CIW Autumn magazine 2023 (English) by childreninwales

Issue 86 Autumn 2023 childreninwales.org.uk

Building a Wales where all children and young people have all their rights fulfilled

30th

anniversa

(Part 1)

FEATURES Julie Morgan MS & Deputy Minister for Social Services Latch Bryn Celyn Primary School

PLUS: NYAS Cardiff Council Play Wales Ty Hafan Coleg Sir Gar

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Welcome

Welcome from Hugh Russell, CEO Croeso cynnes iawn, a very warm welcome to the Autumn edition of Children in Wales’ quarterly members’ magazine. As Children in Wales celebrates our 30th anniversary, so we focus in this edition at some of the services and campaigns which have enabled children to have their rights realised over that period. As a relatively new member of the team here at CIW, I feel immensely proud to be leading an organisation that has, alongside our members, contributed to so much progress towards empowering children to access their rights, here in Wales. Our work directly with the UN, for example, to provide invaluable scrutiny of Wales’ progress in the field of children’s rights, is covered in a contribution from CiW’s Policy Director, Sean O’Neill.

Welcome! 12

Welcome from our Chief Executive

Julie Morgan, MS

Children in Wales

NYAS Cymru

Natural Resources Wales

Cardiff & Vale UHB

Bryn Celyn Primary School

Coleg Sir Gar

NCPHWR

Play Wales

LATCH

Betsi Cadwaladr UHB

Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs

The Fostering Network

Divert

Ty Hafan

Home Start Cymru

Children’s Commissioner for Wales

Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB

EYST

ProMo Cymru

28 Editor: Louise O’Neill louise.oneill@childreninwales.org.uk 21 Windsor Place, Cardiff CF10 3BY 029 2034 2434 @ChildreninWales info@childreninwales.org.uk

childreninwales.org.uk

Registered Charity No: 1020313 Company Reg No: 2805996 The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Children In Wales and we reserve the right to edit for publication.

As you can imagine, with such an engaging topic to cover, we’ve received an astonishing array of contributions to this edition of the magazine, looking back over that 30 year period (and longer, in some cases, with new members LATCH, for example, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the amazing services they provide to children with cancer and their families) and providing a wide range of examples of rights-based services that have all contributed to making Wales a better place for grow up in. These include a look at how Tŷ Hafan have built children’s rights into the design of their services; a contribution from NYAS which celebrates the power of advocacy in Wales; and Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs have written a great piece on their work to promoting the UNCRC through their training courses to Playworkers, raising more awareness of Children’s Rights, and ensuring implementation of the UNCRC within their day to day work with children. As well as celebrating past successes, we have one eye firmly fixed on the future of children’s rights in Wales. Contributions with that in mind include a brilliant piece from Coleg Sir Gâr on what the introduction of the new Curriculum for Wales – the most significant educational reform in over thirty years – means for children and young people. We also hear from Betsi Cadwaladr UHB on how the new North Wales Children’s Rights Charter which will ensure that children and young people have a voice on areas that matter to them, in line with Article 12 of the UNCRC. Of course, for all the progress made over the last 30 years, there is still so much to do. Poverty remains a stubborn and ugly presence in the lives of too many children and families in Wales and our recent report on the findings of our 7th annual Child and Family Poverty Survey makes for bleak, infuriating reading. Stark quotes leap from the pages with young people and service providers describing children unable to concentrate at school because of hunger, unable to get to school even, in some cases, due to the cost of transport. If there is a positive

note to be sounded, there is strong support in this report for the introduction of universal free school meals (though care is needed to maintain the quality of these meals), which have ensured a reduction of stigma, improved nutrition and a reduction in the burden of guilt and poor mental health on some parents. We know that the next Welsh Government budget will be a difficult one, but it is Children in Wales’ role to amplify the experiences of both those working with children and young people, as well as children and young people themselves, and what they are telling us is that they simply cannot tolerate any further cuts. It is vital that the context in which many children and families now live is clearly understood and leads to a concerted effort to fully protect the budgets for those programmes, interventions and services which increasingly more children, young people and families rely upon. We are taking every opportunity to argue our case on behalf of members to ensure that those children, upon whom this cost of living crisis has fallen through absolutely no fault of their own, are heard and their services protected. To end my introduction on a positive note, I would like to state how grateful I am for the warm welcome I’ve received over my first three months in post. Children in Wales members have been generous and forthcoming with their time and I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting a number of you and learning more about your work. Please do feel free to contact me and I’d be delighted to meet more of you. Many thanks and best wishes for the coming months.

Meeting with Fateha Ahmed, EYST

Children in Wales Membership Membership has now been made easier for you - the power is in your hands to access and manage your own preferences using our membership platform. You’ll be able to access a wide range of benefits through this platform, including your membership number, training course discount code, resources including Children in Wales Members’ and Eurochild’s ebrieifings, back copies of this Magazine, members-only networking events, and other exclusive opportunites. To see the full range of membership benefits, please visit our new platform here.

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How far have we come in Wales in terms of children’s rights? Julie Morgan, MS & Deputy Minister for Social Services

Question: What do you think are the most impactful changes that have occurred in relation to children’s rights over the past 30 years? I think there are quite a few, but personally I would choose the Children’s Measure because it’s a very important piece of legislation, and it means we have to take into account the views of every child and young person in every decision that we make in the Welsh Government. I am also very proud of the fact that the Welsh Government has legislated to stop the physical punishment of children, and that’s something that I’ve been very involved in and fighting for for over 20 years. When I was an MP in Westminster, and then when I came here to the Senedd, I felt it was always completely wrong that you couldn’t hit an adult, but you could hit a child. So, one of the things I wanted to do when I came to the Senedd was to try to get that law changed and I’m so pleased that that law has now been in force for you. It’s no longer legal to hit a child and I think it is, so far, working very well. The other thing that I would choose, which I think is very significant, is giving votes to 16 and 17 year olds. Again, that’s something I feel very strongly about and that’s something I’ve supported for many years. I had a private Member’s Bill about it in Westminster, and I’m so pleased that in the Senedd we’ve been able to ensure that 16 and 17 year olds can vote at elections and local government elections. And I know that 58% of young people registered to vote in the last Senedd elections. So, I think the above examples are absolutely excellent.

Question: How does the Welsh Government consider the UNCRC when making decisions? Well, because the Measure is a law, that means that we have to look at the impact on children in all legislation that we make, not just the legislation that you think is relevant. It’s anything that particularly affects children, like education or social services. We also have a children’s rights assessment undertaken on those policies, so officials are consulted before a law is passed. Everything is then available on the Welsh Government. We are trying to make sure that it is fundamentally built into all the work that we do at the Welsh Government. I’m not saying that it’s a perfect system, because we have to work it out all the time, but I believe we are working hard to ensure that what we do has a positive impact on children.

Question: Why do you personally want to be an advocate for young people? I’m very proud to be an advocate for young people. I see my role as the person with responsibility for social services in the Welsh Government, and also responsibility for upholding children’s rights, so it’s quite a key position in being able to advocate for children. I spend as much time as I can listening to young children, children and young people and try to understand what’s really important to them all. That’s why it’s great to speak to you here today and it was good to meet you and others when you came back from Geneva. I also need to work with young people who’ve had particular experiences of the care system too. I have a great deal of contact with care experienced young people. We held a Summit, which I don’t know whether you were aware of, where the First Minister and other Welsh Ministers met with care experienced young people and we’ve all signed a Declaration. Our intention is to ensure that the wishes of these young people are carried out. Before I was a politician, I was a social worker, and I found that some of the most rewarding things in social work was talking to individual young people in their families. But being a politician means you can do things on a little bit of a wider scale. I’m very proud to be an advocate for young people. I talk about Article 12 constantly. I think everybody who has any role in paving the way or looking after young people is a duty bearer. I see myself as a duty bearer because of the particular responsibilities I have around children’s rights, and the particular responsibilities I have for children and young people in the care system. Also the responsibilities I have for disabled children, and others from groups that may be marginalized. And I’m particularly keen that I am the duty bearer for all children in all different areas of work. But it’s also everybody’s duty.

Question: Are there any obstacles that you face? Well, I suppose you could say it’s the difficulties of a bureaucratic system; maybe having enough resources to do what you want to; having the nimbleness to be able to get involved in things. All those sorts of things. If I’m concerned about something, I feel that I need to go straight and see what I can do about it. It’s not always possible to do that, however, because you must get the right information and follow different procedures.

Question: How do you see the relationship between children’s rights and social services? It’s a very strong relationship because the Social Services and Wellbeing Act cover the two and we have to respect the UNCRC. So I see them as working in tandem together – they’re part of the same thing. And of course, the Social Services Act is centred on the individual to give support, so I think that they are both aligned.

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Question: Can you give us an insight into some potential next steps for children to provide children’s rights? We have the report now, so I was very pleased to see that the two things they referred to - getting rid of the defence of reasonable punishments and bringing the 16 to 17 year old votes in - I thought that was a big plus for Wales. But obviously there are a lot of recommendations and we’re in the process of studying and we will be looking to take some of them forward. We are also doing a lot of other things to take into account children’s rights, for example, I’ve mentioned the Summit and we’ve given a commitment that we will, in a year’s time, go back to those care experienced young people and tell them what we’ve done as a result of things that they said to us. So I think that is promoting children’s rights as we are accountable to them on those particular issues. Our contact with Voices from Care, Young Wales and Children in Wales is all about methods to promote the rights of children and young people.

