Hart and Rushmoor Youth Provision Consultation ….doc

Hart and Rushmoor Youth Provision Consultation Project Welcome to the first youth consultation developed by the Youth Support Service in conjunction with the Local Children’s Partnerships of Hart and Rushmoor. “In Hampshire, all children and young people have the opportunity to participate in decisions which affect their lives. They will have access to the service they need, when they need them and shape how these services are planned and delivered” (Hampshire’s Children and Young People’s Plan 2012 – 15) In response to this directive, at a local level, the Youth Support Service together with the local LCPs instigated this youth consultation engaging young people to express their views to help inform decision makers about local priorities for youth provision. As part of this fact finding, needs assessment, young people have also participated in the Hampshire County Youth Conferences. The aim of this consultation project is to help inform decision makers about local priorities for youth provision. The aims of the Consultation Project were primarily : To form links and improve communication with young people living in Hart and Rushmoor. To give young people a voice in the future planning of youth provision in their community. To engage young people in the scrutiny and quality assurance process of the youth services provided. In partnership with HCC Participation team, the local Community Development Facilitators liaised with local schools, colleges, local councils, and voluntary groups to engage over 900 young people in an information gathering exercise. This work was administered, primarily, through schools, where workshops were facilitated by youth workers and partner agencies to engage young people in thought provoking exercises exploring the local issues around them and the impact this has on the lives of others. A number of different engagement tools were used to encourage the young people to participate. All schools involved were highly supportive and encourag