Young People's Voice & Influence

 


One of the Youth Work Unit’s key objectives is to promote young people’s voice, influence and active participation in society at large as well as in Y&H region and their local communities.

Voice, Influence and Participation (VIP) work is a crucial part of all youth work and LA and voluntary sector  youth work organisations have considerable expertise and have developed an extensive range of local VIP work. Examples would include parliaments/forums, campaigning, scrutiny, consultations, training, inspection and recruitment.

The YWU seeks to complement work carried out locally, which gives young people a voice and the chance to influence things at a regional level.

The YWU's Participation Strategy aims to establish Youth Voice Y&H as the flexible mechanism for young people's participation at regional level and will include regional meetings and events, involvement in consultations etc.  To date, young people have attended the DCSF National Youth Board, undertaking work on the You're Welcome health standards and spoken at various regional conferences.  In October we are planning the launch conference on 16th October in Doncaster.


To see the strategy document, click the link below.

  • Participation Strategy


We also co-ordinate an email network PWNYH Participation Workers Network Y&H and send out fortnightly information bulletins and organise occasional events.



From June 2007 the YWU has co-ordinated all UKYP activities in the region:

  • supporting members (MYPs) and deputies (DMYPs) of the Youth Parliament
  • liasing with their workers
  • organising regional meetings
  • ensuring and supporting the annual UKYP sitting, this year to be held in Belfast
  • supporting national campaigns - transport, abolish university tuition fees and political education in schools
  • Supporting ithis year's regional campaign - Shaping healthcare services for disadvantaged young people

All 15 local Authority areas elect Members of the UK Youth Parliament.

The YWU also works closely with UKYP nationally, attending staff meetings and ensuring a close relationship and facilitating involvement in national events and meetings.  For more information visit UKYP web site http://www.ukyp.org.uk/


Regional Induction at the Hollowford Centre March 2010

Forty two newly elected Members of the Youth Parliament (MYPs) and their Deputies gathered at the lovely Hollowford Outdoor Activity Centre for the region's first weekend residential.  The purpose was to equip new MYPs and Deputies with the skills and knowledge they will need to represent young people's interests in their local areas.  Workshops were held on UKYP organisation, public speaking, debating skills, how local authorities work, the media, and online skills were delivered by a mixture of experienced MYPs, UKYP staff from London, and local Youth Workers.  The MYPs and Deputies also selected their own regional campaign area 'Shaping healthcare services for disadvantaged young people' from an original list of fifteen proposals: the final choice following much skilled and passionate debate late into Saturday evening.  Sunday morning was devoted to outdoor team challenges, evaluation, exchanging of contact details, final goodbyes and thoughts of the exciting year to come.


Since the UKYP residential young people from Kirklees have been particularly speedy in doing some work specifically aimed at improving things for Young Carers and if you follow the link below you can read about their Young Carers Card scheme.  Any other groups with examples should send them through for inclusion.

  • Kirklees Young Carers Card

Our star Procedures Group (PG) reps,
Sonia Sanghera and Jayde Tunnacliffe leading the discussion

Matthew Jackson
our Yorkshire and Humber UKYP Trustee
Youth workers planning sessions of their own

Fiona McKinstrie facilitating a Media Skills Workshop
Tom Lodziak preparing for an online skills workshop

Harry Carter and Emma Fiddler leading the debating skills session
Luke Simmons taking questions following Young Carers presentation

Getting ready for the outdoors
Megan Calvert (11)
one of our youngest DMYPs leading the way on the zip wire

Good Practice Examples

Publicity