Question: Why are children’s rights important to you within your work and which one do you think is the most influential? I think children have a right to be heard and this is key, because we need to ensure that society and everybody is aware of what children’s rights mean and what children want and what they’re entitled to. I feel that children’s rights been important to me for many, many years because I’ve always worked in some way or other with children and young people. I’ve always enjoyed being with them because they bring great energy and joyous feelings, which I see here today. But I do have responsibility for quite a wide range of other things also – for example, social services generally, responsibilities for the care of older people. And so I’ve got a whole range of responsibilities. At the Welsh Government we want to give everybody an opportunity to be able to do what they want to do. And I think of all the youngest children and the babies as they grow up. That’s when I think we can, you know, make a real difference. We’re very keen on extending the sort of help that we can give children in the early stages of their lives. Our Flying Start scheme is something that can help children and families to have a happy upbringing, where they can prosper.

Question: What do you think of some of the key issues facing young people in Wales today? Young people have told us that their key issues are mental health, climate change and the cost of living, so we want to do the most we can to help and progress things in those areas. These are vital issues and they’re vital for all of society. But obviously for young people, they can have a particular impact. It’s important that we recognize that those are some of the areas that are important to young people.

Question: Can you describe what you think the future of children’s rights in Wales looks like? Well, I feel very optimistic about children’s rights in Wales. I would like to say huge congratulations to Children in Wales on its 30th anniversary and I think that they organisation has been instrumental in ensuring that we keep children’s rights on the agenda in Wales. We have been very prominent in Wales with fighting for children’s rights and we were the first country in the UK to have a Children’s Commissioner. Children’s rights must be considered in all the laws that we make. And I see progress with that. I’m very pleased that some of you went to Geneva and put forward your views. And we’ll be looking very closely at the recommendations that come from the UN. I am very optimistic and think there’s a great future for children’s rights in Wales.

Question: Is there a message you want to share with the young people who may read the 30th anniversary book that Children in Wales is working on? Children in Wales has been instrumental in promoting the advancement of children’s rights and I’d just like to say that the Welsh Government is totally committed to ensuring that children’s rights are respected. They are not optional. They are absolutely part of the fabric of society in Wales and we want to do all we possibly can to ensure that all of you, all the children in Wales, have the best experience of life. If we can possibly do that then we will be doing all we can. Producing this book is going to be something that’s going to help us on the way. I would like to wish you luck with its development and thank you so much for taking the time to put it together and inviting me along to be part of it.

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Monitoring compliance with the UNCRC in Wales - 21 years and counting Sean O’Neill, Children in Wales

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) remains the most ratified human rights treaty in history, with 196 countries making a commitment to protect, respect and fulfil the rights of all children under the age of 18. The UNCRC was published on Universal Children’s Day in 1989 and formally ratified by the UK in 1991.

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In May 2023, the formal scrutiny session of government officials from all the home nations took place, with the UN Committee then publishing their final set of recommendations, called Concluding Observations, in June. The Wales UNCRC Monitoring Group welcomed the recommendations and have been calling upon the Welsh Government to set out the actions they will now take to implement the Concluding Observations in full, and to publish a Child Rights Action Plan for Wales. Children in Wales, as members of the Welsh Government’s Children’s Rights Advisory Group, will continue to raise this as a priority for action in the lead up to Universal Children’s Day in November.

Significant strides have been made in Wales since devolution, firstly through the formal adoption in 2004 by the Welsh Government of the UNCRC as the foundation for all policy making, and more recently, with the passing of the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011 which requires all ministers to have due regard to the UNCRC in all of their functions. In 2019, a national celebratory event took place to mark 30 years of the UNCRC in Wales, which gave recognition to the growing importance of children’s rights not only through policy, but also in practice, and acknowledged the instrumental role played by individual child rights champions, including children and young people, as well as organisations throughout the proceeding period.

Whilst the recommendations are aimed specifically at governments, and it is their responsibility to take action to make positive changes and be fully accountable to children and young people, there is also a contribution that all stakeholders across the children’s workforce in Wales can play in advocating for change and to promote and embed the UNCRC and children’s rights more broadly in their day-to-day work. The Children’s Commissioner for Wales has published a series of resources to support public bodies with this task, and Children in Wales offers training to professionals on children’s rights and methods for engaging children of all ages.

The collective role played by non-governmental organisations in championing children’s rights and calling for progressive realisation of the CRC in Wales has been significant during this time, alongside the role played by successive Children’s Commissioners for Wales and of course, children and young people themselves, often through national and local participatory structures, including more recently, Young Wales.

Whilst 2023 provides an opportunity to look back with pride at the progress Wales has made in championing children’s rights and the UNCRC, the recent set of recommendations from the State of Children’s Rights in Wales report is a timely reminder that so much more progress is urgently needed now. Further reading can be found below:

The Wales UNCRC Monitoring group is an internationally recognised alliance of non-governmental organisations and academics tasked with monitoring and promoting the UNCRC in Wales. Established in 2002, the Monitoring Group was created with the primary aim of bringing together like-minded organisations to facilitate the development and submission of an ‘alternative report’ to the UN to inform their periodic reviews of the progress made by governments to implement the UNCRC.

Initially resourced and facilitated by Save the Children Wales, and then by the Observatory on Human Rights of Children, the Wales UNCRC Monitoring Group is currently managed by Children in Wales as one of the founding organisations, and still includes many of the organisations who first came together over 20 years ago with vigour, passion and determination to provide a voice for the NGO sector in Wales to champion the rights of children and young people.

The first coordinated report to the UN was produced in 2002 followed by further reports in 2008 and 2015 which informed successive reporting rounds. This ‘alternative report’ is highly valued by the UN as a key part of the formal reporting mechanisms, providing a different perspective to that of the state reports submitted by UK and devolved governments, by giving recognition to not only the achievements being made, but also the areas of concern and notable rights violations.

The State of Children’s Rights in Wales is the latest report submitted to the UN and was launched in early 2023, providing a detailed account of the key areas impacting on children across the full range of thematic priorities across the Articles of the UN convention. This report, which formed the basis for dialogue in the scrutiny session between NGOs and the UN Committee in Geneva in February 2023, contains 72 recommendations for the Welsh and UK Governments to implement. Children and young people also submitted a report and had an opportunity to discuss their key priorities with members of the UN Committee.

· State of Children’s Rights in Wales Report - Children in Wales | The second report prepared by the Wales UNCRC Monitoring Group has launched · Children and Young People’s Report - Children in Wales | Young Wales report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child · UN Committee Concluding Observations

CIW Winter Magazine 2023

As Children in Wales continues to celebrate its 30th anniversary and the achievements made to enforce children’s rights, for the Winter magazine we would like your help, as members, to think about what children’s rights might look like in the future. Where do we want to go from here to progress children and young people’s rights in Wales, and what would our wish list look like? You might like to consider: • What do you see as the biggest challenges facing children’s rights currently? • Examples of work you are undertaking to help address these challenges and any lessons learnt? • What do you perceive are the new and emerging threats to children enjoying their rights? • Examples of changes in your practice to meet these new challenges? • How can we build upon the legacy of the past 30 years to further embed children’s rights? • Examples of proactive work you are undertaking to support children’s rights into the future? • What is working well and what is needed to sustain this work for the future? • Anything else that is having a positive impact on the promotion of children’s rights across Wales? Articles should be between 500 and 750 words; be available in English and Welsh; have a title and author and include one good quality JPEG photo (optional). The deadline for articles is Thursday, 11 January 2024. Please email louise.oneill@childreninwales.org. uk to reserve your space.

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The Right to be Heard: Celebrating the Power of Advocacy in Wales Phoebe White, NYAS Cymru

When we speak to children and young people about their experiences of growing up in care, they all say that being heard, seen, and listened to is what matters most. It underpins every experience of care; both the good ones and not so good ones. Listening to children and young people is key to improving their self-esteem, confidence, and helping them to feel safe and secure. In Wales, the active offer of advocacy is one of the most important rights for children and young people involved with children’s services by providing a statutory entitlement to be heard and listened to. What started out as a recommendation made by the Children’s Commissioner for Wales in the ‘Missing Voices: Right to be Heard’ report (2014), the active offer of advocacy was introduced in Wales in July 2017 under Part 10 Code of Practice in the Social Services and Wellbeing Act 2014. As a leading advocacy provider, NYAS Cymru were key players in achieving the active offer alongside others such as Children in Wales and TGP Cymru.

In 2019, NYAS Cymru supported the development of the framework for a National Approach to Statutory Advocacy. The framework makes sure that every child and young person in Wales who is involved with children’s services has access to high quality advocacy and provides a set of standards for advocacy services to be monitored against. We were delighted to see the Welsh Government championing children and young people’s Article 12 right, by implementing both the active offer and the National Approach Framework.

As written in Part 10, advocacy has two main tenets. Firstly, speaking up for those who are not being heard and helping them to express their views to make informed decisions. Secondly, upholding the individual’s right to have their views, wishes and feelings taken seriously. Fundamental to Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the tenets of advocacy contribute to every child and young person being empowered and actively involved in making decisions about their own lives.

