Committing To Support Young Residents

In a Full Council meeting on 25 January 2017, Members of Ceredigion County Council affirmed their commitment to support young citizens and to place them at the centre of the council’s decision making processes. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Members resolved to adopt the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to demonstrate the council’s commitment to support and respect the county’s young citizens. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The UNCRC is a legally binding international agreement setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities. Although both the UK and Welsh governments have committed to the UNCRC at a national level, many of the services which have the biggest day to day impact on the lives of young people are planned and delivered at a much more local level, often by local authorities, which is why Ceredigion County Council has pledged to make this commitment. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The council will be obliged to take account of the UNCRC when making any political decisions, and to ensure that any decisions taken at senior officer level are compliant with the convention. The UNCRC will also have to be borne in mind when forming or reviewing any policies or strategies guiding council business. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Members also agreed to adopt the Welsh Government’s National Standards for Children and Young People’s Participation to ensure that children and young people’s voices are heard by the council. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As such, young residents have the opportunity to engage in council business through Ceredigion’s recently-formed Youth Council, which is administered by the County Council’s Youth Service. Cabinet recently decided to take the views of the Youth Council into consideration as part of the new report template, and any issues raised by the Youth Council will also be borne in mind when preparing forward work programmes. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Hag Harris, Cabinet Member for Learning Services, Children and Young People’s Partnership, said: “Adopting both the National Standards of Participation and the UNCRC will help Ceredigion County Council to consider children and young people in all the important decisions that it makes, and how those decisions impact on our youth.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He added: “Even though the Youth Council was only fairly recently established, its members have provided excellent and mature contributions to lively discussions to ensure that the voice of young people in Ceredigion is not ignored. It is in this spirit that the County Council has reaffirmed its commitment to the county’s young residents, and I look forward to see the influence that they will have on the County Council’s work.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Sally Holland, Children’s Commissioner for Wales, said: “As Children’s Commissioner for Wales, I aspire to a Wales where all children and young people have an equal chance to be the best that they can be. Children in Wales have the right to receive the services or resources they need to be healthy, well-educated and to develop to the best of their abilities under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). I am delighted that Ceredigion County Council have taken up the challenge I posed to councils earlier this year and are formally adopting the UNCRC to deliver a Children’s Rights Approach to public services, placing the UNCRC at the core of planning and service provision for children.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​