Participation and Childrens Rights Work

Advice, Information and Support for Council Services and Partner Agencies

By offering advice, guidance and information to all Council services and partner agencies we are able to stimulate and motivate staff to consider and prioritise ways in which they can engage children and young people in their service planning, delivery, evaluation and strategy development.

We also support services to develop participatory methods and techniques that they can use themselves with groups of children and young people.

Services supported include:

• Change for Children Boards - Involving young people on the Boards
• Change for Children, Team Around The Child Evaluation - Initial Questionnaire and Key Findings Report
• School and Community Clusters - Advice and guidance on children and young people's participation within the CAF process.
• Curriculum Plus - Evaluation.
• Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting - Report produced on 'How children and young people living in Residential Care can participate fully in Inspection processes'.
• Corporate Parenting - Consultation with young people from Residential Units looking at improvements and changes to the Educational Incentive Scheme.
• Youth Offending Service - Development of the Preventative Strategy.
• Teenage Pregnancy Unit/ PCT - Design of participatory activities to gather information from Teenage Parents.
• PCT - Design of focus group sessions for Childhood Obesity.
• Telford Town Centre Development.
• Equalities Officer - Consultation options for Gender Equality Scheme.
• Joint Commissioning Unit - Involving children and young people across all NSF Standards.
• Youth Development Service and Connexions - Involving young people in the development of the Youth Offer.

"The advice and guidance that I have been given has really helped me to think about how our service can move forward in terms of young people's participation." Prevention Manager, Youth Offending Service.

"I have learnt some new fun ways to involve learners in evaluation and planning sessions"

Family Learning Tutor

Delivering Consultations with Children and Young People

The service is often approached to directly deliver consultations, including information for strategy development and evaluations, on behalf of other services and projects.

Consultations and Evaluations delivered for Services include:

• Extended Schools Agenda - 170 young people across 16 schools.
• Evaluation of the Culture Zone Programme - 120 children across 7 schools.
• Education Improvement Partnership - Evaluation across 15 schools with children, young people and parents on the Gifted and Talented Programme.
• Evaluation of the design of the Common Assessment Framework information leaflets.
• Evaluation of Heartstone Project - Teaching staff in participating schools.
• Joint Commissioning Unit - Substance Misuse Consultation.
• Development of the Accessibility Strategy - 30 CYP with severe and moderate disabilities consulted within 4 schools including 2 special schools.
• Develop and improve Telford Ice Rink - over 100 young people.
• Evaluation of 'Being with Dad' Project - Parenting Strategy.
• Wellington Library - Local children's groups.
• Ironbridge Gorge Residents Group - Shape it, Make it Consultation.
• Development of the Corporate Parenting Strategy - looked after children and young people.
• Consultation on the CiC Pledge - children in care.

"The national evaluators have had a look at the Culture Zone Consultation Report and are keen to have a copy." Extended Learning Coordinator.

"I have seen your child friendly 5 outcomes and extended core offer handouts…Stunning! Can I use them at other times?" Extended Schools Coordinator.

A great deal of additional consultation and evaluation work is also undertaken by the service through the Participation Groups that it facilitates.

Recruitment and Selection

Involving children and young people in the recruitment and selection of staff is a major focus for the Service. A Good Practice Guide and training programme have been developed which has encouraged more posts to have a children and young people's panel of interviewers working alongside the adult panel.

Children & young people are trained to ensure that they are fully involved and prepared for the role.

"I feel really important doing this job, and have leant so much that I can use later on when I am applying for jobs or college." Anonymous aged 15.

Examples of posts that have included children and young people in the interview process include:

· Chief Executive.

· Corporate Director for Children's Services.

· Looked After Children's Nurse.

· Leisure & Fun Co-ordinator for Looked After Children.

· Young Carers Support Officer.

· Young Peoples Voice & Influence Worker.

· Activity Worker for Donnington.

· Joint Commissioner for Children with Disabilities.

The Participation and Children's Rights Project also:

• Facilitate Raise Your Voice Increase Your Choice Childrens Groups (RYVIYC) for 8 -13 year olds in seven specific areas of Telford. These groups identify issues that affect all children in their area and make recommendations for future action. The appointment of the area based Activity Workers was a recommendation from their children.
• Facilitate a borough wide forum for young people, the Young Peoples Forum (YPF) for 13 - 19 year olds. Young people sin this group can come from any area of Telford and they represent the views of young people across the borough. More details about the group can be found above/below.
• Work with members and officers from Borough of Telford & Wrekin and partner agencies so that they know about ways in which they can involve children and young people in decision making.
• Raise awareness of children's rights and responsibilities, in particular the UN Convention o the Rights of the Child. This work is often done through in school teaching sessions.
• Plan and deliver participatory conferences and events for children and young people that raise awareness of a range of issues.

For more information please contact:

Sarah Stembridge 01952 385114 or 07976100861

Vanessa Postle 01952 385117 or 07976100860

Charlotte Baker 01952 385107 or 07973454736