The power of advocacy cannot be underestimated. Since the active offer was introduced, children and young people have told us how advocacy in Wales has transformed their lives by doing “the unthinkable” and having their voices heard. In one story, Lucy aged 10, was told about the active offer by her social worker and referred to NYAS Cymru. Lucy wanted help to have her views, wishes and feelings heard in an upcoming child protection meeting. After Lucy felt that her views, wishes and feelings had been prioritised in that meeting, she continued to work with her NYAS Cymru advocate to support her education and mental health goals. This resulted in Lucy’s referral to NYAS Cymru ‘Cost of Living Crisis’ scheme. Lucy received a tablet to access online counselling services and eventually, she felt ready to return to school. Without the active offer, Lucy might not have known about her right to advocacy and her story might not have ended with a happy, empowered young girl ready to thrive at school and feeling safe and listened to.

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“My advocate has helped me to find the light when it has been dark” Young person on working with a NYAS Cymru advocate Whilst the active offer in Wales should continue to be celebrated, like anything, there is always room for improvement.

Firstly, the active offer cannot be conflated as a ‘one time offer’ at the point of entering the child protection system or care. Children and young people must be continuously reminded of their statutory right to advocacy at key points in their care journey by professionals. Children and young people have a right to access the same high quality advocacy services wherever they are in Wales. As corporate parents, all local authorities should strive to become leaders in making sure they have robust referral processes in place, rather than access to advocacy services becoming another postcode lottery for children in their care.

Finally, NYAS Cymru calls on the Welsh Government to review the National Approach to Statutory Advocacy to continue advancing children and young people’s rights to be heard, and making sure that the active offer is still worth celebrating in the years to come.

To find out more about NYAS Cymru advocacy services in Wales, please refer to our website or contact elly.Jones@nyas.net

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Learning in, learning about and learning for the natural environment Karen Clarke, Natural Resources Wales

In April 2013, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) came into being as Welsh Government’s principle advisor on the natural environment, radically changing and enhancing the approach to sustainable management. This year marks our 10th anniversary of looking after the air, land, water, wildlife, plants and soils of Wales working to manage them effectively now, so they are in a good state for our future generations. In April 2023, NRW released its Corporate Plan to 2030, titled ‘Nature and People Thriving Together’. This is an ambitious plan to meet the challenges faced by Wales, and the world, with the climate and nature emergencies. Wales became the first country in the world to officially declare a climate emergency on the 1st May 2019, followed in June 2021 by the landmark decision to declare a nature emergency. We are all now noticing the effects of these emergencies, with more extreme weather events, frequent wildfires, declining wildlife, and so on. With social media, news and television, even very young children are bombarded with images and stories of climate change effects across the globe. Many children and young people now experience some degree of climate or nature anxiety. We have all seen how many of our younger generations have been calling out the failures of past decisions, and decisions in the present, which fail to consider their futures. At Natural Resources Wales, we believe that it is every child’s right to live, learn, play and grow up in a healthy and sustainably managed natural environment. We work to ensure that we mitigate, and adapt to, the impacts of the climate and nature emergencies so that all of our children have access to clean air and water, beautiful landscapes to play in, healthy soil to grow our food in, and a rich diversity of plants and wildlife to enjoy. To help involve our younger citizens in our decision making about how we do this, we worked with the Children’s Commissioner for Wales office to become a Children’s Rights Approach organisation. This has helped us to embed good practise both internally and in our work to support educators and families to develop pro-climate and pro-environmental behaviours. We also worked with children and young people from diverse backgrounds, across Wales, listening to their concerns about nature and how they wanted to help care for it. This resulted in our Children’s Rights Charter, which shows how we will uphold and promote children’s rights in our work and deliver better services for children and young people in Wales. No one person, policy or even country can stop climate change. We are all equally responsible; we all have to make transformational changes in how we live. And that is why we need

to support our younger citizens to pitch in as early as possible. Teaching and learning about the climate and nature emergencies, underpins much of the Four Purposes of the Curriculum for Wales, particularly ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world. And at NRW we have created an educator training programme and a wealth of teaching resources to support this. While our leaders and policy makers are looking at the bigger picture, every single one of us, including our younger citizens, all have our part to play. So, while it may all seem overwhelming, no more hiding our heads in the sand and hoping it will all just go away. This does a disservice to our future generations who are well aware of the challenges ahead and are keen to get stuck in! We are all especially important, little pieces that need to fit into the global jigsaw of positive action, helping our precious natural environment to recover and thrive. Looking for more learning resources, information and data? Please contact: education@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk or go to https://naturalresources.wales/learning For alternative format, large print or another language, please contact: enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Tel: 0300 065 3000 www.naturalresources.wales

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Embedding a children’s rights approach in Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health Holly Tarren, Cardiff & Vale UHB

Embedding a children’s rights approach is essential in delivering quality emotional health and wellbeing support to young people. Not only do young people have the right to quality healthcare and conditions to support their mental, physical and social development, but they have the right to access information that is easy to understand and to be an equal partner by sharing their thoughts and ideas. At Cardiff and Vale University Health Board we are fortunate to have an established Youth Board, supported by Dr Lisa Cordery and Claire Pugh. The members are official volunteers at the organisation. They attend monthly meetings to share their ideas to improve services and be involved in key decision making processes. We are very grateful for the Youth Board’s generosity and dedication to the projects we work on together - we always look forward to working together! There are several key projects in our journey of embedding children’s rights that we would like to highlight: 1. Development of our website cavyoungwellbeing.wales: The Youth Board told us that they wanted to be able to access self-help information and advice about services online in their own time. We worked with the Youth Board to develop a specification of what a website needed to include and how it needed to feel and together we selected a successful supplier. The Youth Board provided feedback on several drafts of website features and shared ideas for content to be developed. The website went live in November 2021 and was celebrated by the then Children’s Commissioner for Wales as an example of best practice.

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Food & Fun Summer Club

Elizabeth Berry, Bryn Celyn Primary School, Pentwyn, Cardiff At Bryn Celyn Primary School, the Food and Fun Summer Club has emerged as a key point in the year when children and families can access healthy food during the summer months. Funded by Welsh Government, this innovative program, which combines healthy meals, educational activities, and community engagement, has been making a significant impact on the lives of children and communities across Wales for a number of years. The Food and Fun Summer Club is the perfect opportunity for the children to learn more about and understand their fundamental rights of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Throughout the program there is a focus on article 24 the right to clean water and healthy food, article 27 the right to food with governments helping families who cannot afford to provide this and article 31 the right to relax and play. Authentic learning experiences are at the heart of this program with opportunities to harvest food such as potatoes, tomatoes, carrots etc from our edible playground. One of the primary objectives of the Food and Fun Summer Club is to combat food insecurity among children. During the summer break, when schools are closed, many children from low-income families face the risk of going hungry. This program ensures that nutritious meals are provided to these children, alleviating hunger and promoting their overall wellbeing.

2. Procurement and implementation of The Hangout: The Youth Board told us that they wanted to be able to access help and support without needing to speak to someone for a referral, right when they needed it (whether they were facing a mental health crisis or having a bad day). We worked with the Youth Board to develop a specification of what an ‘early support hub’ needed to offer to young people. It was essential for collaboration with young people to be central to the ethos, not just during implementation but throughout the lifetime of the project. Several members of the Youth Board helped decide which supplier would deliver the project. The supplier was Platfform, with the official launch of The Hangout taking place on 15 September 2023. We look forward to seeing how the Hangout evolves, based on the views and feedback of young people visiting.

Beyond addressing immediate hunger, the Food and Fun Summer Club aims to instil healthy eating habits in children. The meals provided are carefully planned to be both nutritious and delicious. This not only ensures that children are getting the necessary nutrients for their growth and development but also educates them about the importance of making healthy food choices.

3. Developing videos with Promo Cymru: As part of our website content development, we have worked with Promo Cymru and the Youth Board to develop some videos to explain concepts to young people and to offer advice. These have included a Tiktok style video on the five ways to wellbeing, an overview of Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health, explaining what a ‘no wrong door’ to mental health means for them and how to help a friend struggling with their mental health. The Youth Board helped create a script and gave feedback on several drafts of the videos.

Food and Fun Summer Clubs do more than just provide meals. They offer a range of educational activities that engage children’s minds and bodies. These activities can include cooking classes, gardening, physical exercise, and educational workshops. By combining learning with fun, children are not only kept mentally active during the summer but also gain valuable knowledge and skills.

4. Implementing Community Connections: The Youth Board were one of several groups of young people to share their views and ideas on a social prescribing project for young people. We asked what they already knew about it and what a social prescribing service in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan should look like. We went back and shared what we learned, as well as asking for feedback on our wellbeing journal, a resource to be kept by the young person during their time with Community Connections.

