8. 6. Statement: The Future of Youth Work Delivery in Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:07 pm on 4 April 2017.

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Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour 6:07, 4 April 2017

I’m very grateful to the Conservative spokesperson’s broad welcome for the appointment of Margaret Jervis and the approach that is being taken. I can certainly confirm that she will be looking not just to political parties, but stakeholders across the face of the country and across different parts of the community. So, I would certainly expect and anticipate her to welcome contributions from all political parties represented here and elsewhere, but to go further than that by looking at stakeholders in a much wider and holistic sense.

In terms of the board, the Conservative spokesperson asks for more teeth. I don’t have a closed mind on that. In fact, I’d be very happy if Members, in listening to this statement this afternoon believe that the role and the function of the board needs to be strengthened in some way, were to propose those means of strengthening the board and the way it’s able to work. I have no principled objection to it having powers to commission work. I would expect and anticipate any board that holds the Government to account to be able to do that from an informed point of view, and that would imply being able to commission work that would aid its own understanding of the sector it is seeking to represent. So, issues like undertaking mapping exercises, understanding best practice and being able to extend best practice would all be areas that I would see to be reasonable areas for the board to address, and I would be very happy, if Members wished to write to me with a series of proposals on how the board may be strengthened, to consider all of those proposals in good faith. Certainly, it is my intention that this would be quite a powerful institution that would be able to speak with a level of authority and knowledge, and that would imply all different aspects of its work that have been outlined by Darren Millar this afternoon.

In terms of the size or representative nature of the board, I tend to shy away from having seats for everybody around the table because that does then start to lead to an unmanageable sort of organisation. I would tend towards smaller than larger, and I would tend to focus in on what people can bring to the board, rather than simply having functional representatives who would simply perform a much narrower role. So, I would shy away from being, perhaps, too forthright this afternoon, but simply say I prefer a smaller board and one that is able to function and build on the strengths of its members, rather than just to go straight down the route of representation.

In terms of quality, I’ve met the EWC to discuss the matters that you raise. I think you’re absolutely right to raise the issues about professional standards. It’s a point that was made by Llyr in his remarks, as well—I’m not sure I actually answered you in terms of my response. But, certainly, in terms of where we’re going, that’s exactly where we need to be, and I hope that the EWC will be in a position to make a statement on that before too long.

You’ve asked me again, as Llyr did in his opening remarks, about the funding arrangements. I won’t seek to mislead by giving commitments this afternoon. My mind is open on how we take forward these matters. I do not wish to make any statement this afternoon on future funding arrangements, because whatever statement I make may be open to different interpretations. So, it would be, if Members would forgive me on this occasion, an opportunity, perhaps, for me to bite my lip.