Children and young people from across the county are having a direct influence on the decision making process of the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership by their regular attendance at the Partnership's meetings.
The Partnership is also looking to develop an Investing in Children and Young People award scheme. This is a kite-mark scheme that will be available to individual teams of workers or establishments providing services to children and young people in Cambridgeshire. Successful applicants will have to provide evidence of dialogue with children and young people leading to change. The evidence will come directly from children and young people. A Membership Certificate will be valid for one year, after which a re-evaluation will take place.
Children aged 5 to 11 are also having their say through ‘Kids Aloud’ groups. The groups are based in South Cambs, East Cambs, Fenland and Hunts. The aim of 'Kids Aloud' is to make sure that every single child in Cambridgeshire has the opportunity to have their voice heard. To find out more about Kids Aloud you can visit their website: www.get-involved.org.uk
To contact Kids Aloud you can send them an email kids.aloud@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or call Poppy on 01223 718086
Children and young people are also involved in the development of services through their participation in the recruitment of front line staff in accordance with best practice procedures.
Children and young people are recruited to the role of young inspectors and are involved in the auditing of the children and young people’s plan and in carrying out mystery shopping exercises on front line services.
Another method of engaging children in the planning and evaluation of services is Agenda Days. These are adult free environments, facilitated by Young People. During these days children will have opportunities to express their opinions and influence the decision making process in innovative, child friendly workshops and discussions.
The Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership is looking in the process of creating a county wide ‘Youth Assembly’ which will provide young people young people with another mechanism for being involved in the key issues that affect them.
The Youth Assembly will enable young people to come together either through existing youth forums youth councils, schools, services and independently to discuss a particular issue such as public transport or the way children and young people are treated in the media. The first meeting of the youth assembly will be held during the Summer.
For more information see
http://www.youthoria.org/getinvolved/
If you would like more information on how children and young people are participating in service development, please contact Clare Bruges or Allan Whyte on 01223 717885. Allan and Clare are Youth Participation Facilitators, and part of the County Youth Participation team whose role is to support, enable and embed the participation of children and young people in Cambridgeshire. For more information about participation involving children aged 5 to 11 contact Poppy Webber, Children’s Fund Particpation Officer on 01223 718086.
Available on the right hand side are templates that give a suggested starting point to develop a service specific charter for young people.