I recently had the pleasure of working with ‘Child Outcome Research Consortium’ (CORC). CORC, who are part of the Anna Freud project, are the UK’s leading membership organisation that collects and uses evidence to improve children and young people’s Mental Health and Wellbeing. CORC recognises that young people have the right to have their views heard and acted upon - to have space, voice, audience, and influence.
CORC has been tasked with undertaking an independent evaluation for the Children and Young People’s Trauma Informed Care programme in Humber and North Yorkshire, which North Yorkshire Youth’s Change Direction scheme is part of.
I have been a keen advocate for the Anna Freud Project for most of my working life and regularly use their resources, so I was more than happy to partake.
As part of the evaluation I was asked as a Change Direction Youth Mentor, if I could identify a small number of young people who would be willing to feed in their own thoughts and views about their experiences on the programme and how they can be best supported to keep them safe and healthy.
The collection of data was gathered via online interviews with young people, who were asked a number of questions in relation to the support they currently receive from Change Direction. Interviews lasted for approximately one hour and each of the young people who participated received a £25 Gift Card as a ‘Thank You’ for volunteering to take part!
Examples of the questions asked were:
‘’What have you liked about the support you have received/ your sessions, why is that’’?
‘’What did you not like so much about the support you received/ your sessions, why’’?
‘’What changes (if any) have you noticed in yourself or in your day-to-day life since you have been receiving this support?’’
I was present in the interviews to support young people and ensure they felt comfortable, and it was humbling to listen to some of the feedback they shared.
It was lovely to see that young people felt empowered to take part, knowing that they can help shape how young people can be supported in the future and make a difference in this way to others.
Julie Spivey, Change Direction Youth Mentor, Scarborough