Keith's Blog
July 2nd, 2010
I spent a wonderful morning in Gnoll Park at the Local Aid Schools Challenge this week. The event runs the whole week long and has been going on for twenty years or more. We have enjoyed days and days of unbroken sunshine so I was a little surprised to see rain but it didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm for the event. And what an event it is.
For those of you who do not know Local Aid it is a local charity working to raise awareness of the needs and aspirations of young people with special needs. The organisation provides specialist equipment, arranges travel support, specialist services and activities for young people with severe learning disabilities and challenging behaviour in local communities in Neath, Port Talbot and Swansea. The organisation supports young people with learning difficulties and physical disabilities, and promotes the rights of individuals to be supported to reach their potential. They also actively support children and families in need as well as offering fun, choice and opportunity for the children and young people involved.
So what was going on in Gnoll Park? All kinds of activities with all kinds of challenges and all outdoors. The park was full of muddy, wet, happy young people having a fantastic time. They were doing assault courses, pulling rafts across the lake, going down zip wires and water slides and doing all kinds of activities. Each team of young people, and there were 400 or so young people involved that morning, (2,000 during the course of the week), earned points for taking part, completing things, answering questions and for getting the most soaked! Great stuff. All sorts of organisations are involved supporting the event. Police officers, firefighters, PCSOs, probation officers, volunteers, physiotherapists, nurses, teachers, youth workers, play workers, sports officers … the list goes on and on. All taking part in providing learning and fun activities.
I took a walk around the park to get a feel for the whole thing and to chat with the young people. In one stall – SNAP Cymru’s European Social Fund programme: ‘Diversity Challenge – a group of young people were standing in front of a table full of photos of famous people and celebrities. Each one of the people in the photographs had a disability. “So, which one of these people can’t see?” said the organiser. “Well, I think that must be Stevie Wonder” said someone at the front. “That’s right it’s Stevie Wonder but it hasn’t stopped him making some of the best music has it”. Everyone nodded. “Hold on a minute” said a lad to my left “what are disabled people anyway?” His mate turned round to him and said “That’s who we are!” “Oh, I see.” Laughter all round.
I spoke to lots of young people. All having a great time. I don’t know how many times I heard that doing things outdoors is “cool”, “brill”, “fun”, “exciting”, “mega”. But why is it so good? Well the best answer I heard was the one that went something like “Well, I have learned loads, I’m soaked to the skin, I’ve got mud in my tummy button and my wheelchair will need a bit of a clean … but who cares!”
I can’t speak highly enough about this event. It is brilliant to raise awareness about disability but also to see that barriers to involvement and participation can come crashing down. It is all about positive mental attitude and the positive energy this event generates speaks for itself.
Posted in Disabled Children and Young People, Participation, Play | No Comments »
May 17th, 2010
I find it impossible to sit at a nursery table with children where there is paint and paper being used without having a go. What’s more these children were painting with their fingers. Up to their armpits in black paint making pictures of rabbits. Fantastic.
My effort was recognisable as a rabbit in my eyes but I was not too sure that it convinced the children. And then into the kitchen next door where some parents were making cakes and had prepared bacon rolls and coffee for their guests. Tough job this but someone’s got to do it!
I was at the Clase Family Centre in Swansea with Kay at the invitation of Cherrie Taylor and Peter Williams from Faith in Families. In the Church in Wales the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon Board for Social Responsibility runs a number of Faith in Families Projects and I got to visit three of them in Swansea. First stop was Clase and then it was on to the Family Centres in Penplas and Bonymaen. What a morning.
Sometime ago I spoke at a Church in Wales conference and soon afterwards Cherrie wrote to me asking me to visit. She quoted some words I had said at the conference back to me. I had said “the longer I have been the Commissioner the more and more concerned I get about parenting and the responsibilities we have towards parents”. As she greeted me at the door in Clase it soon became clear that everything I was about to see was about providing services and support for children and their parents. Each one of the Family Centres had a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Each one had all sorts of things going on. There were children involved in finger painting, singing songs, planting potatoes and flowers and generally having a great time. I have never seen so much compost inside a children’s play area or seen what fun it could be. So whilst there were children in Clase with painted hands and forearms there were children in Penplas covered in compost. I always think that the scale of mess nearly always equates to the level of fun being had – and these children were all having fun and learning lots with smiles on their faces.
