Our work
NORTH WEST REGIONAL YOUTH WORK UNIT
Our Role
INTELLIGENCE
NWRYWU provides expertise, intelligence, information, leadership and support in a number of ways through our many networks. Our Participation Workers’ Network values our weekly bulletin and stakeholders often come to us for an alternative perspective or intelligence on a particular issue. We are flexible, pro-active and can respond quickly, accurately collating and analysing information vital to the sector.
INTELLIGENCE – What we do
NWRYWU provides support for the strategic leadership of youth work in the region. We run networks where key issues for the successful delivery of youth outcomes are identified and addressed. We have direct relationships with key players that allow us to work with others to use information and intelligence to take forward the youth agenda.
INTELLIGENCE – Turning support into action:
Young People & Alcohol
In 2009 North West LAs, working with NHS NW and Government Office North West (GONW) wanted to give new impetus to work on this crucial issue. To get a real fix on what young people thought about alcohol, NWRYWU was asked to organise a conference. It brought together 70 young people, 11 partner organisations and produced a clear picture of how young people and their families see alcohol in their lives. Subsequently this work provided the basis for further research funded by the Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Network on young women and alcohol. Additionally NWRYWU has been funded to host work on developing an alcohol harm reduction network and delivery plan for NW areas. The outcomes of this work are currently enabling services in the region to base their commission of alcohol services on evidence and on the voices and needs of young people themselves
To find out about our Alcohol & Young People Programme – North West – click here
INTELLIGENCE – The difference it makes:
‘NHS NW has valued the work that the Unit has undertaken – it has given us a real insight into the views of young people, presented in a straightforward way whilst also illustrating that young people are not a homogenous group. The professional expertise has enabled regional organisations to put together a programme of work around alcohol and young people. We are delighted that the Unit accepted our offer to lead this programme and we look forward to working together over the next year’
(Eustace de Sousa, Associate Director, Children & Maternal Health NHS North West)
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT
NWRYWU can provide professional support, training and workforce development guidance for professionals working with young people. We do this in a number of ways such as delivering bespoke training and co-ordinating time limited working groups on issues relevant to the sector at specific times. Our products and services can support the effective management and efficient delivery of services.
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT – What we do:
NWRYWU brings together those responsible for Workforce Development in young people’s services and the voluntary youth sector with representatives from universities, colleges and other training providers.
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT – Turning support into action:
We recently organised a consultation seminar to feed North West views on the reform of youth work qualifications. We are also doing work with LAs on commissioning services and providing advice on how the regions’ services are developing ways to measure youth work impact.
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT – The difference it makes:
I took the lead on workforce development for Stockport Youth Service in 2009. Not originally from a youth work background I found the NWRYWU network an essential source of information and advice. The Unit has helped me ensure our workforce development strategy is consistent with legislation and best practice amongst peer LAs, and helped us access training opportunities. With the Unit’s help I have been able to make invaluable link-ups with Voluntary Sector services and engage with international development opportunities such as the Leonardo Project.
(Jill Hustwitt, Training & Development Officer, Services to Young People, Stockport MBC)
PARTICIPATION
We facilitate and support empowerment activities for young people, enabling them to have a say in local and national policy and service delivery. We achieve this in a number of ways and have a variety of products and services on offer, including peer research, bespoke consultation and training. In the past two years the Unit has raised over £170,000 to support participation initiatives in the region.
PARTICIPATION – What we do:
Working on behalf of NW LAs and in partnership with UK Youth Parliament, NWRYWU co-ordinates a young people’s network called Youthforia. This project supports over 130 young people each year to take voluntary social action in their communities acting as leaders within local youth forums, youth councils and UK Youth Parliament Groups. These young people act to improve and co-ordinate youth participation activities within these projects by producing resources and acting as leaders.
PARTICIPATION – Turning support into action:
Like other youth forums, Youthforia gives young people a real chance to influence decisions and policy. Since 2007 it has organised the “Circles of Influence” conference bringing NW organisations such as Lancashire Police, NHS NW, the BBC, and Greater Manchester Transport Executive face to face with 500 young people, helping them to understand how services can meet young peoples’ needs.
