Thursday 18th May, 2006

Well my last weeks comments about being short of time to write this blog are becoming self evident! What started as a weekly episode is becoming more few and far between and my time is being filled with lots of visits, presentations and meetings; all of which is good, as it means that children and young people's involvement is being taken seriously.

The consultation that I mentioned last week was very interesting, a good way to find out the proposed plans for 'extended schools' and community learning partnerships; the future is going to look very different with the potential for partner agencies to be sitting together. All of these changes mean that professionals will work more closely, be easier to access and have the same aim - to achieve better outcomes for YOU!

I said last week that I'd finished a document that I've called a 'Framework for Participation'; members of the Integrated Strategy Group (the 'engine room, made up of partner agencies) have seen it and have a week to comment before it goes to the Children's Trust Board next week. If it is approved, then you will be truly involved in writing and putting the 'Participation Strategy' in place. Watch this space!

Two very useful meetings that I've been involved in are 'listening to disabled children'. A presentation was given about a new 'tool' to help children with additional needs communicate. The video called 'listen up' was made with lots of children and young people; it has a board game that is used to find out how children are feeling, what they want and need, along with picture cards that they can use. A really useful card is one that can be carried with the young person, to identify someone that they trust to talk to; it has a photo of the adult on the back.  It is being piloted by one of Staffordshire's residential homes.

The other meeting was about children who are 'looked after' by the County Council to consider how professionals can work better together to stop them becoming involved in the criminal justice system. It can't be easy living away from home, from your family, friends and familiar surroundings and sometimes things get too much, things go wrong and these children and young people may be treated more harshly than they deserve. A small group of senior managers are working closely together to put systems, policies and procedures in place to improve this.  

Thursday evening found me sitting in the garden at the Kingston Centre with a group of young people from the Youth Action Kouncil (YAK). This meeting was the Leaders Advisory Body (LAB) and is jointly chaired by a member of Yak and Counsellor (Cllr) Terry Dix the leader of the County Council. Cllr Robert Simpson, cabinet member for children and young people was also here; a clear demonstration of the commitment of the county Council to listening to children and young people. Cllr Simpson told the group that he thought the new funding from the 'youth opportunities fund' was really exciting and that in order to make sure that nothing was blocked by bureaucracy, he would ensure that a counsellor attended each locality meeting. I'll keep you up to date with progress about the funding here and how you can bid for money to make things happen in your area.

It was a very lively meeting and amongst other things we looked at how YAK can be made more inclusive/accessible to other groups of children, such as those who are looked after, those who have additional needs, those involved in the criminal justice system, just to give a few examples. The ideas were plentiful, from making DVDs, doing workshops in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) and having 'mock' elections.

Early this week I met with Natalie Loginov, a worker from ADSIS, an agency that works with teenagers who are affected by their parent's substance misuse. Any one can refer to her and this is completely confidential; her email address is here: natalie_loginov@yahoo.co.uk.

Tomorrow I'm meeting with Staffordshire Police Divisional Commanders to let them know more about my role and on Friday I'm visiting the School Council at Birches first School, Codsall. I'll update you next week!

Last Modified: 29/09/2006 08:28:29
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