Careers Wales www.careerswales.com
Careers Wales Education and Learning Opportunities / Addysg Income Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Consider doing more outreach work, Working with Parents The impact of parental involvement and support including out of hours support and working with vulnerable families. on children’s education has been widely acknowledged. Parental engagement in deprived areas is often lower than in other areas.
"not too hard to reach: developing a tool to reach the most disadvantaged families" Teaching Expertise article
Sustainable Procurement In 2005 it was estimated that 35% of the ÂŁ4 billion spent each year by the public sector in Wales was won by indigenous business supporting some 70,000 jobs. Every 1% increase to this figure should relate to an increase of some 2,000 jobs.
Develop a common partnership approach to sustainable procurement that ensures opportunities to support the local economy and skills development of young people are secured.
Buy Wales
Travelling to learn/work
Sustrans travel planning Review local policy and guidance and WAG Funding Advice develop travel plan to ensure that learners and workers in disadvantaged areas are able to access learning opportunities in the most efficient way possible. Developing a Transport impact assessment maybe a useful evaluative tool.
Transport is a significant barrier to accessing learning/ employment and training. Learners from less well-off backgrounds are further disadvantaged if they are not funded to travel to work placements.
http://www.forumforthefuture.org.uk/ node/1413 http://www.s-p-i-n.co.uk/ toolkit.asp#Socio-Economic
Careers Wales Participation and Decision Making / Cymryd rhan yn y broses Income Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Lack of Awareness There is limited awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Raise awareness of children and young people’s right to participate under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and Welsh Assembly Government policy e.g. Extending Entitlements.
Useful supporting websites on the UNCRC – list some here. Save the Children Wales UNCRC Monitoring Group and Funky Dragon information on website on UNCRC for children and young people. http://www.sccyp.org.uk/ participation/resources.php
Being Worse Off Children and young people experiencing poverty should not be worse off as a result of their participation.
Fully review the individual costs of participation and ensure that up front costs are minimised.
Camden documents
Careers Wales A Safe Home and Community / Cartrefi a chymunedau diogel Income Poverty
Current Challenges Economic inactivity In 2005-6 men and women living in social housing in Wales had a lower rate of economic activity and higher unemployment than those living in other tenures and of economic inactivity.
What Can Be Done? Explore ways of working in partnership to join up employment and housing solutions. Review housing related procurement processes and investigate the potential for social clauses and employment skills development. Link housing options advice with employment advice
Where To Go? DWP Report on Social Housing and Worklessness
Careers Wales Income Maximisation / Employment / Heb fod dan anfantais o achos tlodi Income Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
There is little awareness among young TIGER Consider reviewing the potential role of the people of the national minimum wage and youth service, schools and Careers Wales in This interactive guidance site run by the employment rights in general. the promotion of basic employment rights. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) can be used by workers, employers, professional advisers or anyone with an interest in knowing how the national minimum wage law works. BERR - Employment Relations The Employment Relations Directorate at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is responsible for the National Minimum Wage legislation. The website has a detailed guide to the National Minimum Wage, including a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs). Citizens advice: Tax credit take-up resource pack
Careers Wales Income Maximisation / Employment / Heb fod dan anfantais o achos tlodi Income Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
The nature and degree of partnership working between Job Centre Plus and the local councils varies across Wales. To date only a small percentage of Council’s have signed up to the Job Centre Plus Local Employment Partnerships initiative (which aims to bring together Government and large employers to help 250,000 disadvantaged people into jobs within three years).
Consider the appropriateness of committing the Council to the Job Centre Plus’s Local Employment Initiative (the following public sector bodies have signed up to this Scheme Somerset County Council, Coventry City Council, Glasgow City Council, Middlesbrough City Council, NHS Wales, North Glamorgan NHS Trust, West Lothian Council, Birmingham City Council). Review HR policies to ensure that recruitment practices are inclusive and do not disadvantage vulnerable groups.
Local Employment Partnerships
Unemployment and worklessness in families are major factors in child poverty. Paid work is seen by the government as a route out of poverty, however the ability to achieve higher quality and sustainable jobs is also important.
Develop in partnership a cohesive local approach to reducing worklessness. That co-ordinates local resource, understanding, data and expertise. Consider the use of outreach services and IT solutions to assist in reducing Worklessness.
Joseph Rowntree Foundation Local initiatives to help workless people find and keep paid work
Careers Wales The Early Years (0-7) / Y blynyddoedd cynnar Service Poverty
Current Challenges Basic Skills Improvement
What Can Be Done? Develop robust approached to improving basic skills.
Where To Go? http://www.basic-skills-wales.org/ bsastrategy/en/resources/ early_years.cfm http://www.basic-skills-wales.org/ bsastrategy/en/resources/early_years/ family_programmes good_practicepack.cfm http://www.basic-skills-wales.org/ bsastrategy/en/cross_phase/ financial_literacy_homepage.cfm
Careers Wales Education and Learning Opportunities / Addysg Service Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Curriculum and Teaching Schools that are ‘learning organisations’ and prioritise classroom experiences and learning rather than teaching have been found to be successful in reducing the gaps in educational attainment caused by poverty.
Tailor the curriculum specifically to the needs 14-19 Learning Peacehaven Community of the pupils and consider flexible approaches to teaching methods. School
Basic Skills Low levels of basic skills in work hamper the ability of employees to progress and perpetuates in work poverty.
Prioritise basic skills within your own organi- Basic-skills-Wales: emsations and encourage all partners to sign up ployer_pledge to "Basic skills employer pledge". Complete and implement the action plan.
