APPENDIX 1 – SELECTED LEGISLATION AND GUIDANCE

The United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child was ratified by the UK parliament in 1991, which says

Article 12

  • States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.
  • For this purpose, the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body, in a manner consistent with the procedural rules of national law.

Legislation includes:

  • Education Act 2002 Sec 176: LEA to have regard for guidance on pupil participation
  • National Health Service and Health Care Professions Act 2002:Patient Forums to obtain views of patients and cares and support broader consultation and involvement
  • Health and Social Care Act 2001 Sec 11: Health Authorities, PCTS and Trusts to involve and consult people who use or may use services
  • Care Standards Act 2000: Children’s Rights Directorr
  • Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999: Written record to be agreed by the young person
  • Adoption and Children Act 2002: Sec 1(4)(a)Court or agency to have regard for child’s views

Statutory, non statutory guidance and service practice standards include:

  • National Service Framework for Children and Maternity Services (NSF) Standard 3: Children and young people services take account of their views about their treatment
  • National Service Framework for Children and Maternity Services (NSF) Standard 3: children and young people are listened to on the development of local services
  • Children’s Fund Guidance DfES 2001(4.21): establish on-going dialogue with children and families & E3: Use UNCRC as guiding framework
  • Residential Special Schools Inspections Regulations 2002: Standard 2.1: & Children’s Homes Regulations 2002 Standard 8.1: children’s opinions on decisions which affect daily life are sought
  • Fostering Services National Minimum Standards/ Regulations 2002 Standard 30.9: a member of fostering panel should have been in care themselves
  • Children’s Homes Regulations 2002 Standard 15.6: children and staff to meet regularly to discuss running of home
  • Residential Family Centres Standards 2002; Standard 7.4: staff meet children to discuss running of centre
  • Resourcing ExcellentYouth Services (REYS) DfES 2002 Objective 4: LA must ensure user satisfaction with youth service & Annx 6: Young People to be involved in Inspection, setting standards and evaluating service
  • NationalHealthySchool Standard Promoting Children and Young People’s Participation 2004: Children and young people to become active partners in their education staff are trained in participation
  • Choosing Health DoH 2004: School nursing to involve young people in own assessments
  • Youth Support Services for 13 to 19 Year Olds 2006, How Connexions will Deliver This (18): make assessment…a joint process
  • Children’s Fund Guidance DfES 2001(3.3.2): Active involvement of children in individual packages of support

APPENDIX 2 – NATIONAL SERVICES FRAMEWORK – STANDARDS FOR CHLDRENS HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE

  • Standard 1: PSHE and Citizenship programmes should be informed by young people
  • Standard 3: Children and young people are listened to in the development of local services, and that services take account of their views about treatment
  • Standard 4; Services to gain consent for treatment
  • Standard 6: Children and young people are active partners in pain management
  • Standard 7: Services to be respectful and seek the views of service users
  • Standard 8: Develop good partnerships with children and young people

APPENDIX 3 – CHILDRENS WORKFORCE STRATEGY – COMMON CORE SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

The Children’s Workforce Strategy plan to create a workforce that:

  • Children and young people trust and respect
  • Works together in multi-disciplinary teams
  • Uses a common language and understanding

This will initially focus on social care, schools, health and voluntary sector and in the longer term to cover all children’s services. It will be in line with the NSF, key elements of Choosing Health White Paper, the White Paper 14 -19 Education and Skills, the Youth Matters Green Paper and this will be supported by the independent Children’s Workforce Development Council which will support training and best practice. This leads to a single framework for qualifications and linked occupational standards and competencies across professional boundaries allowing for the Common Assessment Framework, better sharing of information and the lead professional role from different disciplines.

The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for Children’s Workforce sets out six areas of expertise which covers values, skills and knowledge required:

The underpinning values include:

  • Promoting respect
  • The rights of children and young people
  • Shared language and understanding across the workforce

Within this there are three key skills:

  • Listen and build empathy, including:
  • Summarise and explaining, covering:
  • Consultation and negotiation, includes:

Knowledge is seen in four ways:

  • Communication:
  • Confidentiality and Ethics:
  • Sources of support:
  • Respect:

The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for Children’s Workforce also sets out relevant legislation which underpin and inform it. This includes the United Nation Convention on the Right of the Child 1989 and the Human Rights Act 1998, which children’s participation and involvement is underpinned

APPENDIX 4 – BENEFITS OF INVOLVING CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE

ECM Outcome / Outcomes for individual from research
Make a Positive Contribution /
  • Three main youth outcomes (Mitra, 2004) are:
a)agency (increased ability to articulate opinions; constructing new identities as change makers; developing a greater sense of leadership);
b)Belonging (developing a relationship with a caring adult; improving interactions with teachers; increasing attachment to the school);
c)Competence (critiquing their environment; developing problem solving and facilitation skills; getting along with others; speaking publicly).
  • Sachdev (2003) – Young people benefit by improving their social skills, learning to associate their actions with consequent effects. Young people with disabilities increase their and self-efficacy.
  • Littlechild and Sender (2005) – Formal Structures provide opportunities to share in decision making, and satisfaction of using skills to effect change in community.
  • Merton et al. (2004) –gives a basis for social interaction, the opportunity to learn about services and procedures.
  • Thomas (2002) – In research with school students, the students’ understanding of relationships/boundaries with teachers increased as a result of discussions with researchers about teachers’ roles.
  • Receive better services, more responsive to their needs (Cohen and Emmanuel, 1999).

