LINKed-Up 'Talk Health' Consultation Event
A LINked Up Working Group has been established with 7 young people, led by 4 Young Advisors. The group has had frequent meetings to discuss plans for a consultation event in January 2009 and to agree agenda items for LINked Up. At initial meetings discussions with the young people were held and issues raised helped identify the headings for workshops at the Consultation Event in January 2009. The Engagement and Participation Team and Young Advisors had meetings with creative facilitators to discuss interactive consultation ideas and agree the aims of the Consultation Event. The Young Advisors have been central to the planning of the event and played a key part on the day supporting the workshop practitioners to ensure all the young people attending had a chance to raise their views and issues.
The Consultation Event had the following aims:
1) To consult with children and young people in innovative ways to explore key Health & Wellbeing issues
2) To help understand children and young people's health issues and use consultation findings to tailor interventions
3) To have children and young people set priorities for LINked Up and provide an opportunity for children & young people to get to know about LINked Up and how to be involved
The Consultation Event was a huge success attended by 55 young people from a variety of services including Youth Offending Service, young people from Springfield Additional Needs School and Copthorne Additional Needs Youth Club, M.A.D.E (Children In Care Council), THINK sexual health group, Substance Misuse, Knowsley Youth Parliament and S.P.A.R.K.
There were four workshops ran throughout the day covering the following themes:
1) Health Education & Life Chances
2) Transition from Child to Adult Services & Adult Services that affect young people
3) Lifestyles and Health Activities
4) What Services do you access and what do you think about them?
The Feedback the Young Advisors received from the Consultation Event, was very positive and we have received comments from workers who attended the event that it is one of the only times they have been to a consultation event that was fully inclusive to all the young people that attended, and kept them engaged and focussed throughout.
