Young People's Voice & Influence
One of the Youth Work Unit’s key objectives is to promote young people’s voice, influence and active participation in society at large as well as in Y&H region and their local communities.
Voice, Influence and Participation (VIP) work is a crucial part of youth work and all statutory and voluntary sector youth work organisations have considerable expertise and have developed an extensive range of VIP work. Examples would include parliaments/forums, campaigning, scrutiny, consultations, training, inspection and recruitment.
The YWU has two specific contracts in this area: one working with young people - UK Youth Parliament and the second with workers - Participation Workers Network, Y&H.
The YWU organised a regional Youth Summit in November 2008, where 80+ young people engaged with key regional officials on community cohesion issues. In April 2009 young people from UKYP met with Regional Minister, Rosie Winterton,and she will return to their next meeting in September. The YWU works to extend young people's voice and influence in all matters in the region which affect their lives.
From June 2007 the YWU has co-ordinated all UKYP activities in the region:
- supporting members (MYPs) and deputies (DMYPs) of the Youth Parliament
- liasing with their workers
- organising regional meetings
- ensuring and supporting the annual UKYP sitting, this year held in Canterbury
- supporting national campaigns - transport, abolish university tuition fees and political education in schools
Currently 14 of the 15 Local Authorities in the region are affiliated to UKYP. It is hoped we will soon have all 15 involved.
The YWU also works closely with UKYP nationally, attending staff meetings and ensuring a close relationship and facilitating involvement in national events and meetings. For more information visit UKYP web site http://www.ukyp.org.uk/
Good Practice Examples
Publicity
UKYP Manifesto
Annual Sitting 2009
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, Speaker of the House of Commons,
with Frankie Bond, MYP Sheffield John Bercow, with Harrison Carter, MYP Sheffield
LOCAL UKYP DEPUTY MEMBER OF UK YOUTH PARLIAMENT GAINS NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Usman Ali, D/MYPs for Calderdale, being presented with the National MWH Andrew Rowe Award
Usman received the award for his tireless efforts which included:
- almost single handedly organised an event to celebrate the 60th anniversay of the Human Rights Act
- representing the UK in Geneva at the rights of the Child Convention in 2008
- organisating with others a large transport meeting with the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport executive to
campaign for concessionary fares for young people - working with the NHS Trust for Kirklees and Calderdale to successfully argue for a Young People's Board to act as a
watchdog for the standards under 'You're Welcome' - being the driving force to gain the attendance of Rosie Winterton, our Regional Minister, to attend and answer questions
at two of our regional meetings last year
Participation Works is a Big Lottery funded project which offers resources, tools, training, consultancy and a web-based portal all promoting and supporting children and young people’s involvement particularly but not exclusively in the voluntary sector. The project is delivered by a consortium of six national children and young people’s agencies - British Youth Council, Children’s Rights Alliance England, National Children’s Bureau, National Youth Agency, National Council for Voluntary Youth Services and Save the Children.
The Participation Workers’ Network England (PWNE) is also part of the project and exists to enable practitioners to support one another and share best practice in involvement and active participation in 0-19 age range. Workers can join the network at http://www.participationworks.org.uk/networks/join-the-network
The YWU has the contract to co-ordinate a regional network in Y&H - PWN-Y&H; and there are similar networks in the other eight English regions, together forming PWNE. PWN-Y&H incorporates earlier YWU groupings, e.g. Voice and Influence (V&I) 13 - 19 network, V&I Leads but also includes colleagues working with children, e.g. from Sure Start, from Children’s Fund and also from other settings, e.g. health, housing. The network was launched at an event in March 2007 and has since held a variety of meetings and training sessions. The YWU acts as an information hub regularly circulating information including the PW bulletin. To join PWN-Y&H see below.
As part of the PW project the YWU was successful in gaining funding from the Children’s Workforce Development Council’s (CWDC) Participation Fund and developed a regional resource kit, with good practice examples from Y&H, promoting the involvement of young people and children in recruitment, selection, training and appraisal of the workforce - see below.
Workforce Development Resource Pack
Participation Work Courses in Region
PWN-Y&H Registration Form