Meanwhile what were the parents up to? Well, they were making cakes, involved in a jewellery workshop, chatting together and meeting the Children’s Commissioner. In discussion with them I heard how much the Family Centres meant to them. One told me that she had been coming for a number of years. She said “Our children have really grown here and so have we”. I heard about the university and college places that some of them had secured, about the activities and training courses they have done, about the debates they have had, how they support each other, about their hopes for the future and how the Centre has been the hub of so much that has been positive for them and their children. Another told me that “My children are safe here and because they are happy that gives me time to get involved in things and to plan for the future. It has made me a better mum. And because I’m more confident my children are benefiting as well”.
The Family Centres also offer contact centres and I was able to look at the facilities on offer. I heard about the partnership arrangements and how much effort goes into securing funding and planning new and refurbished buildings. In talking with the staff you get a sense that here are people with vision and purpose. People who recognise the value of preventative work with families, the benefits of partnership and the payback to be gained for children by investing time and providing opportunities for parents. With increasing numbers of children coming into our care system we need to recognise the value of preventative work more then we do. This work is real. It is clearly making a difference and we need to value it and protect it more than we do.
Driving away from Bonymaen Kay and I reflected on what we had seen and the discussions we had had. Kay said “It’s great isn’t it to spend time with real people who are doing things that can make such a positive difference”. Well said Kay, you took the words right out of my mouth.
With thanks to all the children, mums, dads and staff at the Faith in Families Projects – inspirational people doing what’s right for their children and themselves.
Posted in Parenting, Play | No Comments »
April 26th, 2010
Whilst the campaigns proceed I have, on more than one occasion, been asked by adults if young people are interested in the General Election. On the basis of my experience over the last couple of weeks I would say that the answer to that is yes they are.
Young people at the Funky Dragon Grand Council were engaged, commenting on the performances of the leaders in the televised debates. Other young people have spoken to me about the extent to which political parties have policies that appeal to young people.
And then today I took a telephone call from Nathan. Nathan is 16 years old and is interested in finding out what the political parties think about lowering the voting age to 16. “If the voting age was lowered they might think more about the issues that are important to young people” he explained. I agreed but said that some people took the view that young people are not interested in politics. “Yes we are” he replied “and what I want to do is ask the parties what they think about it – do you think they will listen to me Keith?”
I encouraged him to get involved. After all it would be a brave or perhaps foolish party who ignored the interest of young voters and those who will be eligible to vote in a couple of years time. For sometime I have heard expressions of exasperation at the disengagement of young people in politics. It would appear to me that this election has stimulated interest in young people.
Lowering the voting age? Answers on a postcard please. Whenever I have raised this before with young people I have heard arguments in favour and against. In the current climate those in favour seem to be in the majority.
What is clear is that it is great that young people like Nathan are taking such an active interest in politics and the policies that will shape their futures.
Posted in Election | 2 Comments »
March 26th, 2010
Last week I went to the “Violence in Relationships” conference for young people in south Wales. It was organised by South Wales Police and involved around 250 14 to 17 year olds.
It was a very good day. Peter Vaughan, the Chief Constable, opened proceedings by reminding all the young people that being the victim in a violent relationship is completely unacceptable. During the day there were powerful and moving presentations including an inter active play by Geese Theatre Company, three powerful real life stories from young people and one from Pat, an adult who kept her audience enthralled with an emotional account of her own experience as a victim in a violent relationship.
During the day Melvyn and Tam from Funky Dragon ran some questions past the young people. Participants used hand held voting key pads to register their votes. One of the questions asked the young people if they had ever had friends who had been in an abusive relationship.
I was shocked to see that 66% in the morning and 70% in the afternoon said that they did know someone in that position. Most people would agree that prevention is so much better than intervention after the event and the purpose of the conference was to raise awareness and to give young people the confidence to speak out if they find themselves in an abusive relationship.
