Terms of reference

The Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board (‘Implementation Board’) was established in September 2022. It was set up to take forward the 14 recommendations from the Interim Youth Work Board's final report. The Minister for Education and Welsh Language issued a Written Statement on this. 

The Implementation Board will be working with young people, the youth work sector and Welsh Government to achieve this. It will consider the recommendations and how to deliver them in accordance with the ‘Seven Principles of Public Life (GOV.UK)’. 

• Ensure young people are included in the work of the Board and any potential new body’s work. Work with the Chair of the ‘Young People are Thriving’ Implementation Participation Group to achieve this.
• Ensure stakeholders can feed into the work of the Implementation Board. This should include all key strategic organisations within the youth work sector. 
• Consider the outcome of any review into the funding of youth work. Consider any potential impact on the recommendations made by the Interim Youth Work Board
• Consider the impact of any proposed changes to legislation as a means of strengthening and sustaining youth work. Particularly in terms of definitions of youth work, youth support worker and youth worker. 
• Advise on further research or information needed to strengthen the evidence base for youth work. Steer the work of the Implementation Board and any potential future body.
• Taking into account the existing structures, consider development, recruitment and retention within the youth work workforce. Look at a career structure for the workforce and promotion of the youth work profession.
• Consider the outcome of current Welsh language pilots. Consider how this learning can be used to strengthen and increase youth work services delivered in Welsh. 
• Consider further the need for clear communications and marketing. This should ensure the value and impact of youth work is understood across the youth work sector and beyond.
• Support the work taking place to progress the Interim Youth Work Board’s other recommendations. 

• To provide constructive challenge and scrutiny of the Welsh Government’s policies and proposals for the provision and delivery of youth work services. This also includes scrutiny across other portfolio areas.
• Support and strengthen partnership working and collaboration between the statutory and voluntary youth work sector. This should ensure the best possible outcomes for young people. 

The Board has an independent Chair. Board members are appointed through open and fair competition. This is to ensure a broad mix of skills and knowledge. This includes, but is not limited to:

• evidence-based policy development and effective use of data to inform strategy development
• mental health and wellbeing issues and how they impact on young people
• digital youth work and/or digital inclusion
• finance, resourcing and commissioning
• Equality, diversity and inclusion
• Welsh language
• UNCRC, the voice of young people and participation

Additional members may be appointed onto the Implementation Board at a future date. This would be to address specific gaps in:

• knowledge
• expertise
• experience

The Chair is the designated safeguarding lead for the Implementation Board. The Implementation Board will operate in accordance with the safeguarding principles set out by Safeguarding Wales.

The Implementation Board reports to the Cabinet Secretary for Education. They will be expected to represent the views of young people and the sector. These will be used to measure progress against the policy recommendations made by the Interim Board. This will include direct engagement with young people and the sector, including via the Implementation Participation Groups established to support and inform this work. 

The Implementation Board recognises that they must consider the well-being of young people to:

• understand the true impacts of decisions they take they take
• maximise opportunities

Well-being of young people includes:

• social
• cultural
• economic 
• environmental

All considerations and decisions will consider the ‘sustainable development principle’. This is outlined in The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The principle sets out 5 ways of working. 

The Implementation Board will:

• consider long term needs
• work to prevent problems occurring or getting worse
• ensure they integrate the needs of the youth work sector
• collaborate with and involve young people, the youth worker sector and wider stakeholders

The Implementation Board will meet collectively a minimum of quarterly. 

Implementation Board members will also participate in wider discussions with other groups. Members are expected to contribute a minimum of 12 days per year to the work of the Implementation Board.

The Welsh Government will provide the secretariat function for the meetings. 

We will circulate (electronically):

• papers 5 working days before each meeting
• minutes and key action points 10 working days following a meeting

We will publish agendas and action points on the Youth Work Strategy web page.

The Implementation Board is committed to the Welsh language. It welcomes contributions through the medium of Welsh.

Meetings will be held across Wales. Participants can join in person or remotely.