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Travelling Ahead – Getting the Show on the Road

Welcome• Introductions

• Aims & Objectives

• Who are Gypsies and Travellers?

• A picture of inequality in Wales

• The Travelling Ahead project

• Barriers to inclusion and engagement

• Solutions and action planning

• Evaluation

Aims & Objectives

- To foster a common understanding across all levels of local authorities, and the partners that work with them, about the barriers faced by young Gypsies and Travellers in accessing their services.

- To identify possible solutions to these barriers and suggest ways forward for the benefit of young Gypsies and Travellers and the representation of young people in general.

- To pledge to improve services for this minority to ensure that they can become active and engaged members of society.

Who says this is important?This work is funded by BBC Children in Need and the Welsh Assembly Government to improve the engagement of young Gypsies and Travellers across Wales in decisions that affect them.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) guarantees unalienable rights to all children under 18, which underpins the Welsh Assembly’s commitment to young Gypsies and Travellers.

The Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Keith Towler, has also announced that the rights of young Gypsies and Travellers will be one of the priorities his office focuses on during 2011 and 2012.

Trevor Phillips, the head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), has labelled the discrimination aimed at Gypsies and Travellers to be the ‘last acceptable form of racism’ and compared the situation to the segregation faced by black people in 1960s Deep South America.

Why Travelling Ahead existsRace Relations Act (1976)

- Nobody should be discriminated against or harassed because of their race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin.

Race Relations Act amendment (2000)- Institutions should be proactive in eliminating unlawful racial

discrimination,

promoting equality of opportunity, and promoting good race relations between people of different racial groups.

Equality Act (2010)- Advance equality of opportunity between people from different groups.

- Replaces existing equalities duties on disability, gender and race.

Gypsies recognised ethnic group (1989, Commission for Racial Equality v Dutton)

Irish Travellers recognised ethnic group (2000, O’Leary v Allied Domecq)

Who are the Gypsies?• Gypsies (English, Welsh or Scottish)

• Rom / Roma

• Irish Travellers

• Show-people

• ‘New Age’ Travellers

• ‘Bargees’ and other water dwelling people

Britain and Gypsies: A potted history

The Mandla Criteria

Equal Opportunities –What does it really mean?

Equality Act 2010, guidance:

“Complying with the general duty may involve treating some people better than others, as far as this is allowed by discrimination law. For example, it may involve making use of an exception or the positive action provisions in order to provide a service in a way which is appropriate for a particular group.”

Equal opportunities does not necessarily mean the same treatment for all.

The Travelling Ahead ProjectThe Travelling Ahead project aims to improve outcomes for Gypsy and Traveller children and young people by enabling young Gypsies and Travellers throughout Wales to represent themselves to affect change and positively influence policy and service development and practice at a community, local authority and national level.

Save the Children works with partners around Wales to ensure that we’re able to meet the needs of the young people we seek to help.

Why specifically Gypsy Travellers?One in five young Gypsy Travellers don’t make it to secondary schoolOnly 9% of Gypsy Travellers achieve 5 good A*-C GCSEs compared to the average of 51% in the wider population

They are described as the “most at risk” group in the health system by the British Medical Association

They are described as the “most at risk” group in the education system by OfstedThey have the highest infant mortality rate of any group in society

Young Gypsy Travellers are marginalised and alienated by a lack of access to services and decision-making processes

Myths & Facts

“Gypsies don’t pay Tax”“Gypsies refuse to work”

“Gypsies never obey planning laws”“Gypsies are dirty!”

“Gypsies have never contributed anything to society”

“Gypsies don’t go to school”“Gypsies just live off benefits”

Myths & Facts• ‘Plot Charge’, Utility Rates, Income Tax, VAT, Road Tax• Traditionally labourers but mechanisation of agriculture/industry has put this under threat. Most women in the community act as housewives and therefore men must work hard to provide for the family.• Catch-22. Gypsy planning applications are refused 90% of the time compared to non-Gypsy applications being refused 20% of the time. Gypsies suffer from NIMBYism and are constantly moved on, even if they own the land.• Mahrime / Mokadi and cleanliness.• Many well-known Gypsies and Flamenco dancing - Wall of Fame• Gypsy children often drop out of school due to a desire to preserve culture, avoid loss of morals through drug abuse / sexual exposure, bullying, lack of access due to travelling etc.• Travelling lifestyle prevents many getting benefits they’re entitled to receive as they don’t have fixed address long enough and do not receive support to make claims.

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They Said What?!

Source: ‘Gypsies and Travellers: Moving Forward’, The Gypsy Media Company and Surrey Police

Case StudiesJohnny Delaney Firle bonfire

A Picture of Inequalities in Wales...

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The ‘UNCRC’ and the Concluding

ObservationsThe UNCRC guarantees rights for all young people, including:Article 1: Everyone under 18 has all the rights of the convention.Article 7: All children have the right to a nationality.Article 8: Governments should respect children’s right to a nationality and family ties.Article 30: Children have the right to learn and use the language and customs of their family, whether these are shared by the majority of the people or not.