In my short speech I congratulated the Police for organising such an important day. I spoke about children’s rights but was alarmed to see only 20 hands go up when I asked the young people if they knew about their rights. All too often I hear the argument that young people know all about their rights and nothing about their responsibilities. That is clearly not so.
Luckily, Jamie, Lucy, Mark and Robela were outside in our white Commissioner display van so I encouraged everyone to visit it and pick up information on the UNCRC and details on how they can contact me if they ever need to. Later that afternoon it was clear that they had heeded my advice, the frizbees with our contact details were flying about all over the place.
The day was compered with humor and skill by Kevin Johns. When I finished my talk he referred to me as “Wales’s number 1 white van man”. The cheek of it!
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
March 19th, 2010
Elaine described herself as a “pretend Head teacher” but as I was soon to discover that is anything but true. Elaine is the Acting Headteacher at Twynyrodyn Community School in Merthyr Tydfil and I was there to present them with their Investors in Families Award and their Green Flag.
First up it was into the school hall to meet all 300 of the pupils who were gathered together in silence as I entered with Elaine and Mark one of our CCfW volunteers. Two of the children introduced me and I recognised them straight away having met them a little while ago in the Senedd. I remember them well because on that occasion they asked for my autograph - not something that happens to me everyday of the week - so it was great to see them again. After a short speech from me the children sang us songs and then it was photo time as I presented both awards to the children.
Bob from Media Wales was the photographer. He ominously asked me how good my knees were. They were fine before he made me kneel down on a hard floor for photos with all the children! All the children were great and are clearly looking forward to seeing their picture in the local paper.
As part of my input I asked the pupils if they would like to join the Children’s Commissioner for Wales as an Ambassador School. The biggest cheer of the afternoon signaled to me that they were very keen indeed to maintain a link with me and in discussion with some of them it was also obvious that they knew about children’s rights. Indeed the Investors in Families Award signals that the school takes an inclusive approach that fosters respect between children, young people and adults. I felt very pleased and honored that such a welcoming school that has already achieved so much wanted to become an Ambassador School. Mark has taken on the job of liaising with Elaine further about how to get the Ambassador programme up and running in Twynyrodyn.
You know it never fails to amaze me how much enthusiasm there is in children. Even the really little ones today, sitting very neatly in a row in the front of the hall, joined in with the songs and clapped and cheered in all the right places. Some found the excitement too much and struggled to stay awake. The capacity small children have to fall asleep on a sixpence is great but so too is the capacity of some very attentive staff who spotted the sleepy heads and sprang into action.
As we left the sun was shining and the children all ran outside for some extended play time. Reward indeed.
What a great school!
Posted in Ambassadors, School Visit | No Comments »
March 15th, 2010
One of my favourite sounding words is breakfast. To be honest though I usually rush out of the house each morning having missed the most important meal of the day. Not today though.
I have just attended a Business Breakfast hosted by Jane Hutt in Barry College. The theme of the meeting was “Youth in the Vale”. Jane invited me to say a few words and it was a pleasure to be involved in something that was set up to celebrate the achievements of children and young people in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Children and young people were there from Gibbonsdown Youth Forum and the Vale Youth Forum as well as members from schools councils in Cowbridge, Llantwit and Barry and from Barry College Student Union.
I have to say that the cooked breakfast was fantastic. Prepared and served with great skill by the Barry College students. This job of mine is tough at times but you know what? Someones got to do it and if that means sitting down to a hearty breakfast in the company of children, young people and adults … well, I’m up for it!
After Jane and I had spoken we heard from the children and young people and all the things they are involved in. Things like designing questionnaires to find out the views of young people, encouraging as many as possible to get involved in local activities, establishing fair trade status in schools, working on school Eco committees, setting up peer buddying projects, teaching drumming skills to younger children. Fantastic stuff. For the adults present it was inspirational to hear about all the things that children and young people were achieving in their family, social, community and academic lives.
As I drove away from the event having chatted with everyone I left with just one thought in my head – “Aren’t our children and young people wonderful?” As Jane had said in her closing remarks the answer to that question is a resounding “Yes they are!”