We have learned a lot from the Youth Board – not just specifics related to the projects we are working on, but how we can get the most from our time together. It is important to be clear about what we are looking for from young people, and why we want to do the work in the first place. This means being open and transparent with young people about the challenges our services face and what we are doing to make things better. We have enjoyed working with the Youth Board on very tangible projects as it tends to be easier to provide feedback during the process (some people will participate the whole way through a project, others will dip in and out as suits them). It is also rewarding to be able to tie your participation to an end product, such as a video or our website – not just for young people, but for our staff as well! For more information please email: ewmh.cav@wales.nhs.uk

Staff leading the program develop positive relationships with the children and their families and there is a real sense of enjoyment in the experiences on offer. For example this year the children visited a water park as part of an off site day and had creepy crawly visitors into school so that they could learn more about the world around them. Our Food and Fun staff team are a talented bunch and are passionate about making a difference in the life of our children. The Food and Fun club isn’t school. It is held in school but there is a different feeling about it. The children are supported and cared for in the same way as they would be in school but there is a more

relaxed atmosphere and children just love it! The program fosters a sense of community among participants. Families come together, and children make new friends, creating a supportive network. Community involvement is crucial, as it ensures that the program can continue to thrive and reach those in need. The positive impact of the Food and Fun Summer Club extends to the health and well-being of participating children. We know that children who have access to nutritious meals and engage in physical activities during the summer are less likely to experience a decline in their physical and mental health. This program helps combat the summer slide, where children lose academic skills during the break, and contributes to their overall development. The Food and Fun Summer Club in Bryn Celyn Primary School is not only making a difference in the lives of children today but also shaping their future prospects. By addressing food insecurity, promoting healthy habits, and providing educational opportunities, this program equips children with the tools they need to succeed in school and beyond. It levels the playing field for those who might otherwise face disadvantages due to circumstances beyond their control. The Food and Fun Summer Club in Bryn Celyn Primary School is a shining example of a program that addresses immediate needs while also investing in the future of its participants. By combatting food insecurity, promoting healthy eating, offering educational enrichment, building communities, and improving the overall health and well-being of children, it has become an invaluable resource for families across the country. As it continues to grow and expand, the impact of this program on the lives of Welsh children remains immeasurable and invaluable.

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Curriculum for Wales: The Force Awakens…

Nicky Abraham, Coleg Sir Gar Much like in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Curriculum for Wales represents the most significant educational reform in over thirty years. The emergence of the new curriculum represents those rising against the First Order, to right the educational wrongs of the past. September 2022 marked the full, legal and practical implementation of Curriculum for Wales in all Welsh primary schools, where the new way of learning is considered a stark contrast from the previous (and outdated) National Curriculum. For many Jedis in the teaching profession, this is an educational era where The Force Awakens… Welsh schools are now guided by a national framework, but afforded the freedom to design their own localised curricula within an indigenous context. Whether this will create significant discrepancies between planetary systems (schools) in the long term is debatable, as Younglings’ knowledge, skills and experiences of primary education will largely depend on the school they attend. The new framework has created an ideal platform to promote childrens’ rights, where Jedis as class teachers must equip Younglings with the knowledge, skills and experiences that encompass the Four Core Purposes. The emphasis on children becoming ‘Ethical, informed citizens’, who are ‘Healthy, confident and ready to lead fulfilling lives’ will play a significant part in promoting their rights. Research by Coleg Sir Gâr based on the case study of a Welsh medium primary school, exhibits the school’s first year of implementing curriculum reform. Primary research revealed innovative practice at Ysgol Gynradd Nantgaredig, in developing and implementing new initiatives that both recognise and enforce childrens’ rights. Each week the children are introduced to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), through assemblies and class activities.

Ysgol Nantgaredig’s approach to implementing the new curriculum goes hand in hand with an exciting whole school project ‘Cynefin’ that aims to address brain-drain and restore a sense of pride in the community. With no direct translation, Cynefin depicts a sense of belonging and on the project, Jedi Master (and Headteacher) Steffan Griffiths says: ‘The project provides an ideal opportunity to incorporate the four purposes of the framework into a localised curriculum that promotes chidlrens’ rights and growing independence’. Cynefin provides the children of Ysgol Nantgaredig with a range of opportunities that will develop cross curricular skills, experiencing the benefits of Forest School, during visits to nearby Brechfa Forest - exploring Areas of Learning (AoLEs) Humanities and Literacy, Language and Communication. The children have also enjoyed composing a school anthem with Welsh singer Dafydd Iwan forging links between The Arts and Language, Literacy & Communication. Year 6 then collated the work of the project by creating a podcast to celebrate the childrens’ considerable efforts. From a child’s perspective, the Cynefin Project creates opportunities to exercise various rights of the UNCRC and in particular, Article 13: the right to ‘find out things’. The range of activities associated with the project is supporting the younglings to transition to secondary school, as Padawans with the knowledge, skills and experiences to become independent lifelong learners. At secondary school level, the padawans of Ysgol Bro Dinefwr have formed a Senedd, to represent the voice of the pupils on key issues such as teaching and learning, health and well-being and rewarding learners. The Senedd has been proactive in improving food provision at the school, working with Carmarthenshire County Council to include local and

healthier produce on the menu. The Senedd have already met with First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford, to share their ideas and initiatives to create change. On meeting the First Minister, pupil Eva Davies says ‘It was a real honour to be given an opportunity to share our thoughts with him, to be listened to and taken seriously.’ Meanwhile, forces are also at work in Coleg Sir Gâr promoting the rights of learners in further education. The Student Union advocates for different groups through designated officers and at present, the LGBTQ+ community are represented to ensure their voices are heard. The Union has also sought to raise awareness of period poverty, leading to the free provision of sanitary products for students. There is little doubt that Welsh education marks a new era, as the children and young people of Wales are becoming increasingly aware of their rights, using these to shape policy. Welsh educators are empowering young Padawans to eventually become fully fledged Jedis, that can advocate for themselves throughout their lives. The wise words of Master Yoda reflect Welsh educators’ approach to curriculum reform and learner advocacy: ‘Do or do not, there is no try.’

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Recognising and enforcing the rights of children in Wales: through research

Dr Michaela James, National Centre for Population Health & Wellbeing Research

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NCPHWR also works with partners such as Single Parents Wellbeing (SPW) on their Mental Health Manifesto (a National Lotteryfunded project). The overall aim and desired outcome is that young people living in single-parent households will understand the importance and value of looking after their mental health and wellbeing and be equipped with the skills, knowledge and resources (emotional and practical) to do so by co-producing resources and expertise with and for their peers. This will empower a mentally healthier future generation who feel confident in taking opportunities and actions to move forward and make positive changes in their lives, influencing their communities and wider policy development.

These co-production projects along with our work on the Born in Wales project (which carries out research and surveys with expectant and new parents to help improve understanding of how best to support children and families living in Wales), has led the NCPHWR to develop CORDS (Co-production of Research Direction and Strategy). CORDS aims to provide some clarity based on evidence and examples from previous projects co-produced by members of the public that were developed by the NCPHWR. Our best practice guide for co-production acknowledges that it should not be a ‘one size fits all’ approach; rather, it can sit within core values that can help influence direction while keeping the population’s best interests at the forefront. These include i) inclusivity, ii) flexibility, iii) authenticity and v) reflectivity.

In line with the evolution of Welsh policy, NCPHWR emphasises the importance of enforcing and recognising children’s rights in Wales, particularly alongside Articles 12 and 15. Our research is making a difference in the lives of Welsh children, impacting everything from education to healthcare and beyond. Children should have a say on matters that affect them. Their perspectives, insights, and dreams are not only heard but integrated into policies and practices that have the potential to create a brighter, more equitable future for all.

Wales has become world-leading in children’s rights; legislation such as the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act (WFGA) and policy relating to play (eg, Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010 and the Play Sufficiency Duty) has put children at the forefront - creating greater awareness around the need of communities to work for young people’s health and wellbeing. This, coupled with a commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), has created a quiet but profound revolution - one that has the potential to reshape the landscape of research, policy, and, most importantly, the health and wellbeing of children and young people. At the National Centre for Population Health & Wellbeing Research (NCPHWR), co-production is essential to our research. Co-producing research with those with a stake in the project who are not researchers can help to keep the research grounded, enhance the quality of the research, and produce meaningful outcomes and positive changes for the community. Our co-production uses a rights approach, particularly focusing on Article 12, calling for children (aged up to 18) to have a right to be heard and taken seriously on all matters affecting them and the right to gather and use safe public spaces (Article 15). This is further complimented by Article 31 and General Comment 17, which refer to the right to have spaces to relax, play and participate in recreational activities and cultural life.

RPlace is one such project which has co-production at its heart. Young people reported to us that they want to be active in their local communities, but they feel there is a lack of facilities that they want, they cost too much, or they feel unwelcome in these spaces. As well as this they tell us there is too much traffic, there is too much rubbish and that sometimes they don’t feel safe. We wanted to give young people a voice to make changes in their local communities to overcome these barriers. As a result our team developed ‘RPlace”, a mobile app where they can review their local areas to help empower young people and advocate for their wants and needs to help make changes to the places they live, play and go to school. The app has been developed as a result of findings from HAPPEN Primary School Network and ACTIVE (a project that aimed to improve the fitness and heart health of teenagers in Swansea through a multicomponent intervention) alongside a strong collaboration with Play Wales. The reviews from young people gathered by the RPlace App will be shared with organisations (for example, local councils) to make places safer, more environmentally friendly and accessible for children and teenagers.

The National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research is funded by the Welsh Government through Health and Care Research Wales.

