Consulting with deaf children and young people Nicola Ward Regional Director, London Nicola.ward@ndcs.org.uk

Aims How do we consult with deaf young people? Why consult with deaf children and young people Ideas for engaging deaf children and young people in consultation activities and decision making. Practical tools and resources Case studies To find out what deaf children and young people think about consultation

Participation “The purpose of participation is to ensure better outcomes for children themselves and also for the organisation and the wider community. Effective participation is likely to mean that the involvement of children actually leads to change (where they identify that change is needed)” (Kirby et al, 2003)

How do we consult with young people? The Buzz website YAB – Young People’s Advisory Board Review resources and information Share their ideas and experiences Involvement in consultations Political Party Conference Young Campaigners Involve young people in staff recruitment Supporting external organisations

What does it look like? Training young people Consultations Evaluation Sharing views Surveys Focus groups Voting

Consultation “formally seeking the views of children and young people to meaningfully influence decision making”

Three things to remember WHY it’s important? HOW will it take place? WHAT resources and support are available?

WHY consult? Deaf children and young people are much more likely to suffer from social isolation than their hearing peers Historical data, cited in government research, suggested that over 40% of deaf children experience mental health problems, compared to 25% of hearing children [NDCS Position Statement on Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health of Deaf Children and Young People]. Just 41.1% of deaf children achieved 5 GCSEs (including English and Maths) at grades A* to C in 2014, compared to 64.2% of children with no identified SEN

Benefits to deaf children and young people: Improves decision making and communication skills Increases: knowledge and understanding of services available Accessibility, relevance and quality of support and service Self-esteem and self worth Benefits to services and to wider society: Improves knowledge and understanding of issues that affect deaf children and young people Ensures policy, services and support is reflective and accurately meeting their needs Increases the quality of service and support and user engagement

Deaf young people have a right to be involved in the decisions that affect their life, to voice their opinions and to be heard (Article 12 UNCRC)

“I may not have speech, but I have a voice – I can give my opinions, I can even argue” Quotation from a member of the NDCS youth advisory board

HOW? All stages involve deaf children and young people Why they are being asked, how their views will be used, what happens next? Work out the right approach Ask questions to determine what’s best. How many young people, level of detail needed, complexity of topic, time scale, resource available? Face to face through focus groups or interviews or online with surveys or polls? Make it accessible Break information down; be clear, simple, visual. Be relevant and interesting Use young people’s experiences to understand the issues

Breaking down barriers to participation. Lack of time to consult Too far in the process to involve deaf children and young people Lack of capacity, resource or skills Tokenistic involvement

WHAT – resources!! Budget allocation NDCS resources and guidance Other external resources

Some resources We consult with young people to produce resources that are important to them and help services and professionals work with them in the best possible way for example: Look Smile Chat and My Life My Health Face to face consultations, events and online surveys and polls Buzz website resources and info ndcsbuzz.org.uk resources

The Local Offer Consultations

The Ofsted and CQC SEND inspections

Video Enjoy!