Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service

There are an estimated 39,734 children and young people aged 0-25 years living in Neath Port Talbot.

In Neath Port Talbot it is hoped that children and young people will be healthy, confident people who are able to achieve what they want to in a safe environment.

Neath Port Talbot CVS works in Partnership with a range of organisations form different sectors to improve the quality of life for children, young people and families in our communities.

Neath Port Talbot Text Messaging Service

Young people aged 11-25 years can find out what’s happening locally via text messages.

Sign up to the service at:

http://www.npt.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=1191

Afan FM

For more information about what’s happening tune in to Afan FM – Neath Port Talbot’s New Generation Music Station on 97.4 and 107.9 Fm or log onto www.Afanfm.co.uk

Neath Port Talbot Children and Young People’s Voluntary Sector Forum

What is the Children and Young People’s Forum?

The Children & Young People’s Voluntary Sector Forum is made up of voluntary organisations that work with children and young people aged between 0-25 years in Neath Port Talbot. The main purpose of the Forum is to highlight any issues, needs or concerns within the Voluntary Sector to the Children and Young People’s Partnership and other appropriate planning groups and support voluntary organisations to develop quality services in their local community and have their say about changes that may impact those services.

The Children and Young People’s Voluntary Sector Forum elects representatives onto the groups below to ensure that the views of the Voluntary Sector are fed into the appropriate planning structures:

• Neath Port Talbot Children’s Partnership
• Neath Port Talbot Young People’s Partnership
• Delivering an Integrated Approach to Children’s Services Management Group
• Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Management Board
• Neath Port Talbot Behaviour Review Steering Group

Neath Port Talbot Youth Providers Network

What is the Youth Providers Network?

The Youth Providers Network is a group of organisations from the Vountary, Statutory and Private Sectors who work with young people aged 11-25 years. Their main purpose is to:

• Share information about current services provided
• Share current concerns
• Share information about training, campaigns and events
• Establish a shared agenda for action
• Highlight the issues and needs of young people.

The Youth Providers Network also holds a series of funding and information session throughout the year. The last funding and information session saw the launch of the Youth Service Capital Grants Scheme and an overview of the Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend Improving Futures Strategy – Reduction and Prevention in Self Harm Behaviour and Suicide.

For further information on the Youth Providers Network, please contact Neath Port Talbot CVS on 01639 631246.

Neath Port Talbot Children’s Network

What is the Children’s Network?

The Children’s Network is a group of organisations from the Voluntary, Statutory and Private Sectors who work with children aged 0-14 years in Neath Port Talbot. Their main purpose is to:

• Improve co-ordination between services, service providers and those who plan services
• Identify gaps and to actively maximise resources
• Co-ordinate joint events in liaison with the Children’s Partnership and the Young People’s Partnership as appropriate.

Neath Port Talbot Anti-Bullying Partnership

What is the Anti-Bullying Partnership?

The Anti-Bullying Partnership is a group of organisations from the Voluntary, Statutory and Private Sectors that work with children and young people aged 0-18 years living in Neath Port Talbot. Their main purpose is to raise awareness of the issue of bullying amongst children, young people and professionals and feed any issues into the appropriate planning structures.

Neath Port Talbot Young Carers Forum

What is the Young Carers Forum?

The Young Carers Forum is a group of organisations from the Voluntary, Statutory and Private Sectors who work with children and young people aged 0-18 years. The main purpose of the Forum is to share current concerns about young carer’s issues locally, nationally and internationally and feed them into the appropriate planning structures.

Children’s Rights

What Rights?

Every child and young person aged under 18 years has rights and responsibilities. They’re protected by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The UNCRC has been signed by every country in the world except Somalia and the USA.

The Convention has 42 ‘articles’ which explain each of the rights that a child or young person has.

To learn more about Children’s Rights, click to download:

Unicef Youth Voice – Rights Leaflet
Unicef Little Book of Responsibilities

What’s Happening in Neath Port Talbot?

Neath Port Talbot Children’s Rights Unit

Neath Port Talbot Children’s Rights Unit will be a universal open access service which will provide a safe, confidential and child focused information and advice facility. The Unit will be based in Neath Town Centre and will help children and young people find the information that they need about their rights, needs and responsibilities so that they can understand and exercise their rights as well as their responsibilities in an informed way.

As well as providing information and advice to children and young people the project will also provide training opportunities for parents, carers, community members and professionals on the issue of Children’s Rights.

The Children’s Rights Unit will work to make the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child a reality in organisations working with children, young people and their families and further afield in Neath Port Talbot. The project will do this by providing encouragement and support but by also challenging practice when needed.

What opportunities are available to be involved in the development of Neath Port Talbot Children’s Rights Unit?

Inter Agency Advisory Group

If you work with children and young people aged 0-18years in Neath Port Talbot, there may be an opportunity to become a member of the Neath Port Talbot Inter Agency Advisory Group.
What is the Advisory Group?

The Children’s Rights Unit Inter-Agency Advisory Group brings together local partners and acts to advise the Children’s Rights Unit Management Committee. Membership of this group includes both Statutory and Voluntary Sector representatives at a senior level, including representatives from education, health and Social Services.

Children and Young People’s Advisory Group

If you are a young person who wants to help to make a difference then the Children and Young People’s Advisory Group is for you.

What is the Advisory Group?

The Children and Young People’s Advisory Group is made up of young people who live in Neath Port Talbot who help to make decisions and plan the way that the Neath Port Talbot Children’s Rights Unit rights will look.

If your rights are important to you, and you feel that you would enjoy making a real difference to the lives of other children and young people, we would really like you to be part of the Children and Young People’s Advisory Group.

For information, phone Mike on 01639 631246.

Participation

‘Participation means that it is my right to be involved in making decisions, planning, and reviewing any action that might affect me. Having a voice, having a choice’.

Children and young people have the right to have their say in decisions that affect them and help to plan the way that the services they use are delivered.

Neath Port Talbot Children and Young People’s Partnership have written a Participation Strategy which will show why Participation is important and will make sure that organisations are involving children, young people and their families, listening to what they have to say and most importantly, where they can, make changes based on what they have said.

Neath Port Talbot has a Participation Officer for Children, Young People and their Families whose job is to:

• Support organisations to involve children, young people and their families in a meaningful way
• Promote the benefits of participation
• To encourage children, young people and their families to become involved in the planning, designing and evaluation of the services that they use.

Want to be a Young Inspector?

Neath Port Talbot CVS are running a training programme for young people who would like to be involved in the inspection of children and young people’s services.

This is to ensure that services are involving children and young people by:

Listening to them

Respecting them

Involving them in the design, development and running of services

Improving services for young people

Want to be involved?

You will need to be between the ages of 11 and 25

Living in the Neath Port Talbot area

Committed and want to learn new skills

What’s in the training?

What is participation and children’s rights?

What are quality standards?

The role of the young inspector

Critical thinking

Listening Skills

Interviewing Skills

What do I get out of it?

The training will be OCN accredited. If you are over 16

What is my commitment?

Attendance at all training

Stay with the programme until March 2011

Please contact Mike on 01639-631387 or mikem@nptcvs.org.uk

Grants

Under 8′s Small Grants Scheme

The Under 8′s Small Grants Scheme provides grants of up to £600 for groups who are not registered with Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) and can demonstrate that they work with children aged under 8 years. The grant can be used for equipment, materials, toys, and play equipment that promote physical activity amongst the children and/or enhance their personal development, structural or conversion work, training/publications, pilot schemes, fees or other expenses.

For more information please contact Donna Hudson, Finance Officer at Neath Port Talbot CVS on 01639 631246.

Download an Under 8′s Application Form