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Supporting children’s right to play Marianne Mannello, Play Wales

Happy 30th birthday to Children in Wales! Play Wales also has a milestone birthday this year – it is our 25th! Children in Wales has been a constant feature in those twenty-five years and we are delighted to share our reflections of how together, we have campaigned for a Wales that supports children’s right to play. My own journey with Play Wales started in 1997, when I was asked to represent the All Wales Play Forum on the Play Wales management committee, before the organisation was a charity. We were a small group of dedicated people who managed to get a grant from the then Welsh Office to establish a national charity for children’s play. In February 1998, we established our charity with new members of staff, behind the cupboards at the office of Children in Wales. Our ‘office’ was borrowed space, and all we could afford at the time. While our financial state wasn’t good, there was a sense of vision and potential and loads of scope for development. And lots of support from the Children in Wales team. I loved grabbing a cuppa in the little kitchen off the open plan office and the meeting room on the ground floor was an important place for us. It was the setting for Play Wales Trustee meetings, job interviews and sessions where we dreamed of a play-friendly Wales. Soon, Play Wales moved to more spacious settings in Cardiff Bay, which at the same time was becoming home to Welsh devolution. A devolved government brought exciting opportunities. Alongside Children in Wales, we helped draft the world’s first play policy and play policy implementation plan. Ultimately, as we became more established, we mobilised the network of play officers and associations working across Wales to lobby for funding for play, with the then Big Lottery Fund investing in children’s play. The same network worked tirelessly to influence the ground-breaking play sufficiency duties, introduced by Welsh Government through the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010.

There is no doubt about it, the Welsh Government must be congratulated for leading the way globally when it comes to government policy making on children’s play. We shouldn’t take the progress for granted – nor should we become complacent. In our new research report, What children say about play in Wales: 2022, nearly 7,000 children and teenagers in Wales tell us about how satisfied they are about their opportunities to play in their local area. 79% of children and teenagers across Wales have told us that they mainly play in outdoor spaces. However, the most common reported place they play is a back garden. Play Wales wants to see more children being more visible and playing out in more spaces in their neighbourhoods across Wales. Although there is much to celebrate regarding the recognition of the importance of play in Wales, Play Wales is not hanging up its campaigning hat. As a nation, we still have a lot to do to make the right to play a reality for children. We all have a role to play. Children play in many different places, wherever and whenever conditions are right. This can be indoors and outdoors, and includes places such as schools, childcare settings, hospitals and neighbourhoods. As adults, it is our responsibility to make sure children have the time, space and freedom to play.

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Celebrating forty years of care Menai Owen-Jones, LATCH Welsh Children’s Cancer Charity

Along with Children in Wales, this year is also a big birthday celebration for another children’s charity in Wales, LATCH Welsh Children’s Cancer Charity. LATCH supports children, young people and their families, who have a cancer or leukaemia diagnosis and are under the care of the Children’s Hospital for Wales in Cardiff. This year the charity celebrates its 40th anniversary and Menai Owen-Jones, CEO, reflects on the charity’s achievements and contribution towards supporting children’s rights. Children, young people and their families who are affected by cancer or leukaemia often face a long, gruelling and uncertain journey. The essence of LATCH Welsh Children’s Cancer Charity is, and has been since its inception in the early 1980s, about giving hope, making life a little easier for children, young people and their families and putting their needs first, working for what’s best for each child. LATCH was established in 1983 by a small group of parents and families whose children were undergoing treatment for cancer. They wanted to provide mutual support and to raise money to improve the lives of the patients, as they recognised the importance of children’s rights to good quality health care. At that time the Children’s Oncology Unit for Wales was based in Llandough Hospital, in the Vale of Glamorgan, which explains the origin of the acronym LATCH, ‘Llandough Aims to Treat Children with Cancer and Leukaemia with Hope,’ and reminds us of the charity’s strong roots and long history of partnership working with the NHS. Over the past forty years LATCH has supported thousands of children, young people and their families across South, Mid, East and West Wales. In 2005, the Children’s Oncology Unit moved to Cardiff to the new Children’s Hospital for Wales. At the time, through a significant public fundraising campaign, LATCH funded a purpose-built eight-bed accommodation unit at the Hospital for families to be able to stay onsite whilst their child is an inpatient. We aim to provide a home from home experience for our families staying with us at our onsite hospital accommodation. LATCH offers several other valued support services including financial grants, a social work service, holiday caravans, events and activities for children, young people and their siblings, which aim to bring families together for mutual support and to give children the chance to relax and play. Our team of social workers specialise in the issues facing the families of children receiving treatment for cancer and leukaemia and provide information, practical, emotional and financial support. They help to ensure that children and families understand their rights.

During the past forty years LATCH has provided over £15 million of free services, this includes financial grants and also funding for the Children’s Hospital for Wales Paediatric Oncology Unit for capital improvements, medical equipment and a range of clinical and paediatric oncology research projects. The benefits of partnership working between the health service and a patient organisation can be seen in the positive difference made to the cancer care journey experience of children, young people and their families. The LATCH team works side-by-side with the clinical teams at the Children’s Hospital for Wales and our social work team is part of the multi-disciplinary team of the Children’s Oncology Unit, providing seamless and holistic care to children and their families. As we celebrate forty years of care in 2023, we know sadly that the incidence rates of childhood cancers are on the rise, which means it is highly likely that demand for LATCH’s services will continue to increase into the future. We know that more needs to be done to raise awareness of the needs of children and young people and their families impacted by cancer and leukaemia, including highlighting the financial hardship that so many face. The rights, voice and needs of children and young people with cancer and leukaemia also need to be given more prominence in the fields of research and cancer healthcare, where focus is too often on adult patients. Looking to the future, this is an exciting time in the charity’s journey as we will be focusing on the development of our services and building on the achievements of the past forty years. LATCH will continue to be a charity that provides hope and puts children and their families’ needs and rights first, as our founders did all those years ago. To find out more about LATCH please visit www.latchwales.org or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LATCHWales

New North Wales Children’s Rights Charter Eirian Wynne, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board During the last year, children and young people from across North Wales have taken part in various events to help develop a new Children’s Rights Charter to ensure they have a voice on areas that matter to them. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), in partnership with organisations and councils across North Wales, held a series of events and engagement sessions for young people to attend to help create the Children’s Charter. The events, held at various National Trust locations and Talyllyn Railway, allowed children and young people to engage with developing the charter through fun and interactive activities, which focused on positive mental health, well-being and empowerment, giving them positive experiences and a real opportunity to influence how organisations across North Wales work with young people.

The charter is a set of standards that organisations work to, to make sure children and young people are treated fairly and have a voice and was officially launched in April 2023. The health board’s Regional Patient Experience Team lead on the development of the charter and engaged with around 2,400 children and young people and created a “Build it Right” multi-agency partnership with representatives across health, social care, education, third sector and young people, to support the large children’s rights engagement project and the co-designing of the Children’s Rights Charter for BCHUB.

The charter development is a great opportunity to ensure all our staff understand what children and young people can expect from our services. In addition a “Recipe Book” has been designed too as a useful resource to organisations across North Wales in building rights based approaches into practice. The Recipe Book shares valuable learning and key insights from children and young people about what matters to them and what they feel are the key ingredients in creating environments where they feel their voices are heard, their wellbeing is nurtured and their rights are protected. For more information on our Children’s Charter work please email: BCU.CAMHSNeuroPEQueries@wales.nhs.uk

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Promoting the UNCRC through our training courses Bev Williams, Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) has been integral to the work of Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs for over 30+ years. In this article, Bev Williams, Training Officer, explains how she has been passionate and pro-active in promoting children’s rights, both as a Playworker and Youth Worker, supporting and empowering children and young people to understand and make the most of their rights. Within my current role as a Playwork tutor, I promote the UNCRC through our training courses to Playworkers, raising more awareness of children’s rights and ensuring implementation of the UNCRC within their day to day work with children. Although the Articles in the Convention come as a whole, there are a few that relate more to my role. Article 31 - The child’s right to Play, rest and engage in leisurely and cultural opportunities, Play is essential to children’s holistic development and supports their understanding of themselves and the world around them; we encourage learners to review their policies to ensure children’s rights underpin their practice and procedures, especially their Play policy, thus ensuring that they are working within the Playwork Principles and ensuring that children have access to quality Play opportunities. Noteworthy to mention here … the introduction of General Comment 17 (2013) ensured that we recognise the importance of providing a wide range of diverse and exciting experiences for the children; including, diverse sporting opportunities, the arts, theatre and providing resources and opportunities for the children to experience their own and others different cultures…this gives children opportunity to understand other children’s background and heritage…GC17 supports adults and Playworkers to further understand the importance of Play in children’s lives and promote equitable opportunities and experiences. Article 12 - The child’s right to a voice, opinion and be listened to; we promote the importance of meeting children’s needs and the importance of taking children’s opinions seriously; we promote consultation as a tool to identify the children’s wishes and opinions, taking them seriously will support their emotional well-being and sense of belonging and value. Article 23 – disabled children’s right to be afforded equitable advantages and have the best possible opportunities to engage and lead a full life; through our training, we encourage Playworkers to identify and remove disabling barriers to ensure that all children have access to enjoy freely chosen Play at their settings. Advocacy through our training courses has had a huge positive impact on our learners, who are taking Children’s Rights seriously and making positive changes at their Play clubs, nurseries and childcare settings…ensuring the children have a voice and choice; using the Playwork Approach to support their social, physical and emotional development. I have seen many positive changes in legislation and in policy, meaning that Children’s Rights become more widely recognised and understood. I feel that Play is high on the Commissioner for Wales’ agenda; and when it comes to promoting and enforcing Children’s Rights - Wales as a Nation, is arguably the most pro-active country in the world. The Welsh Government have written Children’s Rights into legislation, which means that everyone must consider and reflect on the best interests of the child. Implications to our practice…our setting Policies and Procedures must reflect Children’s Rights - and Playworkers must consider the needs and interests of each individual child…providing for individual children’s Play needs and ensuring their safety, security, and wellbeing. ‘Wales - a Play Friendly Country’ (Statutory Guidance) 2014, combined with ‘Creating a Play Friendly Wales’ 2012, gives clear guidance and obligates Local Authorities to support and ensure sufficient Play opportunities for children within their own communities. However, I see Play settings struggling to stay open due to lack of funding, space and environmental barriers. Personally, I feel that many children still do not have opportunity to Play within their own communities; there are still too many barriers that need to be addressed, such as, lack of training, appropriate space, financial barriers, suitable settings for children with disabilities etc. These barriers must be recognised and addressed at Local Authority level for improvements to be put into effect. On a positive note, I believe that Children’s Rights are much more widely recognised and we have come a long way in 30+ years…still a way to go before every child is afforded their fundamental right to PLAY! But we are going in the right direction, we just need more adults and Playworkers to take Children’s Rights seriously and advocate at all levels to ensure children are afforded their Rights and have opportunity to learn, grow and develop effectively into confident, self-assured young adults. https://www.clybiauplantcymru.org/

