PF20
Legislation Committee No 1
Response to the consultation on the Proposed Playing Fields (Community Involvement in Disposal Decisions) (Wales) Measure
Barnardo’s Cymru
During the past year, over 8,700 people - vulnerable children and young people and their parents - used our 42 services across 20 of the 22 local authority areas in Wales. This figure shows a significant 9% increase in numbers on 2006-2007. Alongside work in adoption and fostering, provision of short breaks to disabled children and young people, support of families struggling to cope and work with care leavers and young homeless people, we have also been involved in work with:
young carers
fathers in the prison system
children and young people leading 'risky street lifestyles’
families affected by substance misuse
children and young people who have sexually harmed others
children and young people who themselves have been sexually exploited.
Barnardo’s Cymru not only welcomes the opportunity to contribute to this consultation but also the apparent primary purpose of the measure to place a duty on Local authorities to consider the impact on communities of playing field disposals. Barnardo’s Cymru recognises the difficult decisions Local Authorities need to make, weighing the health and development opportunities against the strategic best use of Local Authority assets.
We believe therefore that the need for active community involvement and consultation in the decision making process is essential in ensuring comprehensive consideration of the impact. We do not however feel the proposed measure is prescriptive enough in placing the duty on Local Authorities to consult directly with community members in particular the children and young people who will be affected.
The measure suggests a process that requires consultation in response to the impact assessment. We firmly believe that the measure should require community consultation and involvement in formulating the impact statements as well as the statement response. Barnardo’s Cymru would also welcome consideration of a requirement for community involvement to meet the Welsh Assembly Government Children and Young People’s Participation Standards, particularly in the provision of accessible consultation and statement information.
Barnardo’s Cymru would suggest that consideration is given to a greater representation of NGO’s and the inclusion of LSBs where they exist in the list of statutory consultees.
Barnardo’s Cymru has considerable experience in promoting the active involvement and consultation of children and young people from a variety of backgrounds including disability, care, mental health, younger children and BME communities. Our experience demonstrates that comprehensive robust involvement and consultation will require a greater investment of time and the probability of increased financial investment; however our experience also indicates that the result from a thorough process will be a positive return which will help inform future decision making.
We have also established that there are few children and young people who are unable to contribute to complex and sensitive issues given the appropriate support and opportunity. Examples of our consultation and research work with children and young people can be found at www.barnardos.org.uk/who_we_are/in_your_region/wales/wales_policy.htm these include reports of the St. Helens School and Vincent Street Homezone Feasibility Study and the Research Report of Phase One of the Generation 2020 Project amongst others.
In response to your final question "Will the Measure achieve its overall purpose and aim?” as stated we believe that the reach of the measure could be broader however the extent to which it will achieve its purpose will in part depend on the reality of scrutiny, inspection and accountability systems.
Barnardo’s Cymru is prepared to provide oral evidence and to discuss the possibility of direct evidence from service users.
Tim Ruscoe
February 2009
