Key Messages from the Youth Work Reference Group

Youth Work Reference Group – Key messages July 2018

The Youth Work Reference Group (YWRG) was established in December 2014 to support Ministers to implement the National Youth Work Strategy. The remit of the group has changed slightly over time and revised Terms of Reference were agreed in January 2018 which states;
“the purpose of the Group is to provide advice, support, guidance and challenge to Welsh Ministers and the Welsh Government on youth work in Wales. The Group has no executive powers and is advisory in its purpose.”
In March 2018, the Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning set out her intention to develop a new long term National Youth Work Strategy, and recruit a new interim Youth Work Board. Details of the statement she made in March can be found here:
https://gov.wales/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2018/YouthWorkinWalesMovingForwardTogether/?lang=en
The YWRG play a key role in taking forward this work and has met 5 times so far in 2018. Since March, the YWRG have been focusing on the development of a new Youth Work Strategy for Wales. This has included giving consideration to key areas that will underpin the strategy, and processes for engaging with young people and the sector in its development.
Membership of the YWRG includes representatives from the Welsh Government, the Welsh Local Government Agency, local authorities, Principle Youth Officers, Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services (CWVYS), Estyn, The Professional Association of Lecturers in Youth and Community Work (known as TAG), Education Workforce Council (EWC), Education Training Standards Wales (ETS), Trade Unions, the Association of Directors of Education in Wales (ADEW), Ethnic Minorities and Youth Support Team (EYST), youth workers, Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ Office, and independent youth academics.
The purpose of circulating the following key messages is to enable the sector to understand the work that YWRG has been undertaking, and that which is planned.
At the latest meeting on 3 July the Youth Work Reference Group welcomed the appointment of Keith Towler as the Chair of Interim Youth Work Board. Going forward, consideration will be given to the establishment of a complementary working relationship between the Board and the Group.
The Group continued their discussions on the development of a new Youth Work Strategy for Wales, focusing on the following areas:
 A common vision for youth work and the role of the Youth Work Charter. This discussion was informed by the previous reviews and evaluations undertaken in 2017, Margaret Jervis’ report Our Future: A review of Extending Entitlement, and the outcomes from workshops with the youth work sector at the March conference.
 The need for a robust Workforce Development Framework to ensure the profession had access to appropriate professional learning and development.
 Communicating with the sector and young people. It was established that a refreshed approach was required, through the development of a new communications plan. This would give consideration to approaches for engaging with the sector over the development of the new strategy, as well as the delivery of the Youth Work Conference, Youth Work Excellence Awards, and Youth Work Week in 2019.
The group were updated on the publication date for ESTYN’s upcoming report ‘Youth Support Services in Wales – The Value of Youth Work’, which is currently scheduled for the end of July.

