Hi, my name is Raphael, I work in Children’s Service’s and am Shaw Trust’s Youth Voice Ambassador. I am a young person myself, who is now employed by Shaw Trust to make sure that young people’s voices are heard and acted upon. The main way I do this is by promoting our Youth Voice Promise which is:
“We will always include young people in decision making processes that affect them. Young People will be equal partners and recognised as experts on their own lives”
Shaw Trust is clear about one thing, young people must be part of the decisions that shape their lives. That’s not just a nice idea it’s written into their Youth Voice Promise and backed up by our Youth Voice Policy.
That’s exactly why the Youth Voice Ambassador role exists. A bit about how the role works. Shaw Trust employs a Youth Voice Ambassador every year to make sure young peoples lived experience genuinely shapes services.
The role is designed so that young people improve support for other young people connect directly with staff and leaders, help design, challenge, and shape the organisation.
So now I have told you about who I am, now I want to tell you about an experience I had last week.
Homes2Inspire (H2i) is part of Shaw Trust and runs children’s homes for young people across the UK. Their focus is on creating safe, warm and welcoming places for young people who need stability and support. They believe that every child deserves a nurturing home and high‑quality care delivered by trained and caring staff.
Last week I had the privilege of visiting one of our Homes2Inspire Children’s home in Mansfield. Rebecca Lillie (Becks) organised the day, which included a visit to a careers event and then the opportunity to meet young people at Brampton Children’s home. Rebecca is H2I’s Quality Assurance Manager and also lead for youth voice.
When Rebecca picked me up from the hotel that morning, I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew I was heading to The Brambles Home, but I didn’t realise just how much the visit would stick with me.
As soon as I stepped into the front yard, I had to double check I was in the right place. This didn’t look like any children’s home I’d seen before growing up in London. And the moment I walked inside, I was in shock.
It didn’t feel like a placement or a service. It felt like a home an actual home.
I got to meet two young people straight away. They looked a bit unsure at first (fair enough as a random person walks into their home and they’re told I’m there to “visit”). Once we all sat down, staff included, I had the chance to share who I am, what I do, and most importantly, that I am a young person myself.
The energy changed instantly.
You could feel the room shift suddenly, we were on the same level. No awkwardness, no power imbalance. Just real conversation.
The staff offered me a drink and told me to pick from their kitchen selection. I went for a vanilla latte and honestly, it was unreal. I wasn’t expecting coffee shop quality in a children’s home kitchen, but there we were.
The staff were so friendly that I genuinely confused one of them for a young person. That says a lot.
During the tour, my first thought kept repeating,
“This is a home. Not just a building.”
Everything about it felt genuine and honest, from the layout to the colours, to the little touches that made the place feel lived in, not clinical. And knowing that young people get to decorate their bedrooms however they like made complete sense.
It’s their safe space in the world, their comfort zone, their anchor.
H2i talk a lot about giving young people a real say in the decisions that shape their lives, and you can see that reflected everywhere, from how rooms look, to how meals are planned, to how young people build confidence and emotional wellbeing through everyday choices.
One of the coolest things I learned was that the young people decide what’s for lunch throughout the week. This sounds small, but trust me, for young people, making choices is important. Back when I’d visit friends in care, lunch was almost always fish fingers and beans nothing wrong with that, but the comparison to this was noticeable.
Before lunch, one young person asked if we could drop him off to meet his friends. Staff grabbed the keys to a car which they can use for errands and runs, and off we went. It was relaxed, normal, human.
Lunch itself was amazing. There were loads of options, but the highlight for me? The spring rolls.
I’m not embarrassed to say I went back for seconds.…And another vanilla latte.
After eating, it was time to talk about the youth voice promise. I ensured that everyone there, staff and young people, understood what the promise means for them. It essentially makes Shaw Trust obliged to listen to our young people’s voices and take actions based on what they tell us.
When a young person brings up something that they are not too happy about or even something they are really pleased with and would like it to carry on. We listen, act and then tell them what we’ve done with their feedback. Demonstrating our partnership with the young people we work with.
We all shared our thoughts, young people and staff and it was honestly refreshing to hear everyone agree about how positive the message was. I finished by giving them a poster showing the youth voice promise.
We decided together where the poster would make the most sense. I put it up, stepped back, and it felt good knowing it wasn’t just placed there it was a group decision.
Walking into The Brambles showed me something I wish every young person in care could experience:
A place that is safe.
A place that looks and feels like a real home.
A place where adults actually listen.
A place where young people are in control of their own lives, decorating their rooms to shaping services through youth voice participation groups, where they can develop confidence, ownership, and a real sense of belonging.
This visit wasn’t just another meeting, it was an opportunity and a reminder of what children’s homes should look like.
And honestly?
I left feeling hopeful.
Homes2inspire Bedroom
Homes2inspire Garden
