Leisure Culture
Leisure/Culture Education and Learning Opportunities / Addysg Income Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Consider doing more outreach work, Working with Parents including out of hours support and working The impact of parental involvement and with vulnerable families. support on children’s education has been widely acknowledged. Parental engagement in deprived areas is often lower than in other areas. Working with others Schools alone are unable to tackle and overcome the effects of child poverty on education. Effective schools working in deprived areas develop creative methods of working with others.
Develop creative methods for the recruitment and retention of staff. Consider recruiting from the local community and ex pupils for all staff positions.
Where To Go? "not too hard to reach: developing a tool to reach the most disadvantaged families" Teaching Expertise article
Leisure/Culture Play Sport, Leisure and Culture / Chwarae, campau, hamdden a'r pethe Income Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
The need to support and promote activities within communities rather than introducing activities through external initiatives.
Building local interest and capacity ensures that services are more sustainable because they attract a critical mass of people, are easily accessible and relate to the locality. Community capacity can be built by procuring funds to provide subsidised costs and underwrite of activities.
Hand in Hand- Arts based Activities and Regeneration (ACW)
Developing an accurate picture of participation, financial barriers and related outcomes.
Develop a more robust monitoring and evaluation model to reflect the actual number of people engaging in relevant services and measure the impact made.
Unpacking Participation
Minimising the costs of participation for families with more than one child.
Saturday morning school pilots are being developed by the Welsh Sports Council to provide low cost or free additional services in an environment accessible to local families. Increase opportunities for partnership working specifically between CYPPs, Communities First and local arts providers (community arts organisations).
Sports Council - Wales grants
Leisure/Culture Play Sport, Leisure and Culture / Chwarae, campau, hamdden a'r pethe Income Poverty
Current Challenges Retaining participation levels when costs for uniforms, equipment or subs become too high
What Can Be Done? Explore partnership working with the private sector and/or charities to part fund activities and equipment. Develop a community co operative model in which facilities and equipment are shared. Applications can be made for up to ÂŁ1000 of Community Chest grant from the Sports Council for Wales to buy sporting equipment to start new clubs or to expand existing clubs. Clubs in deprived communities may also be able to use these funds to purchase uniform for their teams.
Where To Go? Promoting private sector engagement in sport for development partnerships http://www.sports-council-wales.org.uk/ grants-funding/grant-schemes/ community-chest
Leisure/Culture Play Sport, Leisure and Culture / Chwarae, campau, hamdden a'r pethe Income Poverty
Current Challenges Engaging children, young people and their families in arts, culture and leisure when there are significant financial barriers.
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Maximise use of community settings e.g. integrated children’s centres or community schools to provide subsidised activities. Access extracurricular provision through programmes such as Dragon Sport and 5x60, in which teachers and volunteers provide activity sessions free of charge or at minimal cost.
The Community Builders Handbook Arts Council Wales fund community arts and dance organisations across Wales who aim to engage children from deprived communities.
Sports Council for Wales employ Dragon Sport Coordinators based in local authorities across Wales. The Coordinators work with Provide staffed play areas - funding available schools and community clubs to provide from Big Lottery fund opportunities for 7-11 year olds http://www.dragonsport.co.uk 5x60 officers are funded through the Sports Council for Wales to provide extracurricular sport sessions for secondary school pupils.
Leisure/Culture Participation and Decision Making / Cymryd rhan yn y broses benderfynu Income Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Lack of Awareness Raise awareness of children and young peoThere is limited awareness of the United Na- ple’s right to participate under the United tions Convention on the Rights of the Child. Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and Welsh Assembly Government policy e.g. Extending Entitlements.
Being Worse Off Children and young people experiencing poverty should not be worse off as a result of their participation.
Where To Go? 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
Fully review the individual costs of participa- Camden documents tion and ensure that up front costs are minimised.
Lack of money Develop good practice in relation to the reMonetary issues can often act as a barrier to ward, remuneration and recognition of Chilattending participation activity. dren and young people’s participation, ensuring that it takes into account the complexities of the welfare benefits system.
Good practice Guide www.participationworkerswales.org.uk
Leisure/Culture Education and Learning Opportunities / Addysg Service Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Learning Coaches
Undertake Learning Coach training on child poverty.
Learning Coaches (Wales)
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 organisations and encourage all partners to sign up to "Basic skills employer pledge". Complete and implement the action plan.
Basic-skills-Wales: employer_pledge
Curriculum and Teaching Priorities community schooling in schools Extended Schools and out of school with high populations of pupils entitled to activities programmes that provide effective free school meals. and complementary educational support to vulnerable children play a significant part in reducing the gaps in educational attainment.
