Youth Voice Promise
“We will always include young people in decision making processes that affect them, wherever possible. Young people will be equal partners and recognised as experts on their own lives.”
– Youth Voice Promise
How to get involved in Youth Voice Promise?
Calling all young people!
Are you passionate about making a difference in your community? Do you want to have a say in how services are designed for young people like you?
Your participation will help us shape services and inform how they are delivered to meet the needs of young people like you.
Why you should join Youth Voice Promise?
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Your voice matters: We believe that young people are the experts on their own lives. Your insights and ideas will help us create better services for young people in our community.
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Make a real difference: Your participation will help us shape and inform how services are delivered to meet the needs of young people like you.
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Connect with other young people: Join a group of like-minded young people who are passionate about making a positive impact.
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Great experience: Gain new skills, add volunteering to your CV and have exciting projects to talk about in interviews.
What's involved?
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Virtual meetings once a month
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Opportunities to share your ideas and opinions
Eligibility
To be eligible to join you need:
- To be aged 10-19
- Young People that have been supported by Shaw Trust, prospects or Homes2Inspire.
- Be able to volunteer your time once a month by joining steering group meetings.
Useful links
There is loads of ways that you as a young person can get involved and influence decisions that affect you. You can do this in your community, your school or even across the country. Below, you will find a few links to opportunities where you can get your voice heard!
What the Youth Voice Promise means to us?
Andrea Forbes – Choices Adviser (Careers)
I am passionate about helping young people to have their voices heard. Giving young people the opportunity to engage and develop the services we offer them. It is important that all young people we work with have these opportunities. We welcome young people to Have their say by taking part in Youth Participation surveys and activities, becoming a youth ambassador and or joining a YP Group.
Holly Mackenzie – Head of Service Development for Homes2Inspire
Youth participation for me means enabling young people to play an active role in shaping and improving their communities and services provided to them. It means creating space to not just hear but to listen and act upon their voice. Empowering young people to be the decision makers and action takers in their own loves, creating a better future for themselves and the generations that follow them.
Matt Joyce – Assistant Director, Children & Young Peoples Services
Our services are designed to meet the needs of young people, it is young people that can best define those needs so youth participation is vital for us ensuring young people are integral in designing the services that will enable them to fulfil their full potential. It is not a one-off activity but embedded into our daily practice ensuring we are constantly able to reflect on and adapt our services to the challenges young people face.
Rob McKenzie – Service Manager, Children & Young Peoples Services
Good youth participation is integral to delivering excellent services for young people. As the Youth Voice Promise says, young people are experts on their own lives, they know how they feel, they know what they want, and they know what they need. We must make sure that our services are co-produced with young people to make them fit for purpose, ensuring they respond to what young people need.
Ramizah Tayiba – Youth Participation Ambassador, Children and Young People Services
I am passionate about youth participation because I believe young people deserve to be at the forefront of decisions that impact their lives. Creating opportunities for them to engage meaningfully, contribute ideas, and influence change in their communities is essential. For me, youth participation means more than just listening to their voices; it’s about empowering them to take leadership roles, make decisions, and drive positive transformations.
Voice of young people
We recently carried out a survey with young people about their future. Young people were tasked with thinking about what they were looking forward to and what they were most concerned about in the context of the next 12 months and the next 5 years. The team undertook this on a large scale across the country. This survey provides information to shape our services and our work.
This information will be used to ensure our staff have the right skills and knowledge to support young people to celebrate the things they are looking forward to and overcome the things they are worried about.
Blog
National Careers Week – A story of ‘You CAN’
Trip to Nottingham: Youth Participation Ambassador Report
Trip to Norwich: Youth Participation Ambassador Report
Introducing Ramizah, the new Youth Participation Ambassador
A year as a Youth Participation Ambassador
Young minds, big changes: Brent youth lead service rebrand
Norfolk survey results
Every year the Norfolk Youth Early Support Service (YESS) carries out a survey with young people, to find out what they are worried about over the next 12 months.
The top 5 concerns overall from the 105 young people that we spoke to in Norfolk were:
- School – grades/exams
- School in general
- Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Relationships / Friendships
- Future – world of work
What is the Norfolk YESS going to do with this?
1. All 5 points will be standing agenda items on every team meeting
2. All 5 points will be used to inform our staff training plan
3. The team will work on developing accessible resources and training for all areas to be shared with young people