Posted in School Councils, Youth Forum | No Comments »
March 12th, 2010
Over the last week or so I have been to a couple of events where children from two Primary Schools really stole the show.
The first was the launch of the Welsh Government’s Pupil Participation Wales website: www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk . The event was hosted by Kitchener Primary School in Cardiff. The Headteacher welcomed all those present to the school and there were short speeches from Huw Lewis, Deputy Minister for Children and me. Joe Ledley the Cardiff City and Wales footballer was also there. I was very pleased to be there and congratulated the Welsh Government for taking this forward. When the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child published their concluding observations or recommendations for the UK they emphasised that more work was needed to increase pupils’ participation within schools and colleges so seeing some action on this via the introduction of this new web based resource is very pleasing.
I was asked to say a few words about how my new Children’s Commissioner website had helped me to hear from children and young people about issues that are important to them. Our website has had quite an impact and through the Backchat pages we have seen children and young people engaging with us on all sorts of issues. It is important for me that children and young people do directly inform my work programme and there is no doubt that the website has proved really useful in gaining children and young people’s views. There is nothing as powerful as a one to one conversation or a meeting with a group of children and young people but using technology does provide some children and young people with the opportunity to engage with us in a fun and interactive way. At the moment Backchat is providing an opportunity for children and young people let us know about how they use the internet and social networking sites so we can look at new ways of communicating with them.
Part of the proceedings included a short presentation from three members of the Kitchener Primary School Council. They were so good. They told us how important the work of the School Council is and how children are making a difference by working with the teachers and other adults at the school. They also referred to learning about citizenship and how involvement in the School Council is giving them new skills and opportunities. “Who knows” they said “one day we might become Assembly Members or MPs or even the Children’s Commissioner for Wales!” Everyone in the audience laughed at that one.
And then yesterday I attended the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference in North Wales. After my speech I took questions and continued the discussions during the morning in the coffee and lunch breaks. Those present, and there was quite a cross section of practitioners there, had lots to say. There were comments that did acknowledge that the Health Minister had made some finance and resources available but that these had not always filtered down to the front line and that there were challenges for the new LHBs particularly around making age appropriate services available. I also spoke to someone from the youth offending service who raised an issue about private care homes and what happens when young people in those homes commit offences. I also heard from GPs and others in the medical profession as well as from Cruse Gogledd Cymru about bereavement care for children and young people. I also heard two very stimulating presentations. The first was by Professor Simon Gowers from the University of Liverpool who spoke about eating disorders. He was followed by Joy Mitchell from Wrexham CBC who spoke about anti-bullying and emotional well being.
Once again though the show was stolen by children. Keystage 2 pupils from Rhosymedre County Primary School performed a buddying drama. It showed everyone how the buddying system they have in school works by playing out three different stories. The first was called “text troubles” and demonstrated how cyber bullying works. The second one, “wicked whispers” showed how children can become isolated and picked on and “missing money” demonstrated how extortion can leave children feeling vulnerable and hungry when someone takes away their dinner money and bus fare. In all three dramas the buddy system sprang into action. They acted it out brilliantly. You really got a sense of the pain the victims of bullying feel. You also though got a sense of the pride that all these children have in their school, in each other and in their buddy system.
I doubt that any of the adults present at both these events minded the children stealing the show. Just as well really because whenever children take centre stage they invariably inspire those around them.
Posted in Backchat, CAMHS, Concluding Observations UNCRC, Participation, School Councils | No Comments »
March 5th, 2010
At the Play Wales conference last week I gave a speech where I concluded by saying that children had the right to roam. To play in our streets and public spaces safe in the knowledge that adults would respect their right to be there. To make a noise. To play. To be children.
It’s sad isn’t it that children feel that they are no longer able to play outdoors in the way that I certainly did and I suspect many adults did when they were children. When I sat in the audience listening to other speakers we were invited to recall our own memories of playing as a child. I remembered playing outdoors. Building dens in the woods. Climbing across a pipe over the river, playing football in the streets and hanging about with my mates outside the local shop – our main meeting place.
