Helen Mary Jones

Helen has shown her dedication towards improving the lives of children in Wales throughout her career. From 1982-86, she taught pupils with additional learning needs, and later took on roles in youth and community work. In 1999, she entered the Welsh Assembly, and between 2007-2011, Helen chaired the Children and Young People’s Committee. She led scrutiny of the process leading to the Rights of Children and Young Persons Measure 2011. Between 2011-2017, Helen was Chief Executive of Youth Cymru, and successfully lobbied the Welsh Government to restore core funding to national youth work voluntary organisations. She presented on the rights of children and young people in Wales at Houston and Austin universities in 2014, and Harvard in 2016. Between 2011 and 2013, Helen was appointed to a Welsh Government Ministerial Intervention Board tasked with challenging safeguarding delivery, and she was later appointed to a working group reviewing the inspection of early childhood care and education. Helen was a Board member of the Wales Observatory on the Human Rights of Children and Young People (2012-2017). Between 2018 – 2021, Helen was a Member of the Senedd, and Co-Chair of the Cross Party Groups on Children, and Looked After Children and Young People