What We Do
It is never too late for you and it is never too late for them.
Clive Flint, volunteer mentor, Rainer Kent Mentoring
CtC working in Wales
Building safer communities where children and young people are valued
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Perminder Mudher, Thornhill Communities First Coordinator:
"Going through the Communities that Care Community Programme and developing the Action Plan has allowed us to have real input into the Torfaen Single Plan."
"Rainer CtC Wales have helped us to identify the areas of need for our families, children and young people and given the Thornhill Communities First Partnership the tools to come up with some innovative and practical ways of both addressing these issues ourselves and influencing the way services are delivered to and for our local community. Without the support of Rainer CtC Wales the process certainly would have been much less effective."
Swansea
Swansea set up the first CtC programme in Wales in 1998 on the Eastside of the city. Ten years later it is still going strong. In 2000 they developed and implemented an action plan for the area which included additional support for local families, a new initiative in a local primary school to help young people resist peer pressure, a co-ordination and support group for local youth organisations, a local domestic violence forum and various new housing initiatives.
In the survey results for 2005 9 of the 17 risk factors showed significant reductions and none had increased. In addition there were significant reductions in smoking, drinking, drug use and youth crime and anti-social behaviour amongst 11-16 year olds in the area.
CtC Swansea Eastside have undergone Evaluation Training for local Community Groups as part of the continuing Technical Assistance provided by Rainer CtC Wales.
A fourth audit of the 11 - 16 year olds in the majority of comprehensive schools in Swansea is currently being undertaken to measure changes in risk and protective factors since the last survey.
Bridgend
Bridgend surveyed over 8,000 young people across the borough in 2001 using the CtC survey and the draft guidance (2001)"Extending Entitlement: supporting young people in Wales" set out the work of Rainer CtC Wales in Bridgend as a "Good Practice Example".
Bridgend repeated the audit in 2004 and significant improvements in the risk and protective profile of local communities could be identified in three of the four communities who have used the CtC process over that period.
Bridgend has now established 9 community planning areas as part of their Community Plan and each will use the CtC risk and protection audit results to plan preventative services. Bridgend now have a dedicated CtC Information post, and have undertaken studies of particular areas and issues in greater depth, contributing to such programmes as On Track, Prevent & Deter, and Flying Start, and are still working closely with Rainer CtC Wales.
Caerphilly
Caerphilly undertook a borough wide audit in 2003 of 9,000 young people and commissioned 23 individual community reports as a result. From this information the local authority has been able to plan service delivery and prioritise actions to support families and children.
Following on from the main survey report, Caerphilly CBC commissioned a further report looking more closely at the young people involved in drug an alcohol misuse and how their behaviour differed from other young people's.
Rainer CtC Wales, working with Communities First Partnerships in Aber and New Tredegar has recently developed action plans for these areas which are now in the process of being implemented by the Partnerships. A member of the Caerphilly Local Health Board has taken the lead on both Action Plans on behalf of the Partnerships.
Flintshire
Flintshire's Community Safety partnership asked CtC to survey 11 to 16 year olds across the borough in 2004, the resulting information forming a basis for decision making by a number of partnerships with Community Safety, Health Social Care and Well Being, Children and Young People's partnership and Communities First areas all making use of the data set and the risk and protection model to underpin their plans. Rainer CtC Wales is continuing to work closely with Flint Castle Communities First Partnership who are currently in the process of drawing up an action plan ensuring that the plan is evidence based and focuses some resources on preventative work.
Vale of Glamorgan
The Young People Partnership in the Vale of Glamorgan commissioned Rainer CtC Wales to survey young people in schools across the authority and received their report in 2004.
The Vale has used the survey data to help focus its priorities and plan its work. Rainer CtC Wales also undertook secondary analysis of the data from the sample of over 4,000 young people to find out more about those young people.
Using the results of the survey, the YPP developed a joint action plan and put projects in place to deal with the most pressing issues, including binge drinking and attitudes to school. They have also used the survey successfully to gain £300,000 from the Big Lottery fund, to target one key issue.
Rainer CtC Wales continues to maintain strong links with the Vale of Glamorgan.
Torfaen
Around 6,000 young people across Torfaen were surveyed in April 2005 and a report produced in the summer. Torfaen County Borough Council and its partners worked on a strategic response to the survey results.
At a local level, Rainer CtC Wales have been supporting the two Communities First Partnerships in Torfaen (Trevethin, St Cadocs and Penygarn and Thornhill) to develop long term prevention action plans. The Trevethin, St Cadocs and Penygarn Action Plan has been completed and the Thornhill Action Plan will be completed shortly.
