1. Andy Smith, Jake Vindice, Alex Leather and
Developing an approach to engaging with children and young people in Bury
Andy Smith, Jake Vindice, Alex Leather and
Erica Douglas-Osborn
Bury Educational Psychology Service

2. Educational Psychology Service
Feedback from the ‘Have your say’ engagement event.
Information from previous pupil voice projects carried out with the LA.
Information from other LA’s regarding how they are engaging with C&YP.
Ideas for how we move forward with C&YP engagement.
Educational Psychology Service

3. Educational Psychology Service
Have your say event
There is a disparity in how C&YP feel supported in school. This is greater in secondary schools than in primary schools: ‘School don’t really understand me, teachers think I’m naughty’
Felt both school staff and C&YP need to develop a greater understanding of SEND.
Greater opportunities for practical lessons/activities and to develop friendships.
Educational Psychology Service

4. Educational Psychology Service
Have your say event
C&YP with SEND would like greater social opportunities in Bury. Would like to: ‘…make more friends’.
Difficulties with accessibility in Bury.
The local offer could be a method to support C&YP in understanding what is available for them in Bury and to feedback on services (this information is feeding into the Local Offer group).
Educational Psychology Service

5. Educational Psychology Service
Previous work in Bury
Currently feel their voice has no impact on how they are supported: ‘what's the point’.
Want to feed back on their experiences of services and for this to have an impact on how they are run.
Want to find out more information about services before they are involved with them.
Want more opportunities to engage in non-academic activities both in and outside of school.
Want choice/available of provisions to meet their strengths and needs.
Educational Psychology Service

6. Participation in other LA
SEND C&YP forums: Consultations/interview panels/social media/service reviews/school champions/individual projects, e.g. anti-bullying campaigns.
Rolling workshops/events where C&YP can voice what is important to them.
SEND C&YP forums/CICC/groups feeding into Youth Council.
Educational Psychology Service

7. Participation in other LA
‘YP voice co-ordinator’/SEND participation worker – designated role.
C&YP developing and delivering training for staff and C&YP around SEND and participation and engagement.
Training/supporting C&YP with SEND around their rights and how they can be involved in the LA / what their EHCP is and what it might mean to them.
Peer mentoring – supporting other C&YP.
C&YP rating services/activities.
Supporting C&YP to engage with IASS.
Young person friendly app ‘SAVVY’ (Sefton) to access the Local Offer.
Films/videos about what support is available for C&YP.
Clear participation strategies.
Educational Psychology Service

8. Limitations of participation in other LA
Limited participation for primary aged children.
Difficulties around attendance/willingness when focus is just participation and engagement.
Difficulties around groups making an impact on LA practices.
Opportunities to ‘have your say’ if you are not part of a group.
Educational Psychology Service

9. Educational Psychology Service
What next
C&YP want to engage, but it has to be meaningful to them – social groups/youth groups.
C&YP have to be able to have their say directly to services after involvement and also at a strategic level (whether attending a C&YP group or not).
C&YP do not want to sit on steering groups and be brought into an ‘adult led environment’ – their views need to be brought to the table and/or strategic leads to go to them.
Educational Psychology Service

10. Educational Psychology Service
C&YP with SEND in Bury Online evaluations of services
Schools Councils Online evaluations of
LA process
STARS LOCAL OFFER /
‘Little STARS’ ONE COMMUNITY
Training
Support
C&YP Projects
SEND STRATEGIC
GROUP/S
Educational Psychology Service

11. Possible ways of moving forward at a strategic level
C&YP SEND participation worker (could be a YP?)
Primary social/youth group that also acts as an engagement group.
Secondary and post 16 social/youth group that also acts as an engagement group – could re-shape the STARS youth group?
It is important that these groups are representative or different groups are supported to form.
Training for LA staff around SEND and participation (similar model to the total respect training?).
Ideas from the SEND strategic steering group are brought to these C&YP group and ideas from the C&YP group are discussed at the SEND strategic steering group – there needs to be a person who supports this link.
C&YP from this groups to have a minimum number of seats on the youth cabinet (also need to do this for the Children in Care Council and any other group). A clear, transparent process for how the youth cabinet impact on Bury.
Annual ‘pupil voice’ event – for all C&YP (instead of separate SEND event and circles of influence event).
Use of schools council – e.g. Ark/Spring Lane – to feed into groups.
A process of feeding back how ideas/suggestions/support from C&YP make have led to changes across the LA (through the Local Offer?)
Educational Psychology Service

12. Possible ways of moving forward at a ground level
Use of Local Offer or One Community - A process for children, young people, parents and carers to click on services and feedback or feedback on the LA generally. The links to this could be advertise on reports/letters etc or other LA documents.
All services to have a system whereby they discuss feedback and they shape there service where appropriate/realistic. Information to be feed to senior managers. This could be part of the disabilities/participation training.
Feedback to be collected and a ‘you said, we did’ section where a service is advertise on the local offer or One Community.
Information on the Local Offer about services that includes: video’s/pictures about what will happen when C&YP engage with your service. (Can be on training). Need to make sure this is updated and relevant.
Educational Psychology Service

13. Engagement Strategy for C&YP
Once an action plan is decided – could lead to the creation on an engagement strategy for C&YP.
This process could be added to the current processes for parents/carers engagement and taken back to consultation to the newly formed ‘C&YP with SEND groups’ and Parent Carer Forum.
Educational Psychology Service

14. Educational Psychology Service
Have a lot of other information directly related to other services and schools – however this is about engagement at this stage.
Need to go back to C&YP and let them know what is happening next once an engagement strategy is formed.
Educational Psychology Service

15. What are we going to do? Thank you for listening
Bury Educational Psychology Service