Children and young people: You said, We did

Under the Children Act 2004, there is a legal duty to ensure that children and young people are given the opportunity to have a say in the decision making process in issues that affect them. Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the rights of the Child, states that children and young people should be given the right to express opinions and ideas. We believe that children and young people’s contribution and involvement will not only help in delivering high quality services but will also ensure those services are fully inclusive and meet the needs of children and young people in Darlington.
 
In 2010 the Children’s Trust adopted a Participation Strategy for children and young people that promotes proactive support for working in partnership with children and young people and endeavouring to remove barriers so that we do not restrict nor restrain young people from voicing their needs. 
 
The Participation Strategy Standing Group implements this strategy and will support other key agencies who work with children as way of considering, developing and providing effective opportunities for participation between both children and young people and the service providers.

How the Children's Trust listens to what children and young people tell us:

There are lots of ways we find out what you think for example we have a facebook page at CLICK TO DO, the BLUEPRINT (the summary developed by young people for the draft CYPP 2011-2014) and recently young people developed a DVD for Children's Trust highlighting the key issues young people face.
 
We also undertake ongoing focus group work around specific areas of work. Key groups are consulted such as the T3 Group, Council of School Councils,  Young People's Health Group, DAD Young Leaders, Darlington Care Crew, Young Carers, Young People in Colleges or Further Education and many other groups when we are developing strategies or plans that impact on young people.
 
We also have a Young Inspectors Programme delivered by YMCA that review services across agencies in Children's Trust and have completed 15 inspections in 2010-2011. These included services managed by local authority, Police Custody suite, Dr Piper House, Dolphin Centre, Family Information Service and many other services. For more information about this please contact Anita Hamer at anita.hamer@darlington.gov.uk
 
All of this information is put together into the Children and Young People's Plan and has contributed significantly to informing the priorities adopted by the Children's Trust. These priorities will help to improve outcomes for all children and young people in Darlington and their families.
 
The Children and Young People's Plan Review publishes the 'What's changed' Logs [pdf document], which are updated by all Children's Trust partners to demonstrate what has been done in response what you have told us. All partners are encouraged to adopt the use of the Whats Changed Logs so we can clearly evidence to young people what action we take as a Children's Trust when they raise issues with the Children's Trust about services in Darlington.
  
For more information about Participation work in Darlington contact Andy Whittham on andrew.whittham@darlington.gov.uk