Literacytrust.org.uk/socialinclusion nfer extended schools
Leisure/Culture Education and Learning Opportunities / Addysg Service Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
School Exclusions
Prevent vulnerable children missing out by adopting approaches that minimise the potential for school exclusions.
http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/ socialpolicy/961.asp http://www.teachers.tv/video/2542
School Rewards
Develop in partnership a flexible pastoral and youth support framework
dfes goodpractice WAG: A whole school approach to behaviour and attendance
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
Leisure/Culture Education and Learning Opportunities / Addysg Service Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Community Schooling Explicitly target Community Schooling Extended schooling and out-of-hours provision at the most disadvantaged activities are particularly important to communities/young people. disadvantaged pupils: they do not enjoy the range and richness of out-of-school learning available to their more advantaged peers.
Community Focussed Schools: Making it happen a toolkit
Smooth Transitions Develop a partnership approach to the In Wales, the proportion of young people not reduction of NEETs focusing on early engaged in education, employment or intervention. training (NEET) aged 16-18 is at a relatively high level – at around 10-12% or 12,000 young people for nearly a decade.
WAG Consultation paper on NEETs http://www.bild.org.uk/03books_autism.htm http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/children/ docs/neet-toolkit.pdf
Homework Policies Children from more advantaged backgrounds enjoy considerable out of school support in overcoming their problems that their disadvantaged peers do not receive. The latter are almost totally dependent on out-of-school homework clubs if they are to access such support.
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/ atoz/h/homework/ Homework Policies
Develop guidance on homework policies that take account of the difficult situation faced by children experiencing poverty and the support that can be made available to them.
Leisure/Culture Education and Learning Opportunities / Addysg Service Poverty
Current Challenges Supporting Educational Attainment
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Develop effective Children and young people Contact Partnership Support Unit for partnership monitoring arrangements for available resources. Contact Charlotte Drury educational attainment specifically targeting PSU Manager (029) 20468616 underachievement.
Leisure/Culture Health Freedom from Abuse and Exploitation / Iechyd, a rhyddid rhag cam-drin a Service Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Access to information and support on key areas of public health such as: Nutrition, Maternal & Neo natal health, Breastfeeding, Immunisation, Sexual Health, Physical Activity, Obesity Understanding the impacts of poverty on families
Ensuring that targeted information is accessible to excluded groups such as families living in poverty is essential. In terms of health related behaviours partnerships and local government services such as environmental health and housing have a key role to play in delivering responsive and useful information in a suitable format on subjects relevant to public health including nutrition, breastfeeding, immunisations, healthy and hygienic environments etc An evaluation of HSCWB & CYP targets would support a strengthened approach to joined up working targeting limited resources around priority areas determined to have a poverty related impact on health and wellbeing, pooling budgets and resources.
WLGA Nutrition & food poverty toolkit D developing a local nutrition and food poverty strategy Health Challenge Wales have produced a leaflet and poster entitled the small steps to a healthier you Kettering healthy lifestyles info sheet Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey Western Health Action Zone (Northern Ireland) supports a diversity of projects under the Family and Poverty theme Food poverty and health toolkit Nutrition and Health toolkit Breastfeeding strategy (Wales) Sports Council for Wales
Leisure/Culture Play Sport, Leisure and Culture / Chwarae, campau, hamdden a'r pethe Service Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
There are very few audits of available services mapped against deprivation indicators. This makes planning activities very difficult. Funding for play services is rarely reviewed continuing on the basis of historical information. An audit of services and funding streams would align current resources to children’s play needs
In all local authorities there is sustained investment in cultural venues. This in turn needs linking up with local community groups, school curricula and youth services to increase access and opportunity e.g. school visits to museums, hiring of mini buses via transport grants and organising walking buses. Sustainable community provision linked in with local priorities e.g. reclaiming unused land to create new play spaces by working with the environmental services and planning departments. Greater use and development of play impact assessment to support the need for increased provision. linking the wider community with educational and environmental agendas.
Where To Go? www.playwales.org.uk Play Impact Assessments Bridging the Gap –from policy to implementation working together to combat poverty (Swansea, Glasgow & Newham)
Leisure/Culture Play Sport, Leisure and Culture / Chwarae, campau, hamdden a'r pethe Service Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Lack of joined up local indicators that link In the absence of Key Performance access and participation Indicators, local Indicators could be developed to enhance access for children in deprived wards, using the Free Swimming and other similar initiatives as benchmarks. Adequately targeted services and evaluation of outcomes focused on enhancing the participation and engagement of children from deprived or hard to reach communities.
Local authorities are not required to collect information that indicate the number of children from deprived wards who are accessing cultural and leisure services. This continues to undermine targeted planning and provision. A local pilot initiative to collect data and improve targeting would be a step forward.
