The SEND Youth Forum meets every half term to help shape council services, try new things and have fun! Participation Officer Sarah Evans explains what they’ve been up to recently.
Over recent months, we’ve been talking about what participation really means. It’s not just about being asked for your opinion. It’s also about understanding what happens next.
Our young people have been learning about things like “closing the loop” – finding out what happens after they share their views, who makes decisions, what changes can happen as a result and why some things may not be able to change.
One of the questions we’ve encouraged young people to ask is:
“What happened to my feedback?”
It’s an important question. When young people can see how their feedback has been used, they understand that their views matter. They can see that participation is more than just being listened to. It’s about having open and honest conversations and building trust.
We also had a fantastic time at Taleblazers, where young people took part in outdoor activities and challenges.
Some chose to work towards bite-sized educational certificates, learning skills such as tree identification and shelter building along the way. These skills are accredited by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA)exam board.
We’re really proud that young people received 13 certificates for their achievements.
The certificates are a great but the real success has been seeing young people try new things, build confidence and work together.
One of my personal highlights was being blindfolded and guided through the woods by one of our young people.
I had to rely entirely on their instructions as they helped me navigate branches, leaves, uneven ground and other obstacles. I couldn’t see what was ahead and had to trust them to tell me when to step, stop or change direction.
It was a simple activity, but it really made me think.
It reminded me how often we ask young people to trust the adults around them. We ask them to share their experiences, tell us when things aren’t working, speak up about what’s important to them and trust that we’ll listen.
Trust isn’t something we can expect automatically. It has to be earned.
We’re going to be trialling a new Saturday session for our next meeting.
This will be on Saturday 28 November, from 10am -11:30am, at Chill’d Out Youth Project, Abbey Park, Belgrave Road, Torquay TQ2 5HP.
Contact me to book a place by emailing Sarah.Evans2@torbay.gov.uk or calling
07500 608 141.