Raising Aspirations In many areas in Wales that are experiencing poverty there is a “perceived poverty of ambition”
Support and further develop a range of informal education provision that helps raise aspirations, confidence, self esteem and motivation.
extending_entitlement
Careers Wales Education and Learning Opportunities / Addysg Service Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Learning Coaches
Undertake Learning Coach training on Learning Coaches (Wales) child poverty.
Working with others
Consider bringing in role models to show people from their own background that can be successful.
http://www.infed.org/biblio/ role_model_education.htm http://www.teachers.tv/video/244
Working with Parents Parental engagement in supporting learning has been found to be a key factor in increasing the attainment of vulnerable pupils.
Consider using the Scottish toolkit parents as partners in learning toolkit to enhance current work.
teachernet. workingwithparents parents as partnersinlearning toolkit
Careers Wales Education and Learning Opportunities / Addysg Service Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Smooth Transitions In Wales, the proportion of young people not engaged in education, employment or training (NEET) aged 16-18 is at a relatively high level – at around 10-12% or 12,000 young people for nearly a decade.
Develop a partnership approach to the reduction of NEETs focusing on early intervention.
WAG Consultation paper on NEETs www.bild.org.uk/03books_autism.htm
Smooth transitions
Develop robust methods that track those at risk of becoming a NEET, deal swiftly with dropout and develop efficient coordinated youth support services.
TOOLKIT ALIGNING PROVISION Developing provision to meet PSA Targets for Attainment of Level 2 at 19 and Reducing the proportion of Young People who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)
Information advice and Guidance
Focus advice and guidance services for those at risk of disengagement.
The effectiveness of the Careers Wales Companies in supporting young people in making a successful transition from education to employment
http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/ children/docs/neet-toolkit.pdf
Careers Wales Education and Learning Opportunities / Addysg Service Poverty
Current Challenges Basic Skills Lack of basic skills limit the ability of pupils to partake in educational and skills based activities. This limits employment opportunities
What Can Be Done? Work with the Basic Skills Cymru to develop a robust approach to developing Basic skills attainment at post 16.
Where To Go? Basic-skills-Wales: post_16 resource
Careers Wales Participation and Decision Making / Cymryd rhan yn y broses benderfynu Service Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Workforce Development Training adults in the participation of children and There is a perception that there are skills gaps in young people living in poverty so that they can support, relation to the delivery of participation activities relat- encourage and facilitate this process. ing to child poverty.
The Participation Unit has a list of participation trainers from across Wales. The Unit is also piloting a Train the Trainers in children and young people’s participation which will cascade training across Wales.
Limited local knowledge Undertake participatory approaches to explore the barThere is limited research on the local barriers to par- riers to participation of hard to reach children and ticipation caused by child poverty young people / children and young people living in poverty in particular.
Download the good practice guide on ‘Ensuring Inclusion’ from www.participationworkersw ales.org.uk Contact organisations with expertise in reaching hard to reach groups e.g. Black Voluntary Sector Network
Careers Wales Participation and Decision Making / Cymryd rhan yn y broses benderfynu Service Poverty
Current Challenges Lack of Resources There are limited practical resources for facilitating the participation of vulnerable children and young people with sensitive issues such as child poverty.
What Can Be Done? Use resources available e.g. Dyamix ‘Spice It Up’ pack for games and activities. Draw on good practice from other areas / organisations
Where To Go? Sign up as a member to the participation e-briefings for the Participation Workers’ Network for Wales and get examples of good practice from across Wales. Download good practice guides on children and young people’s participation from www.participationworkerswale s.org.uk. Liaise with local participation workers / youth forum workers who have a remit for the participation of children and young people locally. Liaise with local school councils. Liaise with Funky Dragon, the Children and Young People’s Assembly for Wales, which has a national remit for children and young people’s participation.
Careers Wales Participation and Decision Making / Cymryd rhan yn y broses benderfynu Service Poverty
Current Challenges Processes Improving the process of children and young people’s participation and the quality of their experience overall remains a key issue for practitioners.
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Use the National Children and Young People’s Participation Standards as a guide. There are seven standards: information, it’s your choice, no discrimination, respect, you get something out of it, feedback and improving how we work. Keeping to these Standards will mean upholding what children and young people have identified as the core components of participation.
Download the National Participation Standards document and the Self Assessment Pack from the website www.participationworkerswale s.org.uk which shows how to measure and evidence against the Standards to improve good practice.
Careers Wales A Safe Home and Community / Cartrefi a chymunedau diogel Service Poverty
Current Challenges Homelessness
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Ensure that Youth Workers, Careers Wales staff http://www.homelesspages.org.uk/index.asp and other officers dealing with unemployed young people are trained in homelessness issues
Careers Wales The Early Years (0-7) / Y blynyddoedd cynnar Participation Poverty
Current Challenges Lone Parents Lone Parents participation Needs of disabled participation, ethnic minority.
What Can Be Done? Ensure that steps are taken to research the local Day Care Trust needs of lone parents and other groups at risk of child poverty.
Where To Go?
Careers Wales Income Maximisation / Emplyment / Heb fod dan anfantais o achos tlodi Participation Poverty
Current Challenges Families and young experiencing poverty often face difficulties accessing financial products and internet deals such as basic bank accounts.
What Can Be Done? Basic Bank accounts Toolkit E.g. Carmarthen LA and Carmarthen CAB have worked to ensure that Local Housing Allowance claimants have access to bank accounts
Where To Go? Basic Bank Account Toolkit for Housing Benefit claims is designed to guide other Local Authorities through the process of setting up the same kind of service we have with one bank and to address any questions