the most effective way. Whenteam roles are matched to a person’s skill it can contribute towardseffective team working.

Working together on a project such as a youth council or eco-councilare examples of teamwork. The team identifies the goal, makes aplan and works together to make the plan happen.

TeamworkOverview

3. Create &Recognise theOpportunities

3. Create & Recognisethe Opportunities

At Skills For Life we recognise that skills are already been practisedthrough youth settings and we want to create a universal approach tothose skills across Manchester. Skills for Life is an overarchingapproach which is aligned youth work principles and practice. Through the Skills for Life pilot project it became clear and apparentthat opportunities for children and young people to identify, practiceand reflect on their skills development are being missed even thoughyoung people were signed up to additional projects. Children andyoung people take part in a vast spectrum of activities. From sports toarts to cultural to competitive activities. Within youth settings youngpeople take part in clubs, campaigns, projects and initiatives. Withintheir lives they have friends, relationships, problems and challenges.These are all missed opportunities to identify, practice and reflect ontheir skills. Detailed below are examples of where youth settings aligned the skillsinto their sessions as part of the Skills for Life pilot project. Further suggestions are provided as example of when and skills can bewoven into existing projects.

Case Studies

4ct developed a complete programme of activities over two of theiryouth clubs which included first aid training, jumble sales, acommunity clean up and the planning of a Christmas social. Theactivities were aligned to Skills for Life so that the children andyoung people could see and reflect on the skills gained by takingpart. The young people were also awarded certificates for theirskills development.

The young people from Wythenshawe Community Housing Group(WCHG) planned and launched a complete ‘Help the Homeless’project which focused on one challenge to develop the five skills. The young people planned, promoted and hosted a completebanquet and bake sale which raised over £300 for charity. As wellplanning the event the young people performed a short dramaabout the issues facing homeless people. The young people furtherdeveloped and were recognised for their skills by presenting at theSkills for Life launch. Based on these projects and the skillsdeveloped Norbrook were runners up at the Youth Buzz awards inthe Social Action group category.

Manchester Youth Council wove the skills throughout their weeklymeetings and encouraged members to take responsibility fordifferent elements of the meetings. The skills were also aligned totheir monthly debating session.

Manchester Youth Zone linked the challenges with their volunteeringprogramme and referenced the five skills alongside the Duke ofEdinburgh award which was already taking place at the centre.

Four youth settings took part in the Skills for Life pilot project whichengaged over 1600 children and young people. Detailed below aresome of the examples provided by the settings that took part.

Examples

Volunteer on a youth work session

Organise an event or sporting competition

Raise funds for a local charity

Take part in a performance

Design promotions materials or write articles for website

Mentoring other young people

Plan and deliver a youth work activity

Budgeting, cooking or baking

Trying something new - out of comfort zone

Take part in issue based workshops e.g racism, sexual health,

climate change

Youth participation/youth voice

Detailed below are a number of simple examples of where and how theskills could be woven into youth sessions:

4. Value theSkills

4. Value the Skills

Create more opportunities for children and young people toreflect on their skills and ask questions about this.Provide praise and recognition on the skills that you have seenyoung people demonstrate.Support children and young people to recognise success inthemselves and others.Encourage and help children and young people to keep a recordof what they have done and the skills that they have developed(see next steps section)Present Skills for Life certificates to children and young people.

Part of the youth work process involves the development of skills and also young people recognising and valuing the skills that theyhave practised. Suggestions:

To value and recognise success, a number of certificates and badgesare available (See Skills for Life Certificate Pack for the complete set) For badges please contact: r.denton@manchester.gov.ukyouthenagement@manchester.gov.uk Youth settings - 11- Button badgesYouth settings +11 -Pin badges

Resources &Next Steps

Resources

As part of the schools toolkit a number of basic introductory activitieshave been developed to promote the skills if you would like access tothese basic sessions these can be obtained by contacting: r.denton@manchester.gov.ukyouthengagement@manchester.gov.uk The sessions are flexible and can be delivered over about 20-30minutes or doubled up into longer sessions. They can be delivered insmall groups. The sessions can easily be delivered with limitedpreparation and without specialist knowledge.

Promotional posters (See Skills for Life Poster Pack)Skills For Life introduction Presentation Certificates (See Skills For Life Certificate Pack)Badges to award children and young people which available tosettings who sign up and share best practice.

It is essential that children and young people have a solidunderstanding of skills.  The following resources are available:

Future Developments

Skills to Save the Planet - a resource pack to help young peopleidentify skills whilst working on climate change projects.

Junior PCSOs Toolkit / Clean Air Crew Toolkit - a resource pack totrain primary school students to tackle idling outside school gates.

An online recording tool is currently being developed. The online toolwill help young people reflect upon and record their skills in relationto projects that they are involved in. Youth settings can create digitalbadges and will be able to obtain data on the skills developed aspart of any project taking place. Contact us if you would like to beinvolved in the pilot project.

The next phase of Skills For Life will also focus on further baselineand evaluation resources, specifically to aid young people to reflect,evaluate and record their skills meaningfully.

A number of Skills For Life resources are currently being developed. Ifyou would like to be involved in the project or if you have any furtherideas for development please contact: r.denton@manchester.gov.uk, youthengagement@manchester.gov.uk Initiatives being considered or available include:

 

FeedbackSkills For Life is a new flexible approach that can be applied todifferent settings and contexts with the aim that children and youngpeople can identify, practice and reflect on their skills development. This toolkit is the first resource published and any feedback iswelcomed. For feedback, suggestions or ideas for futuredevelopments, please contact: r.denton@manchester.gov.uk youthengagement@manchester.gov.uk