PARTICIPATION – The difference it makes:
‘At the Circles event I attended young people were clearly getting an incredible amount out of taking part. Their participation itself was massively empowering, allowing them to take on proper active roles in an impressively large-scale event’
Simon Goretzki, Deputy Editor, BBC Newsround
RELATIONSHIPS
We are proud of our strong relationships within the sector, and capitalise on them to champion work with young people, conduct research and identify best practice that contributes to development of policy and improving outcomes. This unique position enables us know the right people to talk to in many areas nationally and locally, and we are adept at forging new relationships and productive partnerships.
RELATIONSHIPS – What we do:
NWRYWU was commissioned by the Department of Health’s ‘You’re Welcome’ Programme to help enable young people play a key role in inspecting and advising on how well local health services meet the needs of young people.
RELATIONSHIPS – Turning support into action:
Working with young people and local youth services, we developed resources and material for use at a local level for the training of young inspectors/advisers. We also helped foster links between the organisations involved, young people and clients, ensuring health bodies were more able to effectively understand young people’s needs, and how to keep in touch with them in the future.
RELATIONSHIPS – The difference it makes:
‘I, and my colleagues at the Child Health Development Programme, have been working closely with the NWRYWU over the past 4 years. The Unit has, in our experience, a unique understanding of the issues around young people’s participation, the value and importance of which is greater now than it ever has been.’
(Jonathan Smith, Chief Executive, Child Health Development Programme)
NETWORKING
Networking between individuals and organisations is at the heart of our work and is vital to enable the optimum strategic understanding of youth work developments, share best practice and promote effective and efficient joint working across sectors. We believe that our networks and relationships are our ‘best sellers’, our combined USP!
NETWORKING – What we do:
We facilitate several LA networks including Integrated Youth Support Network, Heads of Youth Services, and Workforce Development Leads. Through these networks we aim to help people plan and direct youth support, see latest developments, foster best practice, to improve the service and outcomes for young people.
NETWORKING – Turning support into action:
The North West Integrated Youth Support Network was set up by our Local Authorities and Government Office North West. During 2010 NWRYWU took over the coordination and support for the chair and leadership of the group from GONW. The network has a very strong track record of assisting Directors and key leads, and has high feedback ratings from participants. The network has demonstrated its value in helping members review key areas such as developing integrated pathways for identifying early and then helping very vulnerable teenagers in constrained financial climates. More recently we brought Ofsted’s Youth Support National Adviser to the region for a day unpicking the conclusions and implications of Ofsted’s 2010 Youth Support thematic survey with LA youth support managers.
NETWORKING – The difference it makes:
‘The Unit has provided valuable support to the Regional IYSS Network over the last 12 months in arranging and planning meetings across the region. These meetings have provided an opportunity for Strategic Leads to review, coordinate and plan for the future delivery of a wide range of services. This has been particularly helpful at this time of significant financial challenge and changes in Central Government policy’
(Julie Thompson, Assistant Director Positive Contribution. Children’s Services, Bolton Council)
BROKERING OPPORTUNITIES
We strive to increase the opportunities for young people in many ways. Working with local partners and those at national level, we secure additional resources and activities. We aim to be a catalyst and our expertise in collaborative working ensures we maximise opportunities for new resources and activities that benefit young people in the North West.
BROKERING OPPORTUNITIES – What we do:
We bid to manage and act as agent for organisations who wish to pursue work on behalf of young people in the North West. In the recent past we have secured funds from The Reading Agency, British Council, Department of Health, GONW, Home Office and the European Commission to facilitate work with LAs and young people. This triples the resource that we can employ in our work.