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Thrive magazine: Empowering care experienced young people in Wales to understand and embrace their rights Elizabeth Bryan, The Fostering Network

For 20 years, The Fostering Network in Wales has produced Thrive magazine. The publication supports care experienced children and young people to understand their rights, ensuring they can access information and support on the issues that matter to them. Funded by Welsh Government, Thrive magazine aims to provide care experienced children and young people with accessible, informative content that explains a wide range of topics in simple and relatable terms. It features articles, interviews, and stories that break down different aspects of their lives, as well as specific issues related to care experience. It has always been important for Thrive to reflect the voices and experiences of young people from across Wales. Involving them has brought unique perspectives and insights. Participation is at the center of the development process for each issue, with young people selecting the main themes, posing questions for the problem page, and sometimes providing the answers. By working collaboratively in this way, the magazine has created a platform to share experiences and challenges, while celebrating success. Thrive recognises the importance of resilience-building – we have focused on mental health, introducing coping mechanisms and selfcare strategies. We have covered education, with editions that explore the challenges that care experienced young people can face when starting a new school or taking exams. Teenage years can be difficult to navigate for all young people, and so we’ve been led by our core audience to focus on the issues that matter most. In recent years that’s included keeping themselves safe online and building and maintaining healthy relationships with those around them. By addressing these critical issues, the magazine equips its readers with tools to navigate their teenage years while asserting their rights. We also know that foster carers find it useful to read and reflect on the topics raised, with many telling us they keep past editions of Thrive as a resource to dip into as needed. The wide range of issues covered in our digital safety edition were certainly something that wouldn’t have been considered when the magazine launched 20 years ago. As the priorities for young people develop and change, so has our magazine. This year we launched an edition named ‘Money, Money, Money!’ which tied into the introduction of the Basic Income Pilot in Wales. This edition was written to inform and support those young people who were taking part in the pilot and those who were just starting on their journey to live independently. We provided tips on saving money, as well as advice on financial entitlements for those with care experience. We can confidently say that Thrive magazine has established itself as a friendly and informative resource for care-experienced children and young people. Our next edition, launched in October 2023, is titled ‘your care, your rights, your voice’ and will serve as a toolkit for young

people to understand, embrace, and assert their rights. It includes an interview with Rocio Cifuentes, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, and input from Voices from Care Cymru. We think this might be the most important issue we’ve ever written and look forward to sharing it with our fostering community. You can find out more about Thrive, and the work of The Fostering Network by emailing wales@fostering.net or visiting our website thefosteringnetwork.org.uk.

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Media Academy Cymru and the development of DIVERSION – a rights led approach Sophie Longland & Sam Heatley, DIVERT Children’s rights within the context of dealing with low-level offences by young people have transformed via diversion over the past fifteen years. Prior to 2009 in Wales children and young people’s rights (CYP) were impeded, low-level offences were often criminalised and there was no option available to children and young people to engage in restorative outcomes which would enable the promotion of their rights. Evidence shows that criminalisation of lowlevel offences can have long term impacts on CYPs future pathways. This involves factors such as limiting future employment and training opportunities, having an impact on the CYP’s immediate family, the risk of having a detrimental impact on how CYP view themselves increasing the risk of self-fulfilling prophecies. The environment of CYP’s rights shifted in terms of Youth Justice in 2010 when Media Academy Cymru (MAC) established a diversion service in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. A rights-led approach to diverting young people aged ten to seventeen away from formal punitive outcomes of the Criminal Justice System and towards a restorative intervention. Diversion’s ethos is to ensure that all CYP who have committed low-level offences in Cardiff are seen as children and young people first and offender second as set out in the Youth Justice Board’s ‘Child First’ approach. As such,

from the moment of referral ‘Article 3’ of the ‘United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children’ (UNCRC) is enacted so that all actions should be “[in the] best interests of the child…”. Indeed, throughout their intervention CYP are empowered to involve themselves in decision making and understand what rights they possess to make informed decisions regarding their intervention. This is illustrated in Article 12 of the UNCRC which highlights the value of young people’s voices in decision making. The service aims to provide holistic interventions to support positive justice and prioritise the best interests of children, recognising their needs, capacities, rights and potential. The advocation of CYP’s rights at this time, as well as the NPCC’s rights-based policing, supported the reduction of the reoffending rate and within a short space of time depleted the level of reoffending. MAC, and the service of DIVERT, have now been working with CYP since 2010, recognising and enforcing their rights within the context of Youth Justice. MAC has diverted thousands of CYP away from the formal Criminal Justice System. The positive outcomes of the diversion programme can be attributed to many factors, but most poignantly it is the rights led approach that forefronts the rights of the child that has enabled such dramatic changes. The foundations of the diversion service are built upon children’s rights as stated in the ‘United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children’ (UNCRC) and promotes practitioners actively promoting children and young people’s rights so that young people understand and utilise their rights (Article, 42). Within DIVERT case managers should look to promote children’s rights in any facet of the intervention. Most recently, within the DIVERT service a young person was supported by a case manager to work with South Wales Police to make decisions about the offer of an Out Of

Court Disposal (OOCD). In this instance, the case manager coordinated with South Wales Police to ensure that the young person had access to the documents surrounding their offence. They were able to access bodycam footage and discuss their options with a police officer to make an informed choice. As such, this enabled the young person to understand their options and rights within this context. This exemplifies one example of how DIVERT works with children and young people to access their rights and feel empowered within a Youth Justice context. DIVERT also utilises and helped to co-produce a rights-led assessment for young people who engage with the DIVERT service. Assessments are completed with young people and highlight strengths, interests and the protective factors associated with the young person. This aids in promoting Article 12 and Article 13 of the UNCRC in that young people’s voices are imperative to practitioners’ assessments, their opinions, thoughts, and feelings allow young people to take ownership of the assessment and find power in the process. Visit our website to find out more about DIVERT and Media Academy Cymru and the projects we offer or email us via info@ mediaacademycymru.wales

Tŷ Hafan’s path to empowering young minds Katie Simmons, Ty Hafan The Welsh Government states that it leads the way in promoting children's rights and, over the past 30 years, there have been significant changes and improvements across Wales that benefit children and young people. This article highlights why they have been so important to the young people we support at Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice. Next year, Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice celebrates its 25th anniversary. Since it opened, it has provided comfort, care and support to children with life-shortening conditions. Within the hospice and wider communities across Wales, Tŷ Hafan aims to help children and young people have fun, grow in confidence and feel empowered both mentally and physically, as much as possible. At the hospice, we thrive on providing the best care and support possible for children and families. Since officially opening our doors in 1999, children’s rights and voices have come a long way! In the past, we heavily relied on medical professionals and parents to make decisions about what was best for the child. In 2021, Tŷ Hafan recognised the need for systematic, embedded youth social action and participation. It was then that we applied to Children in Need for a grant to secure a role dedicated to empowering young people and giving them the opportunity to speak their mind and make a difference. We were fortunate and excited to be accepted for the grant which then enabled us to appoint an appropriate practitioner for the role. As a result, at the beginning of 2023 I began my venture of working with our fantastic young people. As a teacher, I was always extremely passionate about pupil voice and supporting young people to feel empowered. The passion I have for listening to children and helping them have their rights fulfilled has always been a vital part of my work. As a Youth Social Action Practitioner, part of my role is to listen to the voices of our young people and assist them in acting to make change about specific issues they feel passionate about. I have recently established our first ever Youth Board which is made up of a variety of young people who come to Tŷ Hafan, including siblings, bereaved siblings and referred children. Our Youth Board is open to all young people linked with Tŷ Hafan and is inclusive of all conditions and needs. For young people who are non-verbal or have very complex needs, we ensure that the latest state-of-the-art technology is used to support the child in contributing through movement of their eyes, head, feet or any body part. The group meets monthly and works collaboratively on social action. I visit the young people in their home or school, or at the hospice, and we spend time talking about issues, concerns or worries they might have. We often hold open discussions about children’s rights in Wales and what they mean to them. We share examples of good practice at school or in the home and the importance of raising awareness of the 42 rights they have. Since beginning my role in February, we have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic organisations. Recently, the young people teamed up with the ‘Mess Up The Mess’ drama project to perform a short social action performance based on their education and the inequalities they feel around this. The performance was held at Barry Memorial Hall and delivered a powerful message. This is in the process of being followed up by an email to headteachers and the Education Secretary about the young people’s opinions, in the hope that they consider some of the issues raised. We have also created strong links with Museum of Wales. Our Youth Board is teaming up with them to raise awareness of wheelchair access at the museum and the grounds at St Fagans Museum. Additionally, we have started a collaborative project with the Cardiff and Vale Regional Partnership Board. The aim of the project is to introduce the Welsh Government’s NEST framework (a mental health and wellbeing tool) to the young people we care for at Tŷ Hafan. The framework will then give us a better understanding of how children’s mental health and wellbeing are being looked after. The young people will help to create a short video clip to promote the framework with the aim that it will help others across Wales. Our young people meet regularly with the whole Board of Trustees at Tŷ Hafan. The Young people have presented some ideas on how the hospice building, facilities and services can be further tailored to suit the rights of the children. Engaging and listening to the voices of our young people is quickly being recognised, developed and prioritised as we move forward. Watch this space! For more information about Tŷ Hafan and the services we provide, please visit www.tyhafan.org or email katie.simmons@tyhafan.org

