Agenda item - Youth Participation

Report of the Executive Director Families Children & Learning (copy attached)

RESOLVED: That the Committee noted and agreed the action plan developed by young people that would increase young people’s involvement in making decisions that impact on them

43.1    The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director Families Children & Learning which provided information on current youth participation practice in the city and put forward a proposal that would further involve young people in making decisions on services in the city that impact on them. The report was introduced by the Integrated Team for Families Manager and the Youth Work Co-ordinatorand were accompanied by Charlotte Pemberton, a young person from Trust for Developing Communities (TDC) .

43.2    The Youth Work Co-ordinator said that she had been working with young people on the Youth Review and the Youth Led Grants Programme. The Youth Participation Action Plan was all about what young people are telling us and their views on how the work currently being undertaken could be improved, and Charlotte had been invited to the meeting to have a brief question and answer session.  They asked Charlotte how she had been involved in youth participation, whether she felt that she had been listened to, if she had had any barriers to overcome and how the Council could improve. Charlotte said that she was a young volunteer with TDC in Mouslecoomb and had been involved with projects on Youth Led Grants, she felt that she and other young people had been listened to, she had autism and suffered with anxiety and migraines and had been able to overcome that to enable her to participate and with regard to improvement it was important to ensure that more young people were involved in decision making.

43.3    Councillor Lloyd asked how equalities groups were involved in the Action Plan and was advised that they were currently working with equalities groups, but due to the current pandemic it was taking longer to be able to communicate with young people from those groups.

43.4    Councillor Allcock asked if there were more opportunities for young people to be involved in the decision-making process, and officers suggested that more young people be involved with this committee.

43.5    RESOLVED: That the Committee noted and agreed the action plan developed by young people that would increase young people’s involvement in making decisions that impact on them