BROKERING OPPORTUNITIES – Turning support into action
NWRYWU is a passionate advocate for international work and the mobility of young people. For fifteen years we held the contract with The British Council to act as regional co-ordinators for the programme and since 2007 have been the Regional Information Point providing: Promotion of the programme and its funding opportunities to young people and those working with them; Supporting and advising applicants; Monitoring projects and assessing applications and assisting the British Council to deliver their training plan.
BROKERING OPPORTUNITIES – The difference it makes
“Over the years the North West Regional Youth Work Unit have helped The British Council reach out to young people and youth workers across the North West of England supporting the implementation of the Youth in Action Programme, including promotion, events, training and project planning…. And, largely as a result of their work, the North West has been awarded the third largest share of Youth in Action projects funded across England since the programme started in 2007….”
Tom Miscioscia, Head | Youth in Action, Programmes & Projects
- Participation Workers Conference – July 2009
- Circles of Influence Young Peoples Conference – February 2010 Seminar for those responsible for YOF/YCF – March 2010
Network of RYWUs:
The network of Regional Youth Work Units was established in 2008 and includes 7 Units:
- NW Regional Youth Work Unit: www.nwrywu.org.uk
- Regional Youth Work Unit NE: www.rywu.org.uk
- Youth Work Unit – Yorkshire & Humber: www.youthworkunit.com
- Regional Youth Work Unit - West Midlands
- Partnership for Young London – www.pyl.org.uk
- Regional Youth Work Unit – Learning South West: www.LearningSouthwest.org.uk
- East Midlands Regional Youth Work Unit: www.emrywu.org.uk
Link: http://www.rywu.org.uk/networkrywu
The purpose of the Network is to:
- Support and strengthen the capacity of RYWUs and promote the development of best practice among RYWU’s in all English regions
- Provide a national voice for RYWUs and ensure that RYWUs play an active role in debates and consultations on national youth policy developments affecting youth work and young people
- Enable RYWUs to work collaboratively on youth work practice and services for young people in the regions without compromising the independence of individual Units.
- Identify potential opportunities for collobaration between RYWU’s to secure national and European funding for regional developments
- Increase the opportunities for young peoples voice and influence in youth policy development, cross regionally, nationally and internationally
- Organise and/or co-ordinate joint activities/events with RYWUs and other partners on specific issues relating to the enhancement of youth work practice
- Establish England wide working relationships with other organisations interested in promoting youth work and services for young people.
Are you a voluntary and community sector organisation delivering training to staff and volunteers working directly with young people?
Are you interested in enhancing your capacity to deliver accredited training and/or widen your offer to your sector’s workforce?
If so, you may want to register your interest in Progress
Progress is a project being delivered by a partnership led by the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) on behalf of CWDC’s Young People’s Workforce Reform Programme Board.
The overall purpose of Progress is to build the capacity of the voluntary and community sector by offering 25,000 accredited training opportunities nationally for volunteers and paid staff covering the five priority training areas:
- Facilitating learning and development of young people;
- Safeguarding the health and welfare of young people;
- Maintaining health and safety in the workplace;
- Promoting access to information and support;
- Promoting equality and the valuing of diversity.
The project aims to improve capacity of staff and volunteers to meet the needs of young people, and also the capacity of organisations to develop their workforce.
Progress can provide funding of £100 per head per unit providing learners and training providers meet essential criteria. These include:
Learners should:
- Be a member of staff or volunteer from a voluntary or community organisation including social enterprises, mutuals, cooperatives and other not-for-profit organisations
- Be working with young people ages 13 - 19 or up to 25 with a disability
Training providers should:
- Ensure trainers have or are working towards the PTLLS qualification (or equivalent) as a minimum
- Undertake the Progress Familiarisation Training prior to delivery.
Only units on the Progress database attract funding. All the units on the database are on the Qualifications and Credit Framework.
The Regional Youth Work Unit is the Delivery Agent for Progress in the North West.
If you are interested please complete the attached information form. If you would like more information or an informal chat please contact Mary Kenny on 01925 295 837 or email: mary@nwrywu.org.uk
For more information please visit : http://www.ncvys.org.uk/Progress.html