Sport Action Zones Arts and Public Engagement : Patterns. Processes and levers for Change Arts Council Wales databases offer details of community arts organisations which operate across Wales
Leisure/Culture Participation and Decision Making / Cymryd rhan yn y broses benderfynu Service Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Limited local knowledge There is limited research on the local barriers to participation caused by child poverty
Undertake participatory approaches to explore the barriers to participation of hard to reach children and young people / children and young people living in poverty in particular.
Download the good practice guide on ‘Ensuring Inclusion’ from www.participationworkerswales.org.uk Contact organisations with expertise in reaching hard to reach groups e.g. Black Voluntary Sector Network
Workforce Development There is a perception that there are skills gaps in relation to the delivery of participation activities relating to child poverty.
Training adults in the participation of children and young people living in poverty so that they can support, encourage and facilitate this process.
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.
Leisure/Culture Health Freedom from Abuse and Exploitation / Iechyd, a rhyddid rhag cam-drin a Participation Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Engaging local people in learning about nutrition
Cymru Cooks Cymru Cooks supports the development of cookery clubs, as an out of school hours learning activity. Clubs can now register on the Cymru Cook website either by downloading an online form or a word document.
Cymru Cook website
Ensuring children and young people are able to participate in health related activities i.e. sport and exercise
Many families are often put off or excluded National Participation standards and Self Asfrom extra curricular community activities as sessment pack Regeneration outcome agreement (Scotland) a result of the cost. Through maximising community facilities and programmes such as the community focused schools scheme, local provision can be enhanced at little cost. Additionally, working in partnership with local business to provide facilities and activity can reduce cost and enhance participation, creating local jobs along the way.
Leisure/Culture Health Freedom from Abuse and Exploitation / Iechyd, a rhyddid rhag cam-drin a Participation Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Maintaining engagement over a period of Creative and innovative methods can be time used to respond to community needs, enhance interest and ensure the development of new skills.
Yale Centre for Digital story telling at Yale College Wrexham, is now working with Communities First areas to deliver new and experience and skills to the public.
The need for local services to encourage greater participation.
Communities First Network- Billy Brown Creative Partnerships Arts Council Wales strategies for promoting participation and funding opportunities. WAG Statement 2005 Welsh Association of Local Sport Councils Libraries for Life
There will be enhanced participation if service provision is worthwhile, fun and gives opportunity to gain new skills or an award (e.g. Millennium volunteers Grant scheme) Development of intergenerational projects enhances skills and provides access to services e.g. cinema night or cultural trips. Some local authority areas have sports’ councils who provide a voice for local clubs. The umbrella body for these is the Welsh Association of Local Sport Councils. The Libraries for Life scheme launched by WAG should encourage greater engagement with and use of local library facilities
Leisure/Culture Health Freedom from Abuse and Exploitation / Iechyd, a rhyddid rhag cam-drin a Participation Poverty
Current Challenges Lack of local capacity
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
A number of councils work in partnership with The role of sport in regenerating communities communities first partnerships, the arts council, sports councils and other voluntary sector providers to bid for funding and enhance local community capacity, specifically in the arts and cultural pursuits. Such collaboration ensures community needs are met whilst increasing facilities, access and engagement. The sports council, working with local authorities, has developed a programme called 5 x 60 aimed at increasing access to physical activity and sports. Sixth formers from across Wales have been trained to deliver support to younger children, enhancing both their skills and values and ensuring increased participation. Local grants are available from the Sports Council for Wales to support small enterprise organisations in their provision of local sporting opportunities. Grants are also available to a wide range of organisations to support the development of capacity.
Leisure/Culture A Safe Home and Community / Cartrefi a chymunedau diogel Participation Poverty
Current Challenges
What Can Be Done?
Where To Go?
Play Research over recent years has repeatedly highlighted children’s declining presence in the outdoor world that was traditionally their playground. Possible causes are traffic, fear of crime, negative attitudes to children in public and planning policies that take little account of their needs.
One of the main reasons children give for not playing outdoors more is that they and their parents are afraid for their safety. Fear of strangers, traffic and bullying by other children combine to keep children in their own homes. Good play provision protects children through reducing unacceptable levels of danger, while allowing them the opportunity to challenge themselves and use their initiative
Child's Play: Facilitating play on housing estates
Participation and Leisure
Consider the creation of a virtual team to work with homeless families in hostel and other settings. The idea of a virtual team is to bring together services such as a link social worker, education welfare, children’s worker and other agencies to co-ordinate their work. Each team member would retain their existing line management and job title but would be given time to contribute.
Participation and Leisure Children in hostels and in temporary accommodation have a loss of social contact with friends and limited play and leisure opportunities which can limit their development.
Review the need for a children’s worker to be employed within housing departments (using Women’s Aid as a model for this service) to assess and support children and their parents. Their role could include referral to other agencies, advice around childcare, provision of play and leisure at the hostel and information on local resources for children.
Open Space and Children's Play Areas Checklist