Economic Well-Being /
  • Sachdev (2003) – Young people benefit by improving their work skills, improving their employability
  • An increase in, experience and skills and becoming more independent (Young Minds Best Practice).

Keeping Healthy /
  • Sachdev (2003) – Young people benefit by improving their self-confidence
  • Youth work impacts most on (Merton et al., 2004). These help to build confidence. Merton et al. (2004) enhancing self-esteem
  • Recognise that they are taken seriously, resulting in increased confidence, self-esteem and aspirations (Cohen and Emmanuel, 1999).

Enjoying and Achieving /
  • Sachdev (2003) – Young people benefit by improving their social, problem solving and work skills, improving their employability, learning to associate their actions with consequent effects. Young people with
  • disabilities increase their self-confidence and self-efficacy.
  • Youth work impacts most on motivation, achievement and recognition (Merton et al., 2004). new skills which enable them to gain some form of certification for achievements.
  • Improved academic achievement (DfES, 2003)
  • Littlechild and Sender (2005) – Formal Structures provide opportunities to share in decision making, develop new skills, pursue an area of interest
  • Thomas (2002) – Looked After Children – process of being involved in research, and being interviewed, aided young people in their understanding of processes.
  • Improved attendance (Klein, 2003).
  • Pupils are more engaged with their learning (Klein, 2003).

Staying Safe /
  • Littlechild (1999) – Projective listening techniques can enhance the healing process following abuse
  • Improved behaviour as alienation and disaffection diminish (Klein, 2003).

For the organisation:

Outcome / Outcomes for agencies from research
Learn & make changes /
  • Youth participation brings with it to boards and committees the fresh perspectives of children and young people, and a contribution of a variety of skills and opinions (Matthews and Limb, 2003).
  • Results in- Enhanced curriculum provision (DfES, 2003), including PHSE.
  • A service is developed which reflects local needs and hopes (ECM Webpage)
  • Improved access to services – consultation and involvement of young people enables the organisation to assess its suitability for different user groups, to find out how the service operates and to target specific client groups to whom they wish to ensure better access (Young Minds Best Practice (cite Mumby, C. 2001).).
  • People are more likely to access the service - either for themselves or for their children (ECM Webpage).
  • Development of more responsive services is encouraged through the gathering of feedback from service users. Providers can assess whom the service is reaching, how it is being used, whether services are meeting needs and where there are gaps
(Young Minds Best Practice (cite Mumby, C. 2001).).
Inspected & measured /
  • Improving service performance is aided through the measurement of client satisfaction, which provides service providers with valuable evidence upon which to base changes in practice and to demonstrate responsiveness to client needs (Young Minds Best Practice (cite Mumby, C. 2001).).

Open, transparent, democratic /
  • Increased accountability to the management body, funders, staff, other agencies a service works with and young people themselves (Young Minds Best Practice (cite Mumby, C. 2001).).
  • You will develop a partnership approach in which you will be able to draw more easily on the knowledge and support of parents when carrying out work with their children (ECM Webpage).

For the community:

Outcome / Outcomes for communities from research
Citizenship /
  • Increased listening and democracy in school environments (Klein, 2003).
  • Children and young people become better motivated to get involved in their school and wider community (Cohen and Emmanuel, 1999).
  • Community promotes democratic principles when decisions are reached taking many opinions into account (Cohen and Emmanuel, 1999).
  • Children and young people act as citizens and contribute to community cohesion and social inclusion (Cohen and Emmanuel, 1999).
  • Children and young people act as positive role models (Cohen and Emmanuel, 1999).

Inclusion /
  • A more inclusive environment (DfES, 2003).
  • Promotes social inclusion (Kirby 2003)

APPENDIX 5–RESULTS OF SURVEYS: VIEWS OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Taken from:

  • Viewpoint Children’s Fund Autumn 2005
  • Health Related Behaviour Survey summer 2004
  • Children in NeedUserExperienceSurveySpring2005
  • Looked after Children’s Viewpoint surveys 2004/05

KEEPING HEALTHY

Physical Health

The HRBS found that 85% of all ages brushed their teeth at least twice a day (the recommended amount), 15% said they suffer from asthma and most of these had taken medication for asthma in the past seven days.

