In partnership with Participation Works and Government Office, The NYA Hear by Right team has worked recently with 17 of the 19 local authorities across the South East to better build in the participation of children and young people to improve services so they get a better deal. Meanwhile Talha Ghannam reports on two of the events on the Isle of Wight and in Brighton and Hove. A summary report will be available soon about this DCSF funded project.

Participation on the island: leaders and young people agree next steps

One of the wonders of Hear by Right is how it works well across small and big organisations, rallying managers and young people to improve services and outcomes through increased participation. The Isle of Wight is a small county: the smallest for half the year when the tide is in and second to Rutland when the tide is out, joked Council Chief Executive, Steve Beynon at the Hear by Right Participation Works event on 30 July. But whatever the size of the organisation, strong leadership is essential to push through changes required. And the young people identified much to be done, highlighting few training and job opportunities, problems caused by stark divisions of wealth and transport costs. In summing up the day, Steve Beynon said it had been stimulating, challenging, worrying. Stimulating because of the immense energy and commitment of young people, managers and staff; challenging because the use of Hear by Right had given clear aims and direction; worrying because the specific actions agreed required follow through against which improvement in services would be measured. A report of the day and the action plan are being presented to the senior management team and Children’s Trust in early September.

A participation wave breaks across Brighton and Hove

The young people of Brighton and Hove met on the 31st July to have their voices heard. In a day of participation and engagement, young people expressed their views on involvement and opportunities for young people, universally agreeing to the statement “if they don’t listen to us, they will never get it right”. The graffiti posters covered with traffic light coded post-its visually demonstrated the concerns young people have through the amount of orange and red, highlighting particular concern for safety within the neighbourhood, job and training opportunities and their inability to have their voices heard. Di Smith, the Director of Children and Young People’s Services, spoke of the young people’s eloquence and the significance of the discussion she had with them and of her desire for “substance” and a plan of action to emerge from the day. The young people, having agreed their top priorities for participation and mapped progress, then worked with managers to agree a plan of action, with tasks delegated and timeframes agreed. The speed and quality of their work led one young people, Kayleigh to add: “If it takes us an hour and a half to do what it takes you six months to do in the Council, why don’t we have your jobs?”

Talha Ghannam Participation Trainer, talhag@nya.org.uk