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Empowering Parents to Help Children Thrive

Izzabella James, Home Start Cymru

Home-Start’s Cymru’s vision is ‘for every parent in Wales to have the support they need to give their children the best possible start in life. We provide vital support to thousands of families every year through one-to-one home visiting support via our volunteer led network, and peer support groups. In addition to this, our specialised projects stretch across Wales’s 18 local authority areas and roll out personal support to specific groups such as dads, refugee and asylum seeker families, families with a child on the neurodevelopment pathway and more. We believe that children need a happy and secure childhood and that parents play a key role in giving their children a good start in life – helping them to achieve their full potential. Throughout delivery we pay attention to detail in order to understand a family’s needs and build lasting and trusting bonds with families. We enlist creative and collaborative methods to involve the family unit, nurture parent-child bonds and empower children’s rights. A large part of Home-Start Cymru’s work involves working with parents to nurture bonds with their children and to navigate obstacles such as anxiety. Many parents are influenced by their own experiences during childhood and parenting behaviours passed between generations. Home-Start Cymru acts as a source of guidance for parents to understand their children’s’ rights better and to explore approaches to parenting that is healthiest for their family unit. For example, HomeStart Cymru has supported parents to understand and process recently enforced legislation; the Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment Act 2020, working with families with compassion and non-judgement to change the way parents look at discipline and punishment and to deconstruct together themes around positive parenting seen in the ‘Parenting. Give it Time’ guidance. By building relationships strengthened by trust and understanding, parents feel they can be honest about their thoughts and concerns and can feel open to learning new parenting approaches to benefit the family unit and empower the rights of their child.

“[When] I visited mum – she was really positive about the help she has been given from her Home-Start volunteer. The sessions have been really helpful, and she has learnt a lot from it.” Flying Start Health Visitor “I am proud of the changes I have made” Supported family Home-Start Cymru is also providing more and more support to families with parents or children living with additional learning needs. Many families supported have children that have been waiting for a neurodivergence diagnosis for a while. We provide families with support and guidance to understand and navigate their children’s behaviour, and access the specialist support they need, led by individuals with lived experience. While working with Home-Start Cymru, parents have also built up the vocabulary and understanding to analyse their own behaviour and pick up on indicators for neurodivergence in themselves, leading to their own diagnosis. We are constantly thinking of proactive ways to make life easier for families and help them to access opportunities for play and learning for their children. For example, we identified the quietest times at local supermarkets for families with children with ALN to visit without the stress of crowds and sensory overload. Additionally, we’ve connected families with local parks that open exclusively to families with ALN for a period of time in the day, allowing children to play and explore freely in an environment that is inclusive and welcoming, and be a place where parents can receive peer support.

Home-Start Cymru supported a mother in Pembrokeshire with an eight month oldy baby who has lifelong medical issues and spent the majority of their first months in hospital. Home-Start Cymru came into support the mother with dealing with her stress and anxiety. Our support workers managed to locate a baby play group that hosted children with similar medical issues and were also dependant on medical equipment. This was lifechanging for both mum and baby. She didn’t have to worry about other babies pulling at tubes and could speak to others who related. At that point, this was the first time her baby was socialising with any other children outside of the hospital and was able to create memories of people that looked like them. As a result, our supported mother grew in confidence and felt so grateful she could give this experience to her child. “I am so proud of Amanda. I don’t even have to text, she’s the first at the door and growing in confidence with other parents each week!” Baby group leader

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Voices

Rocio Cifuentes MBE, Children’s Commissioner for Wales 1997 was a significant year for Welsh voices. Against a backdrop of the Cool Cymru sounds of Catatonia, Super Furry Animals, and Stereophonics, the results of a historic referendum showed that Welsh people didn’t feel adequately heard. A change was coming. But while many adults in Wales enjoyed and celebrated the promise of a stronger voice through a new National Assembly, Wales also looked back on decades where children’s voices had been forgotten and ignored. 1997 was the year that the Waterhouse Inquiry began its public hearings into the indescribable abuse suffered in children’s homes in north Wales. Over the three years that followed it would examine hundreds of allegations of child sexual abuse, perpetrated by adults who held positions of power over the most vulnerable children in our society. When they needed Wales to listen, it had closed its ears. When Sir Ronald Waterhouse published his report in 2000, one of his key recommendations was to introduce a new independent voice for children in Wales: the Children’s Commissioner for Wales.

Its primary function was to promote and protect children’s rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The convention outlines the things children need to grow up happy, healthy, and safe, and the duties that adults have to make sure children can access those rights. They include a right to be safe, a right to non-discrimination, and a right to be heard. Since 2011, there has been a specific duty on Welsh Government ministers to consider the UNCRC when they make relevant decisions. But the convention, and children’s access to their rights, has always been central to the work of the Children’s Commissioner.

The first commissioner, Peter Clarke, uncovered huge safeguarding failures in education in his Clywch inquiry, leading to the strengthening of safeguarding arrangements in schools. Keith Tower, Commissioner from 2008, reviewed advocacy services in Wales, making sure that advocacy was to be a specific ministerial responsibility from then on. My predecessor, Sally Holland, secured a change in the law by Welsh Government to end physical punishment of children, and took thousands of children’s views and experiences to the Welsh Government during two Covid lockdown periods. My job over the next few years will be to make sure that children’s voices continue to be heard, taken seriously, and acted upon.

Last year my team heard from almost 9,000 children and young people in Wales as part of our national survey, Ambitions for Wales. We heard how the cost-of-living crisis has pushed already struggling families to the limit. We heard experiences of identity-based bullying,

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Supporting the Parent Infant Relationship

Julie Powell-Jones & Dr Helen Joseph, Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB All children, including babies, have the right to the best possible health and development, as set out in the UNCRC. Being mentally healthy in early childhood equips a young child to manage emotions, experience-nurturing relationships as well as building the potential to be mentally healthy throughout their lives. The Welsh Government (WG) and Cwm Taf Public Service Board established an Early Years (EY) Integration Partnership in 2018/2019. The aims of the CTM EYTP mirror the principles within the WG’s NEST Framework, which advocate a whole system approach to developing mental health, wellbeing and support services for children (0-7) and their families. One of the six work streams within the CTM EYTP is dedicated to supporting healthy ‘parent infant relationships’ (PIR); the emphasis is to ‘get things right’ for babies and young children from the earliest opportunity. A baby needs a ‘good enough’ relationship with its carer (Winnicott, Donald Woods. The Child, the Family, and the Outside World: By DW Winnicott. Penguin Books, 1969). Exposure to adversity and the absence of nurturing relationships can have far-reaching consequences for future life-long health and wellbeing. In 2021, the CTM EYTP commissioned the Parent Infant Foundation to undertake the “Securing Healthy Lives” (SHL) Study. This involved a series of interviews with EY practitioners and 487 CTM parents who rated the quality of their PIR as the third most important influence on child development, just below the impact of violence and parental drug use . However, only 35% of parents felt there was enough relationship support available to them. To support parents on the start of their perinatal journey, a local Baby Shower initiative was launched in June 2023 providing an opportunity to meet staff and attend information sessions. The SHL Report findings have underpinned the direction of the PIR Work-Stream in developing a collective culture where every family contact is utilised to reinforce messaging, and staff feel skilled to normalise discussions around the PIR. Staff training is captured within a ‘Training Directory’ which details practitioner practice levels and circulated with CTM early years teams. This includes training designed to support the developing PIR even before the baby makes an appearance. In 2022, the CTMUHB launched their Children’s Charter, detailing ten promises to children on how they should be treated and cared for whilst under their care. Babies are particularly sensitive to their primary caregiver’s emotional state and look to them to understand the world and know whether a situation is safe or not. A Baby Charter or Pledge details what infants should expect from those around them (see the one-page Scottish Pledge). It encourages mindful consideration of the cues, feelings, perspectives and commitment to uphold their rights and take action accordingly. It also serves to reinforce the importance of seeing babies as individuals with their own thoughts, feelings, rights and emotions. Working with Children in Wales and the Children’s Commissioner, the CTM EYTP-PIR Conference in October 2023 provided a platform to involve 120 experts to begin discussions on the development of a CTM Baby Charter/Infant Pledge to complement the existing Children’s Charter.

and widespread mental health challenges. Through our face-to-face engagement work we’ve listened to children’s experiences of racism in school, and through our casework service we continue to hear about the challenges families face in accessing the right provision for children with additional learning needs. Taking these experiences to the Welsh Government and calling for change will be at the heart of my work over the next few years.