The Rainer CtC Wales data for Torfaen is currently being used in the Torfaen Anti-Bullying Strategy 08/09.
Blaenau Gwent
A survey was carried out of 3,300 young people in Blaenau Gwent in late 2005 and in March 2007 Rainer CtC Wales started working with Communities First Partnership Boards in Ebbw Vale, Tredegar and Nantyglo helping to develop sub groups. These sub groups are now all up and running and each CF area is in the process of carrying out the Resource Audit. All 3 areas are on line to have draft Action Plans completed by the Autumn with consultation on drafts and a final Action Plan for each area by early 2009 at the latest, although these may be completed as soon as Autumn 2008.
Merthyr Tydfil
Rainer CtC Wales surveyed 1,700 young people in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough in the Spring of 2006 and working at a local level with Dowlais Community First Partnership Board we provided training and technical support in the use of the data and the risk and protection model. Dowlais Communities Frist Partnership Board are now in the process of carrying out their Resource audit.A draft Action Plan should be completed by the autumn ready for consultation with a final Action Plan being produced by end 2008/beginning 2009.
Single Children’s Plan (2007)
Guidance for the Single Children’s Plan (2007) cites the ‘Communities that CareSurveys’ as an example of ‘relevant research, information and data1. The Plans are to be based on the 7 Core Aims. Thos local authorities that have current data are using this to inform their Single Plans – currently we have evidence that Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea and the Vale of Glamorgan are doing this.
Evaluation Cymru
Rainer CtC Wales is involved in Evaluation Cymru, the Wales network of the UK Evaluation Society. Evaluation Cymru seeks to increase the understanding of what evaluation is all about and how it can help an organisation. To find out more about the work of the UK Evaluation Society go to www.evaluation.org.uk.
Children & Young People's Research Network for Wales
Rainer CtC Wales are working closely with the Children's Research Network who held a Stakeholder event "Exploring Data from Communities that Car” (Feb 2008) looking at additional uses of the research date collected through the Rainer CtC Wales Risk and Protection Audits. Speakers included Dr Jonathan Scourfield, Cardiff School of Social Sciences and Mark Davies, Young People’s Partnership Coordinatorm, Vale of .
To find out more about the Children & Young People’s Research Network for Wales and copies of the above presentations go towww.link-wales.org.uk
New Ideas Fund – Building Safer Communities where children and young people are valued
The Welsh Assembly’s New Ideas Fund is designed to encourage research proposals tailored to address themes within the Social Justice and Regeneration Portfolio with clear relevance to the strategic objectives set out in "Wales: A Better County”. The fund is designed to encourage creative proposals to produce new evidence and novel ideas which will help develop more effective policies.
Rainer CtC Wales successfully applied for funding from the New Ideas Fund to carry out research examining the profile of risk and protective factors by young people growing up in the various communities and local authorities in Wales. It aims to understand more fully where those differences originate and to establish what can be done to improve the risk and protection for all young people growing up in Wales
For a copy of our Executive Report go to:
http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/housingandcommunity/research
The Childcare Wales Learning and Working Mutually Partnership
Rainer CtC Wales was a member of the CWLWM Partnership (Childcare Wales Learning and Working Mutually), an ESF funded project, part of the EQUAL programme. As part of CWLWM we worked on a long term basis with four Communities First partnerships (in Caerphilly, Flintshire, Torfaen and Merthyr Tydfil) to identify how we could best support them in their work.
To find out more about the work of CWLWM: Link to www.cwlwm.org.uk
As a result of the work with CWLWM Rainer CtC Wales produced a guidebook which has been specifically written for the members and staff of Communities First Partnerships Boards. Its aim is to provide an overview of the Communities that Care process and to offer practical advice on its application within the Communities First process. The guidebook is largely based on the findings of three years reasearch conducted as part of the CWLWM project, involving ten Communities First Partnership from five local authority areas and was part funded by the European Social Fund under the Equal Programme. Copies of the Guidebook are available free of charge to local communities in Wales (Contact 01792 648833)
Flying Start Programme
Rainer CtC Wales undertook a review of parenting programmes available in Wales on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government. This research formed part of the guidance for the Assembly's Flying Start programme which targets children from birth to 3 years living in the most disadvantaged areas of Wales. Flying Start/s aim is to improve children's outcomes, both in preparation for school and the long term.
