How To Get Involved
Get Involved – Your Voice Matters!
What’s happening now?
We’re creating lots of chances for children and young people to share their ideas and feelings. Here’s a couple of things we’re doing:
Child’s Voice Sessions
We are developing a rolling programme of times where you can talk to people who make decisions about safeguarding services and help us plan for the future.
Infant Voice Pilot
We’re testing new ways to make sure even babies’ views are heard. Our resources include guidance for workers from the babies point of view, making it clear that the child's voice is more than just speaking, and that workers need to consider me and my views and rights at all levels of decision making - in all encounters, in everyday spaces, ‘everywhere I am’.
What we've done so far
Conference about feeling safe
Children and young people told us what makes them feel safe or unsafe in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Their views, comments and feedback changed the way we work and we still refer to what they told us.
We have used what they said to develop our pledge and our participation framework.
A report and a video detailing all of the feedback is available to view on request, we've boiled it down to this...
|
OSCP’s 7Cs
|
|
What Children Want From Practitioners
|
|
1. Courageous & Confident
|
Ask the questions. Trauma-informed, skilled, sensitive routine enquiry.
|
|
2 Compassionate
|
Be empathic. Build a relationship with me. [Be aware of things like intergenerational trauma and shame]
|
|
3 Curious I wonder?
|
Be skilful in the way you communicate with me and understand what is going on for me and why I might behave in certain ways. [Critically reflective practice.]
|
|
4 Creative
|
Use a variety of artistic, creative methods, make it fun!
|
|
5 Clear & Consistent
|
Tell me what to expect / what might happen next. Explain things so that I am informed, I know what is happening and where to go for support. Empower me to make my own decisions. Revisit things I’ve said at my pace. Be there when and where I need you.
|
|
6 Confidential
|
Trust is vital. With Boundaries - explain the limits when there’s a safeguarding worry.
|
|
7 Child’s Rights-Based / Children at the Centre
|
We have the right to have a voice,
give us more, genuine chances to speak out. Develop and put in place more ways for us to share our views. We need to be heard and to feel supported and empowered to do this so that our experience is considered through all of your work.
|
Work on the Isles of Scilly
We listened to children, young people, and families there to understand their experiences.
Inclusive communication
You asked us to think more about how we work with children with disabilities. So, we held a conference for workers to share tips on how to communicate with every child.
Toolkit for workers
We made a guide to help workers understand what life is like for babies, children, and young people affected by domestic abuse. It includes real quotes and ideas from children and young people.
Want to join in?
If you’d like more information or want to take part in future activities, contact us!