Participation is the process of sharing power to ensure those experiences, ideas and opinions fully impact on decisions that affect children and young people’s lives. This page shows examples of woking with partner agencies:
- Community Strategy: Young people were consulted on the South Gloucestershire Community Strategy in October 2007.
- Staple Hill regeneration partnership: As part of the priority neighbourhoods work, active engagement of young people in preparation for an event in March 2008 with aim of identifying priorities and actions to improve outcomes of children and young people in the area. An action plan is currently being drafted based on the direct input from young people and the commitments of those who participated in the event.
- Young people involved in design and construction plans for skatepark at Elm park playing fields in Filton, facilitated by a voluntary sector organisation, Filton People.
Yate town and parish councils have contributed to youth provision in the locality including participation work. Young people have regular contact with elected members. Recently young people were involved in finding solutions to the dispersal order that had been imposed in Abbotswood. - Transport: UKYP members presented the results of a travel survey in 2004, followed up by further representation to councillors in 2006 on this issue. Councillors announced earlier this year that funds had been identified for subsidised transport and that UKYP members (past and present) were invited to facilitate further consultation with young people about best options.
- Sex and Relationships Education (SRE): UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) representatives undertook a questionnaire regarding young peoples views on sex and relationship education. Results presented to key people including CYP Select Committee. Members requested further discussion about tackling teenage pregnancy resulting in potential additional funding being considered by councillors. The UKYP reps are now using their experience on the Terrence Higgins Trust Young Leaders SW SRE Grants Panel.
- SRE: Connexions coordinated a targeted survey in three secondary schools to find out what young people would like to improve re: SRE. Results were fed into the PSHE Coordinators’ Best Practice Forum and to the Clinical Outreach Service Steering Group, resulting in a weekly sexual health drop-in being established in one of the secondary schools.
- SRE: In early 2007 drama students at Filton College commissioned to write, produce and tour an interactive short play about HIV and condom use. The show toured targeted youth centres and secondary schools across the authority. Impact included young people revealing their previous ignorance about STIs and requesting further sessions on sex and relationships which have taken place. Youth workers in targeted wards are receiving level 2 training on SRE. Filton College students will work on another sex and relationships-related theme for an October 2008 tour.
- CAMHS: Dedicated participation worker in CAMHS (employed by Barnardos) has enabled young service users to be engaged in the selection of a new psychiatrist, the procurement process for future CAHMS service, the re-decoration of the CAHMS waiting area and in ongoing user feedback.
- Consultations: Annual Youth Summit and consultation events for school council representatives to contribute to evaluation and prioritisation of plans, in particular the CYP Plan. Additional events take place in a youth centre to broaden participation in these events.
- Involvement of disabled young people in wide range of participation activities including he organising and facilitation of the Raise your Voice conference and as members of the Big Stash panel. Disabled young people also contributed their views to the review of services for disabled children, influencing the key areas of work in the implementation plan.
- Connexions involvement of young people in range of activities including recruitment of staff, development of Area Wide Prospectus, evaluation of guidance interviews, development of Young Peoples Information Points in schools
- Housing for young people: Priority Youth Housing (voluntary sector housing organisation providing some commissioned services): Service users involved in the developments of the service alongside staff and Board members. Young people also consulted recently on the draft Housing Strategy.
- Young Carers have been actively involved in wide range of activities including: planning activities, involvement on Big Stash panel, piloting an ‘outcomes toolkit’ with Nottingham University, input to commissioning and planning group for young carers, production of a DVD about being a young carer, involvement in conference on Parental Mental health, design of new logo.
- Young people interviewed as part of the recent independent evaluation of the CAF process, influencing the final recommendations.