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Hi everyone!
We hope you all had a lovely Easter break! In this bulletin, we'll be looking at the results for this year's Make Your Mark, where over 7,000 young people in Devon voted for the top local issue for us to focus on!
We'll also give some updates on last year's top issue, mental health, along with news from our SEND Network for Change and Stand Up Speak Up! Be sure to also check the end of this newsletter for some unique youth voice opportunities!
Thank you to everyone who took part in the Make Your Mark youth ballot during March. Over 7,000 young people from across Devon voted, and we can now reveal that the top voted issue was ‘Places to go, things to do’.
You can see a full breakdown of the results on our Instagram, but you can also download our full sized infographic as a PDF here!
20% of those who took part made their top priority ‘Places to go, things to do’, believing that all young people in Devon should be able to access “affordable activities and places in our local areas; somewhere to go with friends for fun, relaxation and to try new things”.
Mental health and public transport came second and third in the ballot, receiving 16% and 13% of the votes respectively.
Speaking about the top issue, one Devon Youth Council member said, "This is such an important topic. There's nothing to do for young people in so many places in Devon; we're just stuck at home. So, it would be great to see this improve."
The Devon Youth Council met with Maria Price, Head of Devon County Council’s Legal and Democratic Services, last month to develop an understanding of how change and decisions are made at a strategic and political level in Devon. So, we are more than ready to get stuck in to planning our campaign in our next meeting in May!
If you are interested in contributing to this campaign, you can join the Devon Youth Council in order to attend our upcoming meetings, where we will discuss the topic of ‘Places to go, things to do’ in more detail. However, if you don't want to attend in person or join the Council directly, you can always send your ideas to one of our participation workers or email us at participation@devon.gov.uk.
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We don’t want to lose sight of the fact that Mental Health has been the top issue in Make your Mark for the last 2 years and is still a close second.
Devon Youth Council members presented the results of last year’s research to the Devon Schools Leadership conference last month with such positive feedback: “Really good to heard from those who matter.. “Brilliant – emotive, thoughtful and challenging”.
We are really pleased to see that the plans for the new Devon Education Strategy focus on proposals that you all put forward in last year’s research on how to make secondary schools and colleges more inclusive and supportive of mental health.
We are also really pleased to hear that the Mental Health Support Teams for schools programme will be rolled out to all schools in Devon over the next 5 years. This is based on the positive feedback many of you gave on the support provided by these teams in schools where they do exist currently.
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Last month, four of you bravely spoke at a conference of 250 social care professionals on the importance of listening to young people and listening well!
The new Youth Participation Strategy for Devon’s Children's Services was used as a foundation for the presentation and really got the audience thinking about what works and what really doesn’t when working with young people on sensitive topics.
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Network for Change
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It has been fantastic to welcome some of our Network for Change members into the Devon Youth Council this year. This means that we are able to ensure the voices of the groups they represent are a key part of our main campaign on ‘Places to go and things to do”.
We have also had some positive feedback from Kellie Knott, Devon County Council’s SEND strategic director:
“I met with the Champions for Change last week to give an update on the areas that they raised with me last year. It was great to see the progress being made on transport issues.
Our Transport team had been working with the Champions and Stagecoach on some of the challenges faced by young people with disabilities when travelling. We haven’t moved quick enough on tackling some of their other challenges yet such as mental health and swimming in special schools, so that’s on my list to move forward.
It was also great to have an initial conversation about the Four Cornerstones approach which we will build on moving forward."
If you're interested in joining or learning more about the different groups available for young people with SEND, you can find all that you need to know on the Education and Families website.
We are also working on improving our communication to you through the Network for Change Instagram, so make sure to follow us to see any future updates there as well.
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Stand Up Speak Up
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Our council for care experienced young people met with Julian Watkins, Devon County Council’s Corporate Parenting Lead, this month to discuss plans for a celebration week for children and young people in and leaving care.
We also talked about the new process that is being used to ensure that social workers are matched well with young people. The SUSU council were clear that the most important thing is that social workers do their job to the best of their ability, though it does also help to get on well with them and have time to get to know them.
Five of the SUSU council members took part in some national research this month run by Coram Voice to explore Physical Activity & Care Experience. They shared their views to help shape a national guide for councils to make sport and movement more inclusive for care-experienced young people. Coram are now running a short survey to find out how care-experienced children and young people feel about sport, exercise and physical activity.
Be sure to follow Stand Up Speak Up's Instagram for more opportunities like this, along with any updates on what we're up to!
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Devon County Council is reviewing the support and information that they provide for Young Carers, and how Young Carers' feel their needs are met in their communities.
A Young Carer is anyone under 18 who cares for another person, unless this is as paid or voluntary work. This includes any family member who is physically or mentally ill, elderly, disabled or misuses alcohol or substances.
There are two surveys available, one for young carers directly, and one for partners and organisations supporting young carers.
This survey will be open until 30 May.
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The Support study – community spaces for young people in Tiverton
The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Research Collaboration at the University of Exeter are just starting a new research project called The SUPPORT study with colleagues in Bristol and London.
The project is looking at how easy it is for young people to access and engage with community spaces (such as clubs, green space, etc) to support their mental health and wellbeing, and what can help and stop young people accessing these spaces.
They are looking for any young people aged 14 – 16 who live in the Tiverton area who might like to be part of a focus group to discuss how community spaces can support their mental health.
If you are a young person in the Tiverton area or if you work with young people in the Tiverton area and would like to be part of this research project, email us at participation@devon.gov.uk and we will put you in touch with the team who are leading this project.
Surfers against Sewage paddle-out protests
We know that pollution in Devon’s Seas and rivers is an issue that many of you really care about. So, how about joining in with the Surfers Against Sewage national protests on 17 May!
There are protests at coastal sites all over England, with three here in Devon (Exmouth, Croyde (North Devon) and Plymouth). You can find more information and how you can get involved on their website.
Are you voting for the first time in the Devon County Council elections, or do you know someone who is?
The Devon County Council elections in May are an important opportunity to help shape your community’s future and choose who makes decisions on the local issues that you care about.
Voting for the first time is an exciting and important milestone, but we understand that it can feel daunting as well. We’ve put together a video with our Director of Legal and Democratic Services, Maria Price (who is charged with ensuring that elections are delivered fairly and correctly) and some useful top tips that will help you navigate the process and understand more about what to expect. You can find more information and resources on Devon County Council's website.
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