A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales said that although provision of work-based learning was 'broadly sufficient' in Wales, pockets of poorly delivered services needed to be eliminated in order for vulnerable young people to benefit from it as a route into employment.
Source: Work Based Learning Provision for Vulnerable Young People, Petitions Committee/National Assembly for Wales
Links: Report | WAG press release
Date: 2010-Dec
A survey found that young people in Wales often had negative attitudes towards those who displayed suicidal thoughts or actions.
Source: Welsh Youth Consultation on Suicide and Help Seeking Behaviours, Mind Cymru
Links: Report | Mind press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Nov
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales said that the Welsh Assembly Government needed to demonstrate clearer leadership in tackling the issue of young people not in education, employment, or training.
Source: Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training, Enterprise and Learning Committee/National Assembly for Wales
Links: Report | NAW press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Oct
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales endorsed, in principle, a measure proposed by the Welsh Government that was designed to compel ministers to have due regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child when implementing policy. But it said that ministers should have due regard to the Convention 'when exercising their functions' – rather than solely when making 'relevant decisions' of a 'strategic nature'.
Source: Proposed Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure, Stage 1 Report Legislation Committee No 5/National Assembly for Wales
Links: Report | NAW press release
Date: 2010-Oct
A report examined the risks and benefits of devolving youth justice to the Welsh Assembly Government. There was a broad consensus supporting the principle of devolving youth justice: but there were many issues regarding resources and finance that needed to be looked at in detail.
Source: Rod Morgan, Report to the Welsh Assembly Government on the Question of Devolution of Youth Justice Responsibilities, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Report | WAG press release
Date: 2010-Sep
An article examined how the role of the Children's Commissioner for Wales should develop in the light of the enhanced legislative powers of the National Assembly for Wales under the Government of Wales Act 2006.
Source: Osian Rees, 'Devolution and the Children's Commissioner for Wales: challenges and opportunities', Contemporary Wales, Volume 23 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Sep
A report examined the approaches of the different nations of the UK relating to childcare policy and legislation. It highlighted a 'lack of leadership and ownership' in relation to the issue of childcare in Northern Ireland.
Source: Rachel Dennison, Sarah Lowndes and Nora Smith, Sizing Up: A comparative study of childcare policies within the four regions of the UK, Employers For Childcare
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Jul
A qualitative study examined the experience of, and perspectives on, disengagement from learning by young people in Wales.
Source: Sarah Lloyd-Jones, Rhodri Bowen, Duncan Holtom, Tina Griffin and Jodie Sims, A Qualitative Research Study to Explore Young People's Disengagement from Learning, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Jul
An article examined the youth justice services in Wales in the context both of devolution and the wider social policy agenda of successive Welsh Assembly Governments.
Source: Mark Drakeford, 'Devolution and youth justice in Wales', Criminology and Criminal Justice, Volume 10 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-May
The Welsh Assembly Government began consultation on a strategy and delivery plan setting out how it intended to tackle child poverty in Wales and improve outcomes for children and parents living in low-income families.
Source: Child Poverty Strategy for Wales: Consultation document, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Consultation document (Strategy) | Consultation document (Delivery Plan) | WAG press release
Date: 2010-May
A think-tank report examined efforts by the Welsh Assembly Government to make asset-based welfare a key part of its long-term strategy to tackle child poverty. It called for specific measures designed to increase the number of parents opening child trust funds, to ensure a high rate of uptake for CTF Cymru, and to encourage more parents with low incomes to place additional funds in their children's CTFs.
Source: Tony Dolphin and Rajiv Prabhakar, Asset-Based Welfare and Child Poverty: Next steps for the Welsh Assembly, Institute for Public Policy Research
Links: Report | IPPR press release
Date: 2010-Apr
The Welsh Assembly Government began consultation on proposals to require it to have due regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in areas of its work.
Source: Proposals for a Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Consultation document | BBC report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales identified problems in the delivery of the Welsh Assembly Government's policies in relation to children and young people in the secure estate. It recommended that the Welsh Assembly Government should consider seeking to have devolved responsibility for the juvenile secure estate.
Source: Youth Justice: The Experience of Welsh Children in the Secure Estate, Communities and Culture Committee/National Assembly for Wales
Links: Report | YJB press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Feb