Grŵp Cyfeirio Gwaith Ieuenctid – prif negeseuon Gorffennaf 2018

Cafodd y Grŵp Cyfeirio Gwaith Ieuenctid ei sefydlu ym mis Rhagfyr 2014 i helpu Gweinidogion i weithredu'r Strategaeth Gwaith Ieuenctid Genedlaethol. Mae cylch gwaith y Grŵp wedi newid ychydig dros amser a chytunwyd ar Gylch Gorchwyl diwygiedig ym mis Ionawr 2018, sy'n datgan:
“Diben y Grŵp Cyfeirio yw cynnig cyngor, cymorth, arweiniad a her i Weinidogion Cymru a Llywodraeth Cymru ar waith ieuenctid yng Nghymru. Nid oes gan y Grŵp Cyfeirio bwerau gweithredol a'i ddiben yw cynghori."
Ym mis Mawrth 2018, amlinellodd Gweinidog y Gymraeg a Dysgu Gydol Oes ei bwriad i ddatblygu Strategaeth Gwaith Ieuenctid Genedlaethol hirdymor newydd, a recriwtio Bwrdd Gwaith Ieuenctid newydd interim. Mae'r datganiad a wnaeth ym mis Mawrth i'w weld yma:
https://gov.wales/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2018/YouthWorkinWalesMovingForwardTogether/?skip=1&lang=cy
Mae'r Grŵp Cyfeirio Gwaith Ieuenctid yn chwarae rôl allweddol o ran symud ymlaen â'r gwaith hwn ac wedi cwrdd 5 o weithiau hyd yn hyn yn 2018. Ers mis Mawrth, mae'r Grŵp wedi bod yn canolbwyntio ar ddatblygu Strategaeth Gwaith Ieuenctid newydd i Gymru. Mae hyn wedi cynnwys ystyried y meysydd a fydd yn sail i'r strategaeth, a'r prosesau ar gyfer ymgysylltu â phobl ifanc a'r sector wrth fynd ati i'w datblygu.
Mae aelodau'r Grŵp yn cynnwys cynrychiolwyr o Lywodraeth Cymru, Cymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru, awdurdodau lleol, Prif Swyddogion Ieuenctid, Cyngor Cymreig y Gwasanaethau Ieuenctid Gwirfoddol, Estyn, Cymdeithas Broffesiynol Darlithwyr mewn Gwaith Ieuenctid a Chymunedol (TAG), Cyngor y Gweithlu Addysg, Safonau Addysg Hyfforddiant Cymru, Undebau Llafur, Cymdeithas Cyfarwyddwyr Addysg Cymru, Tîm Cymorth Lleiafrifoedd Ethnig ac Ieuenctid, gweithwyr ieuenctid, Swyddfa Comisiynydd Plant Cymru, ac academyddion gwaith ieuenctid annibynnol.
Rydym yn lledaenu'r negeseuon allweddol canlynol er mwyn helpu'r sector i ddeall y gwaith y mae'r Grŵp Cyfeirio Gwaith Ieuenctid wedi bod yn ei wneud, a'r hyn sydd ar y gweill.
Yn y cyfarfod diwethaf ar 3 Gorffennaf, croesawodd y Grŵp benodiad Keith Towler fel Cadeirydd y Bwrdd Gwaith Ieuenctid Interim. Y cam nesaf fydd ystyried sefydlu perthynas waith rhwng y Bwrdd a'r Grŵp.
Gwnaeth y Grŵp barhau â'i drafodaeth ynghylch datblygu Strategaeth Gwaith Ieuenctid newydd i Gymru sy'n canolbwyntio ar y meysydd canlynol:
 Gweledigaeth gyffredin ar gyfer gwaith ieuenctid a rôl y Siarter Gwaith Ieuenctid. Cafodd y drafodaeth hon ei llywio gan yr adolygiadau a'r gwerthusiadau blaenorol a wnaed yn 2017, adroddiad Margaret Jervis 'Ein
Dyfodol: Adolygiad o Ymestyn Hawliau', a chanlyniadau'r gweithdai gyda'r sector gwaith ieuenctid yn y gynhadledd ym mis Mawrth.
 Yr angen am fframwaith cadarn i ddatblygu'r gweithlu er mwyn sicrhau bod gan y proffesiwn fynediad at ddysgu a datblygu proffesiynol priodol.
 Cyfathrebu â'r sector a phobl ifanc. Nodwyd bod angen dull gweithredu newydd drwy ddatblygu cynllun cyfathrebu newydd. Byddai'r cynllun hwn yn ystyried ffyrdd o ymgysylltu â'r sector ynghylch datblygu'r strategaeth newydd, ynghyd â chyflawni'r Gynhadledd Gwaith Ieuenctid, y Gwobrau Rhagoriaeth Gwaith Ieuenctid ac Wythnos Gwaith Ieuenctid yn 2019.
Cafodd y Grŵp ei hysbysu am y dyddiad cyhoeddi ar gyfer adroddiad Estyn 'Gwasanaethau Cymorth Ieuenctid yng Nghymru - Gwerth Gwaith Ieuenctid', sef diwedd Gorffennaf.