The Corporate Director - Children submitted a report, that updated the Committee on the delivery of youth services through the medium of the Welsh language.

By way of background information, the Youth Service representative advised that Bridgend County Borough Council’s Youth Service delivered many Welsh language medium services. An analysis of this provision was provided in the 2012/13 Welsh Language Scheme Annual Monitoring Report, which was approved by committee on 12 June 2013. Members also requested that a further report be presented at a future Cabinet Equalities Committee to explore this provision in more detail.       

            She confirmed Bridgend County Borough Council Youth Service undertook a consultation in September 2013 with young people accessing clubs and projects in order to identify gaps and ensure the needs, in relation to Welsh, were being met.

            Of the 153 young people who chose to respond to the consultation, 57 young people attended a Welsh speaking school, 93 young people did not want to access activities in Welsh and 83 young people stated that they were happy accessing the activities already in place but did not want any additional activities delivered through Welsh in relation to Welsh culture. Activities delivered by centres and projects included Welsh cookery, Welsh culture, incorporating IT research, arts and crafts centred around Welsh heritage, off site activities to venues such as the Welsh Mining Museum, St Fagan’s and the Millennium Stadium.

            The Youth Service representative advised that over a seven month period, from September 2103 to February 2014, 64 Welsh activity sessions were delivered within youth centres.

            A further training event for staff was scheduled for the end of May 2014 to continue to develop and raise awareness of delivering Welsh in English speaking clubs and projects.

            BCBC Youth Service had also developed the Youth Inspire Awards which is an informal Youth Service accreditation recognising the skills and knowledge young people gain from taking part in a range of curriculum activities, with the award having three different levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold.

The Youth Service representative added that the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme actively encouraged young people to develop an awareness of the diversity in the topography of Wales by the utilisation of National Trust areas when undertaking expeditions. 6 young people completed their Duke of Edinburgh Award in Welsh through the online eDofE model last year.

She further added that the Youth Service has developed three new volunteer packs supporting the development of volunteering programmes for young people through to adulthood. The volunteering packs incorporate Junior Leaders aged 14-16 years, Senior Members training 16 - 18 years and 18 + volunteering. The packs have been developed in collaboration with The Vale Youth Service and are currently being translated into Welsh. These can be utilised in both statutory and Third Sector organisations so all young people have the same opportunities to participate in standardised progression routes.

            The Youth Service representative confirmed that the BCBC Youth Service offered a counselling service through the medium of Welsh at YGG Llangynwyd via a bilingual therapist, although over 90% of young people accessing this service within the Welsh school chose English as their first language.

She confirmed also that the Bridgend Youth Service continues to develop opportunities for young people through the use of social media and these were detailed in the report.

            Finally, the Youth Service representative confirmed that the Service, as lead provider for Families First Programme 1 Family Learning Programme, commissioned services to deliver family support, linked to schools, delivered through the medium of Welsh, as well as employing an administration assistant who is a fluent Welsh speaker able to provide paperwork and verbal communication through the medium of Welsh.

A Member noted from the MTFS that the Youth Service like other areas of the Authority had been the subject of re-structuring.  She asked to that end, how many of the 30 staff that we trained within the service had been retained this current year and how many of these would be retained next year.

The Bridgend Youth Service representative confirmed that arising from the restructure, 70% of staff had been retained this financial year although 16 of the universal provision clubs had been closed.

She added that although Welsh language provision in Youth Services was continuing to be advocated for and encouraged, there had not been very much interest in young people taking up these opportunities.

The Youth Service representative added that it was not only about encouraging  engagement in terms of Welsh speaking, but also about the service ensuring there was a change of delivery and focus in place with regards to our Welsh heritage and culture.

She further added that the above was not easy to achieve, given that even though a considerable number of young people emanated from families where their parents used Welsh as their first language, the children often chose to access websites and other information in English, particularly when it came to social activities.

A Member noted the above, and stressed the importance of giving individuals the opportunity to access services bi-lingually such as those that comprise the Youth Service, then the Authority was continuing to fulfil its role.

She further added that Mentor Bro Ogwr intended to approach the Authority for funding in the future in order to provide a primarily Welsh speaking social club facility.

            RESOLVED:               That the information noted in the report be noted