Welcome From The Participation Team The Importance of

Welcome From The Participation Team The Importance of Promoting Participation to Care Leavers.

The Participation Team • Ensure that we promote, listen and act upon the voices of Children in Care and Young Care Leavers, Children who were previously looked after, the Sons and Daughters of Foster Carers and other young People who come under Children, Young People and Education, and help ensure they are kept at the centre of all working practices.

What Does Participation Mean To You?

The Importance of Promoting Participation to Care Leavers • to understand what we mean by participation • to understand the legal framework underpinning a young person’s right to participate • to understand the importance of hearing the child’s voice and the positive impact it can have on your practice and the young people you work with • to think about how you can help a young person to share their opinions and feelings

In the State of Girls’ Rights 2020 report, what percentage of girls aged 14 – 21, said they has experienced unwanted sexual attention or harassment in a public place? • A – 17% • B – 66% • C – 47% • D – 57%

From a Child in Care & Care Leaver’s point of view, what is the national percentage of Social Workers who are ambitious for the Children they work with? • A – 56% • B – 66% • C – 76% • D – 88%

What percentage of Care Leavers go on to study in Higher Education? • A – 22% • B – 34% • C – 18% • D – 12%

What percentage of care leavers are still in contact with KCC? • A – 80% • B – 20% • C – 90. 5% • D – 55%

Participation: Hearing the Voice of the Young Person • Participation means an individual’s involvement in the decisions that affect them. • Individual Participation – decisions and actions relating to their own lives • Public Participation – Involvement in the design and delivery of services.

Young People initiated & shared decisions with adults Young People initiated and directed Adult initiated, shared decisions with young people Consulted and Informed Assigned and Informed Tokenism Decoration Manipulation Hart’s Ladder of Participation

We have a legal RIGHT to be involved in the decisions that affect our lives

Benefits of Participation for Care Leavers • For the Young Person • For the Social Worker • For your Organisation

What should ‘good’ participation look like? Listen to us and act upon what we say Respect us Treat us fairly Support us to participate Be honest with us Take our needs and interests into consideration

Ways in Which We Promote Participation • Our Young Adult Council (YAC) • Challenge Cards • Social Connection Service • Skills to Foster • Mind of My Own • Co-Production Training

Our Young Adult Council (YAC) • Ensuring Care Leavers have their thought and opinions heard

16+ Care Leaver Activities

Challenge Cards • Mind Your Language • No Bin Bag Policy • Rent Guarantor Scheme • Council Tax Exemption

Social Connection Service • Family Group Conferencing • Lifelong Links • Family Finding

Skills to Foster • Young Person’s Panel • Promoting Participation • Young person included in decision making

Mind of My Own An app for young people and care leavers to contact their worker A safe way of having voice heard Structured Statements

Co-Production Our definition of Coproduction and Participation is: Coproduction and Participation is all about how young people’s voices help to influence the design, delivery and evaluation of the service offered. Children and young people’s wishes and feelings are at the heart of all the services they are offered.

If you have any questions, please type them in the chat box and we will try to answer as many as possible. Thank you for listening to us today. If you want more information, please contact us at VSK_Participation@kent. gov. uk