In the week before the survey, 39% had taken painkillers, 34% used skin medication and 23% taken at least one vitamin tablet.

The LAC Viewpoint survey found that approximately half of those aged over ten recalled having a health check in the past six months.

Mental/Emotional Health

In the HRBS, significant numbers of children and young people reported on issues that worried them (32% worried about school tests, 29% worried about family problems, 25% worried about crime). Significant numbers also report that they worry a lot about the way they look and the numbers double between primary and secondary ages.

Children and young people’s worries appear to increase significantly at transition and exam time.

Children’s Fund Viewpoint survey found that children aged thirteen and under were more likely to report being able to talk to an adult at school. Girls of all ages were also more likely to respond positively than boys.

Staff awareness, best practice and training may help with the issue raised that under 13’s and females were more likely to report that school staff responded to their worries.

HRBS highlight two issues relating to year 10 girls. They often have poor self and body perceptions and many often skip eating breakfast and/or lunch.

The HRBS also found that children say that parents are their most popular source of support.

Sexual Health

Both HRBS and Viewpoint Children’s Fund survey found that friends are the most likely source of information about sexual health. When asked what should be their main source, 33% said parents and 37% said schools, however, large proportions of over those over- fourteen said this may not have happened.

Significant numbers do not access sexual health and contraception advice from local provision. Consultations in Dacorum Borough and elsewhere suggest special opening hours after school and contraceptive card schemes encourage safer sexual practice.

Healthy Life-style

The Children’s Fund Viewpoint survey found that children aged under thirteen were more likely to participate in sports activities than those over fourteen. Gender differences also grew as children get older, with fewer girls participating. Further research is needed to see if community deprivation influences taking part in sport and how often as some indication was found.

Children under thirteen gave clear reasons why they don’t often take part (not wanting to, no-one to go with and lack of time), but the data does suggest a link between out of school activity and taking part in sport.

The HRBS found that Year 10 boys were nearly twice as likely to take part in sports than girls. Swimming was a keen interest for all children and young people, football the most popular for boys and dance for girls

A clear gender difference becomes apparent as pupils get older, with fewer girls saying they enjoy physical activities and considering themselves fit.

Both Children’s Fund Viewpoint and HRBS data suggests girls may be eating more healthier food than boys and areas of highest deprivation may have the least good diet. Data also suggest that younger children are eating more healthier food than older children. However, the HRBS suggest a significant increase between years 6, 8 and 10 of the numbers of girls who do not eat breakfast.

Whilst the data is not statistically significant, there may be a link between eating patterns and life chances, as there appeared some differences in Children Fund and Children in Need, with the latter having a less healthy diet.

Substance Misuse

The Children’s Fund survey found there may be a link between children smoking and drinking, with children more likely to report they have tried both rather than one.

Approximately 40% of year 10 young people have been offered cannabis.

There was a 10% increase in taking an illegal drug a month before the survey between year 8 and year 10 boys.

There is a significant rise in the numbers of young people who said they knew someone who used illegal drugs as they grew older themselves.

41% of year 10 boys and 38% of year 10 girls said that that had been offered cannabis.

There were similar numbers of girls and boys who said they had taken an illegal drug in the year before the survey.

The number of boys who reported drinking alcohol recently doubled between years 8 and 10. Almost ½ of pupils smoke or are subject to secondary smoking at home.

5% of year 8 and 19% in year 10, had smoked at some point in the week before the survey.

There is a far higher rise in girls who smoke at year 10, from year 8, than boys.

STAYING SAFE

Safe from Abuse and Harm

The HRBS found that 24% of pupils reported that they had been approached by a stranger who scared or made them upset.

The Children’s Fund Viewpoint survey found that there were three main places where children reported feeling unsafe; on the street, at school, in the park. The numbers rose from approximately one third of under thirteen’s to half of over fourteen’s. It also appeared that feeling unsafe was greater in deprived areas.

The data suggested a link between young people’s feelings around safety in relation to bullying and racial abuse and other bad behaviour, particularly in schools.

Safe from Accidental Injury

46% of the primary aged pupils said that they ‘never’ or ‘hardly ever’ wore a safety helmet when cycling. 24% of secondary pupils said that they ‘don’t cycle’, 34% said that they ‘don’t have a helmet’ and another 26% said that they ‘never’ or ‘hardly ever’ wore theirs.

Safe from Bullying/Discrimination

The HRBS found that young people feel that bullying behaviour includes ‘causing distress’, ‘being called nasty names’, ‘teased or made fun of’, and ‘being pushed or hit for no reason’. It seems that there is variance in understanding of the term bullying, with children not viewing ‘over a period of time’ with the same importance as adults.