Report: What Good Practice Looks Like in Digital Youth Information

In today’s rapidly changing world, characterised by misinformation and increasing polarisation, the need for quality digital youth information has never been more critical.

Executive summary

The importance of access to accurate and relevant information cannot be overstated. Through information, young people can explore their interests, understand their rights, and navigate the complexities of the world around them. Youth workers can better support young people when they have easy access to good information.

This report examines the current state of youth information in Wales, and looks at how youth information can be improved to help young people confidently navigate the digital world and make informed decisions.

A key challenge facing youth information in Wales is that young people and professionals find it difficult to navigate and find the information they need to make informed decisions. To overcome this, ProMo Cymru is recommending strengthening collaborations in Europe and youth organisations to work towards obtaining the European Quality Mark for Youth Information, implementing a service design approach to kickstart improvements, building on existing Welsh assets, investing in training and fostering better cross-sector working.

Introduction 

The right to information is a fundamental human right, recognised in key international frameworks including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). 

The UNCRC provides specific provisions ensuring children’s access to and participation in information:

• Article 12 (Respect for Children’s Views): Every child has the right to express their views on matters that affect them, and for these views to be given due weight.  

• Article 13 (Freedom of Expression): Every child has the right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, whether orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child’s choice.

• Article 17 (Access to Information): Children have the right to access information from a variety of sources, including media, that promotes their social, spiritual, and moral well-being and physical and mental health.

For over 20 years, Wales has influenced the development of youth information across Europe.  Wales has collaborated and been an active member of ERYICA (European Youth Information and Counselling Agency). ERYICA is an independent, European organisation working with 42 national and regional youth information coordinating bodies in 26 countries.

In Wales, the importance of youth information is further emphasised by the Interim Youth Work Board’s “Time to Deliver for Young People in Wales” report. Recommendation 9 specifically states that, “Welsh Government should work with the sector to commission an information exchange for Wales as part of a digital youth work offer to young people.” 

The “Time to Deliver for Young People in Wales” report also highlights the importance of using a service design approach to shape the development of youth work and youth information. “In line with the principles of service design, young people would take the lead in deciding on the format, content and scope of the information exchange, so that it is relevant to their needs.” (page 21) 

This recommendation presents a key opportunity in Wales to learn from good practice, reflect on what works, build on existing assets, and collaborate with young people to design and deliver a coordinated, effective service.   

ProMo Cymru’s Expertise and Experience in Youth Information

Established in 1982, ProMo Cymru is a registered charity and social enterprise with a mission to communicate, design, and build with young people and communities to drive positive change. We reinvest our profits into creating more equitable services, designed and delivered in partnership with the people we serve.

Founded on youth, community, and cooperative principles, ProMo Cymru has decades of experience delivering digital youth information and community services. We have developed close links with ERYICA. This extensive experience has positioned us as leaders in developing user-focused services, leveraging digital thinking and technologies across Wales and Europe. 

We use a service design approach to ensure that our services and projects are effective, accessible, and meet the needs of young people, communities, and organisations. 

In Wales, we have worked with a range of partners to kickstart, provide or improve information for services such as the NHS, Public Health Wales, Ofcom and voluntary sector organisations such as EYST. 

We deliver Meic, the national information, advice, and advocacy helpline for children and young people in Wales, funded by the Welsh Government. We have also been heavily involved in the digital transformation of Youth Information Services in Wales and beyond, through projects such as TheSprout and CLIC that have influenced youth information services across Europe.

ProMo Cymru actively engages with policy discussions related to youth work and information, including our participation in the Welsh Government’s Youth Work Strategy Implementation Board. 

In addition to this, ProMo is actively involved with a number of other National Strategic Groups, including: 

• Joint Strategic Representative Group for Youth Work
• CWVYS’ Executive Committee and Board
• Wales Internet Safety Partnership
• National Academy for Educational Leadership 

Our international reach is exemplified by our 15+ year collaboration with ERYICA. Through this partnership, we have supported the development of the DesYIgn programme, which trains youth workers in using service design approaches for co-designing effective digital youth work.

We also support third-sector organisations across Wales with digital as part of Third Sector Digital Support, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, and Newid, a Welsh Government-funded (Communities Division) digital project in partnership with WCVA and Cwmpas. 

Key Challenges in Digital Youth Information

Through our extensive engagement with the youth sector and our work in delivering digital youth information over the years, ProMo Cymru has identified several key challenges that hinder effective and engaging information services for young people and professionals across Wales. 

These challenges are also echoed in the DesYIgn Innovative Youth Information Focus Group Interview Report published by Åbo Akademi University (Finland) & ERYICA in 2020. 

The study aimed to broaden the understanding of youth information-seeking behaviour and practices, and planned to use the knowledge to enhance the modernisation and effectiveness of youth information services. 