Great times with many happy memories. And yet today a child doing the same things might be guilty of being a nuisance, maybe even anti social. Almost certainly they would be asked to move on from the shop and as for the pipe across the river, well that could result in a prosecution for trespass. What’s happened to us as a society? What’s happened to childhood? Can we find a way to restore our belief in children and the role that play has in their lives?
By playing outdoors children learn to evaluate risk, to take responsibility for themselves, to negotiate and yes they learn how to have fun, to enjoy themselves. A critical part of childhood and it is about time we as a society learned to accept that. What’s more it is our duty as adults to ensure that children can play in our streets and in our public spaces. Time to ask why cars are the dominant forces on our residential streets. Time indeed to see us limit our speed on the roads, to remove no ball games signs and replace with the assumption that children will be playing here and what’s more they are welcome to play here.
This week I attended the four UK Nations Symposium on Children’s play in London. An opportunity to hear how each country is moving forward on Children’s play. And all are making progress. None more so than here in Wales. I was able to speak about the Children and Family (Wales) Measure that will place a duty on local authorities to secure sufficient play opportunities as well as a duty on local authorities to ensure Children’s participation in decisions that might affect them. We are the first country in the world to legislate in this way in relation to Children’s play. And many colleagues across the UK are looking at us with envy in their eyes.
The symposium was great. Baroness Delyth Morgan spoke about England’s progress, Marguerite Hunter Blair from Play Scotland gave her analysis of progress there and Patricia Lewsley gave us her perspective as Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People. It was really good as well to hear Maggie Atkinson, the new Children’s Commissioner for England, as she used this opportunity to speak publicly for the first time in her new role. A symposium report based on the discussions held will be available shortly for those who are interested.
But has the symposium helped to move all this forward? I can only answer that from a personal perspective. It has certainly helped me to sharpen my thinking and I have come away with a fresh resolve to work towards establishing a Wales which is open to children and comfortable with the idea that they can play in our streets and public spaces.
Those of you who know Mike Greenaway well from Play Wales will know that he is passionate about Children’s play. He is prone to real insight from time to time and at the symposium he was in good form. “We are in serious danger of doing something wonderfully radical for children in Wales. Children can and should have the right to roam – you know, we could really make this happen in Wales.”
Mike is right but we have so got to have the confidence and the will to see this through. Our children won’t forgive us if we fail to take full advantage of the potential encapsulated within the Measure.
Children’s right to roam? Yes, without doubt. To be honest it’s what I enjoyed as a child. And do you know what? It didn’t do me any harm!
Posted in Play | No Comments »
March 1st, 2010
Today is St David’s Day and on this day two years ago I became the Children’s Commissioner for Wales. By way of celebration I’m going live on Twitter.
For some time now I have been writing a blog which has featured on our staff intranet and some of the blogs have made it on to our website and the Western Mail have printed one each month. But now my blogs are going onto our website with an archive so that people can dip into them if they wish.
To be honest I was a bit cynical about blogging when this was first put to me but I confess I’m now a convert. For two reasons mainly. Firstly it is clear that people do read the blogs. I have been at conferences and meetings and have heard people quote from them and I have had many a conversation as a result of someone reading a blog and wanting to follow up in discussion directly with me. Some would say its taken me a while to realise this but the second reason is that I can now see that this is a really powerful communication tool and not engaging in the digital world would represent an opportunity lost.
When I was appointed two years ago Rhodri Morgan AM challenged me to consider entering into a debate with the general public about children and young people; to consider ways in which I could fulfil my remit as the “Children’s Champion” by promoting positive attitudes towards our children and young people. That has become an increasingly important aspect of my work and writing regular blogs and using Twitter will I hope help me to both get my messages across and to follow what others are saying as well.
So, I’m entering a brave new world – well for me at least. I’m excited at the opportunity that this will give to influence others on the issues that are important to children and young people. With a bit of luck you are reading this because you are interested in the work we do here in the Commissioner’s office. That being the case I hope the blogs will continue to be of interest and that you will follow us on Twitter. See you there!
Posted in Social Media | No Comments »