A striking part of the job so far has been hearing children and young people share their views directly, in-person, with decision-makers. Having somebody to share their experiences on their behalf will always be important, but having the chance to speak from the heart to politicians and other influential figures is something I want as many children and young people as possible to be able to do, and particularly those children who are rarely given those opportunities. I feel lucky that there is so much excellent children’s rights work happening across the country, and many dedicated people working tirelessly on these issues. I want to make sure that my office is actively seeking out opportunities to work with others across the sector: not only amplifying children’s voices, but amplifying each other’s. Together, we can make sure that children’s voices take centre stage in Wales. Thankfully, 1997 feels like a long time ago. But listening, speaking up, and challenging is as important now as it ever has been.

Environments and experiences can shape mental and physical development during the earliest years of life. A similar approach to that of Starcatchers in Scotland is being piloted in CTM whereby a cohort of parents and their babies will take part in a series of sessions utilising music and movement to help them learn how to ‘tune in’ to the unspoken cues, language and needs of their baby. The aim is that a greater understanding of the baby’s voice will emerge and there will be an opportunity to coproduce resources with parents, which promote awareness of the baby’s voice across the region. Keeping ‘the baby in mind’ is central to the CTMUHB Strategic Infant Feeding Group. A breastfeeding strategy is in its development phase and the approach is focussed on the infant’s journey to successfully breastfeed. The Strategy is a pledge to infants and families to support their breastfeeding journey. In order to protect future children’s development, it is important to prioritise the needs of pre-verbal infants. A common view that the baby is “too small to really understand or to remember” serves to distort the crucial importance of children’s rights during the earliest years. The additional contextualisation of the ‘voice of the baby’ will help strengthen the rights of the pre-verbal infant.

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We all have rights: EYST’s role in realising children’s rights in Wales Jami Abramson, EYST Children’s Rights are fundamental to the work of EYST Wales. From our inception in 2005 as a youth-focused and Swansea-based charity, all the way through to being a Wales-wide charity supporting youth and family, including asylum seekers and refugees – children’s rights are central to EYST’s approach, providing young people and their families with the tools to reach their full potential. Over the years, we have embedded a children’s rights approach in the way that we work. Our key aim is the not do things for our clients but supporting them to gain the tools to tackle issues, often becoming independent and confident in their decision-making skills. For example, our support work under the BME CYP project ensures families have access to essential services through sharing information of cultural and faith-based barriers experienced by our clients. During COVID-19, and its disruptive lockdowns, we ensured that families had access to information and supported local authority dissemination of information around digital access for children during homeschooling. Increasing Children and Young People’s Resilience We have supported children and young people who may be vulnerable and at risk to extremism and exploitation. Through our ‘Resilience’ project, youth workers supported children and young people by sharing information and tools to challenge extremist messaging (both far-right and Islamist), as well as questions around consent and relationships, as part of

our aim to increase children’s resilience against child sexual exploitation. Through one-to-one support work and educational awareness, this work supported children and young people to access their rights to information, protection from violence, sexual abuse, and exploitation. Youth-Led Volunteering Volunteering is key to EYST. One of our very first volunteering projects was our ‘Homework Club’ for children and young people. A need emerged for children who were not quite achieving what they were capable of in a school setting, specifically children undertaking their GCSE’s who were often at the C/D borderline. Many ethnic minority young people could not access tuition, due to its enormous expense, and may have missed out on addition family/child support with homework due to family who experienced a language barrier. To address this gap, parents could register their children with the homework club, where they would be matched with a young volunteer who could support them with their homework. This peer-to-peer support provided a fantastic way for children to access their right to education, as well as young volunteers gaining an opportunity to support children. Another highlight of our work to ensure children and young people exercise their ‘Right to Identity’ is our youth-led volunteering projects exploring identity, heritage, and migration in Wales, including ‘Young, Migrant & Welsh’. Using film and photography, young participants documented expressions of their identity, what matters to them, as well as experiences of growing up in Wales, resulting in an exhibition. The aim was to reclaim the word ‘migrant’ from a negative connotation often used by media institutions, centring migration as something to be celebrated in Wales.

Looking Forward So, what is next in EYST’s work with children’s rights? We believe that children’s rights are meaningful only if children, young people, and families are aware of their rights and feel confident to use them. Following through on this approach, EYST has recently pioneered a new service, aptly named ‘Right to Education’, to provide specialist support to children and families in liaising with their schools, particularly focusing upon school exclusions. The team are currently working to ensure children and their families are aware of their Right to Education, accessing information in an accessible way. Through this work, we are building our relationships with the Children’s Legal Centre, Children’s Commissioner for Wales, and specialist education lawyers in Wales. Looking back on where we started in 2005, we are excited to see our progress from a youth provision in Swansea, growing to deliver youth and family provision across Wales. We are delighted to be able to not only approach our work with children’s rights at its heart, but also to see the meaningful client facing, policy and research work that is developing across the sector, to ensure both individual and structural changes for children of all backgrounds can enjoy and exercise their rights in Wales.

Exhibition opening of 'Young, Mig

rant & Welsh' in the National Wat

erfront Museum

ansea), and g people at EYST (Sw un yo n ee tw tity' be ' en ge 'Id ns of X-Chan European 'Identity Belgium and Poland. Youth expressio m fro young people

Annual award ceremony recognising young people’s achievements in Wrexham youth provision

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MEIC Helpline - the history Steph Hoffman, ProMo Cymru

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The Present Meic continues to be unique in its all-issues universal offer to CYP across Wales, establishing itself as a well-used and trusted source of support and information primarily for CYP but also for trusted adults (parents, teachers, youth workers, etc). Delivered by a diverse and professional team passionate about rights, CYP’s voice, innovation, and creativity. Meic is proud to: * Protect from harm, initiating safeguarding referrals, engaging with emergency services, providing evidence in criminal justice cases * Promote rights and entitlements, initiating referrals to statutory advocacy providers, public and third sector social care and welfare organisations * Promote voice and influence to inform high-level decision and policy-making * Equip CYP with skills and knowledge to use their voice in difficult conversations and to explore options and choices The voice of CYP speaks for itself:

“Thanks a lot for this chat, its honestly made me feel a lot less alone, and more happy and safe, your website honestly saves lives” “I rlly like this website I like the parts about anxiety n what to do. I told my friends about it too” “You are on fire. I used to pay for counselling... I’m surprised at how you offer greater understanding and at the same time I am extremely satisfied”

The History Following devolution in 1996, Wales quickly committed itself to upholding children’s rights (UNCRC 1989) and promoting children’s welfare (Children Act 1989) through ongoing legislation, policy, and service delivery programmes. Meic launched in May 2010 to deliver independent, accessible, bilingual national information, advice and advocacy to all children and young people (CYP) in Wales up to age 25. The aim was to secure the rights and entitlements of CYP, empowering and enabling them to make informed decisions, equipping them with the skills and information to make changes and enabling their voices to be heard to influence change and make a difference. Welsh Assembly Government and other stakeholders commissioned ProMo-Cymru as the lead partner in a collaborative arrangement with Children in Wales, NYAS, TGP, and Voices from Care. Meic was available free and anonymously via phone, text, and online chat 24/7, 365 days a year. The service has evolved, developed, and improved to become an integral part and core fabric of services aimed at CYP, including advocacy and safeguarding, health, education, and housing. Meic has celebrated significant successes, adapted to and initiated changes, and achieved significant milestones, all underpinned by their co-productive values and ethos of listening to, acting on and promoting CYP voice:

“You know I have tried 15 different services and you are the only ones who not only listened but have been really helpful” “Today I felt really crap... MEIC has helped me find a way to compose myself and to place myself in a positive mindset. This person listened, helped but most importantly understood.”

Feedback from CYP also conveys high levels of satisfaction: * Better informed * More confident * Know more about where to go for help * Know more about helping themselves

- Successfully transitioning to a reduced 8am-midnight service

The Future

- Maintaining and responding to contacts from CYP of all ages, backgrounds, and needs

If the external environment continues to exert huge pressures on the daily lives, rights, opportunities, and aspirations of the CYP population, there will always be a need for Meic. There will continue to be risks and challenges to the delivery and development of Meic in meeting the needs of its audience, in our control and beyond our influence. We will always strive to maintain our integrity and professionalism by sticking to our values and principles and continuing to be creative and iterative in meeting these challenges to benefit those who need Meic.

- Developing skills and expertise to deal with the rising number of difficult contacts (mental health, relationships, online harm) - Exponential increase in online reach and engagement through website and social media - Immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic - dealing with worries, anxieties, concerns, and providing accessible, easy-tounderstand messages - Developing a consistent, recognised brand across all online platforms

Text is the most popular communication method. Instant messaging and text made up 65% of contacts last quarter. The next significant development will be further improving accessibility by launching direct messaging using WhatsApp, allowing direct links to chat on social media. Follow Meic: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube. Contact by phone (080880 23456), text (84001) or instant messaging on the website: www.meic.cymru.

21 Windsor Place, Cardiff CF10 3BY 029 2034 2434 @ChildreninWales info@childreninwales.org.uk

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