We discovered that young people and professionals struggle to navigate and find the information they need to make informed decisions, due to: 

• An uncoordinated process resulting in high levels of duplication of information, leading to confusion and inefficiency
• The lack of a clear starting point for information searches, making it challenging for users to know where to begin
• An absence of consistently accredited or quality-assured information, which undermines trust and reliability
• The lack of established pathways to share good information between departments and sectors 
• The lack of access to the internet, digital devices and data, leading to digital exclusion and poverty. 

Defining Quality Youth Information

To establish a framework for excellence, we need to establish what good digital youth information looks like. 

The European Youth Information Charter outlines 9 principles that share the minimum standards and quality measures for youth information work across Europe. The Charter emphasises that youth information should be independent, accessible, inclusive, needs-based, empowering, participative, ethical, professional and proactive. It serves as a reference for professional principles and guidelines in youth information and counselling.

The European Youth Information Quality Label was developed through the 2019-2020 Council of Europe-ERYICA partnership. It offers a means for youth provisions to demonstrate their commitment to quality. The label aims to assist young people in identifying reliable information sources that adhere to the European Youth Information Charter.

Effective youth information requires strong digital transformation. This means creating efficient, cost-effective services that improve access to prevention services and signposting to critical support when needed. 

Information must be accurate, reliable, and trustworthy, empowering young people to make informed decisions. Good youth information also connects online and face-to-face services, providing a complete support system. 

Recommendations for Enhancing Youth Information in Wales

Strengthening European Collaboration

Actively engaging with ERYICA is important for learning from good practices and insights from across Europe. By participating in ERYICA’s community of practice, Wales can access valuable training, resources, and the latest research. This collaboration will enable the sharing of knowledge, experiences, and innovative approaches to youth information, enriching the development of services in Wales.

Implementing a Service Design Approach

Using service design is important when developing youth information services that are truly responsive to the needs of young people. Service design involves thinking about all the online and offline parts of a service. We need to consider the people, processes and systems we need to deliver the service well. Its principles are person-centred, collaboration and iteration. 

Using a service design approach in youth information involves actively engaging with young people and professionals throughout the design and development process, ensuring that services are user-friendly, accessible, and effective. By involving users in every step, we can create services that are tailored to their specific needs and preferences.

Building Upon Existing Welsh Assets

Wales has a rich history of youth information services, including past national initiatives, quality standards, and youth editorial groups. Building upon these existing assets is essential for creating a strong foundation for future development. 

This includes promoting Meic as a key national information, advice, and advocacy service for children and young people in Wales. The helpline, which is available from 8am to midnight every day, can be accessed bilingually by phone, WhatsApp message, text, and online chat. 

Learning from current good practice, such as TheSprout, YEPS, Young Wrexham and the Digital Youth work at Cardiff Youth Service will also be important. These services are already doing excellent work. Youth clubs and organisations can be part of a wider digital offer, expanding the reach and accessibility of youth information.

Creating a cross-sector youth information group could be an ideal next step, involving representatives from relevant sectors such as health and education. 

Lastly, it would be advantageous to develop an online information service such as Young Scot in Wales, that supports young people to access information and link to local and national services from their laptops, tablets, and mobile phones, and in turn improving digital inclusion.

Investing in Training 

Investing in clear and comprehensive training is vital for equipping youth workers with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver high-quality youth information. We recommend that youth information becomes a key aspect of Youth Work Training. Additionally, to further enhance access to reliable information, we propose developing a network of youth clubs and organisations trained to provide youth information. 

Youth information training, which includes media literacy should also be accessible to young people. By integrating youth information into the curriculum, as well as providing targeted education for specific groups, we can be sure that young people know how to access clear, trustworthy and safe information online. A key aspect of this initiative could be the development of specialised training for young content creators, empowering them to produce youth information for their peers. This training could focus on delivering news and events, and providing clear signposting to essential support services.

Obtaining the European Quality Mark For Youth Information

Getting the ERYICA Quality Mark is a valuable step towards ensuring that youth information services in Wales meet European standards of excellence. Supporting youth organisations in achieving the European Quality Mark will enhance their credibility and demonstrate their commitment to quality. Working closely with the Welsh Government and the Youth Work Board is crucial for implementing these recommendations and driving continuous improvement in the youth information sector in Wales.

Fostering Better Collaboration across Sectors

Collaboration across sectors is essential for creating a holistic approach to youth information. Establishing a cross-sectoral working group of professionals from health, social care, mental health, transport, and other relevant fields will help to enable communication, coordination, and the sharing of resources. This collaborative approach will ensure that young people have access to comprehensive and relevant information wherever they go for help.

To enhance the relevance and authenticity of youth information, it is important to actively participate with young content creators across Wales from both the public and voluntary sectors.

Conclusion 

This report outlines critical recommendations for developing digital youth information in Wales, emphasising the importance of collaboration, quality, and accessibility. ProMo Cymru is eager to collaborate with organisations and individuals across Wales further to implement these recommendations and enhance digital youth information. We invite you to get in touch to discuss potential partnerships and initiatives.