United Nations ‘Concluding Observations’ (2008):• Specific mention of young Gypsies and Travellers• Recommends government to increase awareness-raising and, if necessary, affirmative action for the benefit of Gypsy and Traveller children• Recommends the reintroduction of statutory duty on local authorities to provide safe and adequate sites for Gypsies and Travellers.• Next report due in 2014.

Accommodation Issues

Accommodation Issues• The Catch 22:

- Authorised site – full or unavailable.- Living by the roadside or abandoning heritage in

housing.- Buy own land – No planning permission!- Moved on – where?

• Authorised site or on the move: cost-benefit analysis.

• Caravan Sites Act 1968 / Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 / New requirements?

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Education IssuesWhat we’re teaching our children...

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Education Issues• Low attendance caused by no buy-in from parents – why? They were bullied at school, fatalism, no trust, opposed to moral values, traditional work roles. Bullying of children not dealt with, retaliation leads to GT expelled. Literacy issues. Children treated as if SEN but just can’t read or are struggling.

• Traveller Edu. Services struggle due to staffing and finances

• Getting moved on severs link to education

• Travelling lifestyle and the school roll

• Elective Home Education

Health IssuesHealth study findings (Parry & Van Cleemput)Health Vox Pops with Gypsies and Travellers

• Authorised sites v. Roadside health

• Access to GPs

• Location of authorised sites

• Life expectancy / Infant mortality

• Lack of statistics

Maslow – Hierarchy of Needs

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What is Travelling Ahead?

Travelling Ahead

Local YouthForums

Travelling AheadWebsite

National YouthForum

Training

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Local Youth ForumsThe project aims to develop Gypsy Traveller youth forums in Local Authorities around Wales. These forums are intended to address the lack of Gypsy Traveller involvement in decision-making processes and empower young people to claim their rights.

There are currently 9 Local Authorities with Gypsy and Traveller youth forums – running 11 different projects. Each of these forums will focus on their own issues but there are familiar themes across the country. We expect to have supported 24 projects by April 2012.

A word from those who have helped develop the project so far...“I am glad that because

of this project thousands of young Gypsy/ Travellers from across Wales will be aware of their rights, and have a voice. This project helps towards an equal community in Wales.”

Sophie Price, 18, from Cardiff

“I have really enjoyed taking part in this project as it has made me feel that my opinion counts and I can have a say in issues that affect me.”

Tammy Roberts, 17, from Pembrokeshire“Most Gypsies don’t know

their rights and this website is a good way of explaining them and giving us advice on where we can go to discuss issues that affect us. I’m looking forward to using the website and sharing photos and news to celebrate our culture.”

Sam Janes, 14, from Torfaen

National Gypsy Youth ForumThe Travelling Ahead project will support the development of Gypsy Traveller youth forums throughout Wales in an attempt to achieve positive local changes. We will also develop a National youth forum which will draw together representatives and issues from all the local forums and provide a nationwide voice for young Gypsy Travellers.

Young Gypsy Travellers may face local issues, such as ‘No Gypsy’ signs in shops or localised vandalism and bullying, but they also encounter issues that are nationwide. These can include media portrayal, education policy, housing law, issues resulting from a transitory lifestyle, and problems with hate crime. The National forum will attempt to address these issues and more through speaking with a unified voice for young Gypsies and Travellers.

Travellingahead.org.uk

The Travelling Ahead website was developed to:

- Help young people and professionals with the tools they need to access the help and support that Gypsy Travellers are entitled to receive.

- Draw together the fantastic work done by young Gypsies and Travellers and those working with them in local forums across Wales.

- Support the development of a national young Gypsy Traveller forum for Wales.

What can we do with the website?

The website is designed to be used by both young Gypsies and Travellers and professionals working with the community. To meet this dual purpose the website has two main sections:

• ‘Our Site’

• The Professional Toolkit

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Our Site

• Chat Forum

• ‘Our Voice’

• Local Forums

• Help & Support

• Picture Gallery

• Games

• Events

• History and Culture

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http://www.travellingahead.org.uk/oursite/our-rights

Professional Toolkit

• Young Gypsy and Traveller rights in a Welsh context

• Examples of good practice from across Wales

• Information on how to setup a local forum

• Apply for a small grant of up to £1500

• Information about children’s participation and the UNCRC

• Resource library

• Background to the Travelling Ahead project

• History & Culture

• Contact Directory

• Training opportunities

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Next Steps...

• Feed youth forum views into mainstream decision-making structures e.g. Funky Dragon / local authority youth forums / children and young people’s partnerships

• Support young Gypsies and Travellers to engage in services and processes

• Support professionals to empower young Gypsies and Travellers through training sessions.

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Barriers to young Gypsies & Travellers

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Action Planning

Thank you for listening

Please visit the website at www.travellingahead.org.uk

You can contact me on (029) 20396838 or via e-mail at:

J.Davies@savethechildren.org.uk

Travellingahead@savethechildren.org.uk