Wiltshire Council has been shortlisted for an award for its innovative work with children and young people.
The Child, Youth and Family Voice Team is a finalist for the Public Sector Children’s Team Award, as part of the Children & Young People Now Awards 2023.
The award is for the public sector team that has made the greatest impact in improving the life chances of children, young people or families.
The Child, Youth and Family Voice Team was shortlisted after sharing the achievements over the two years since the team was launched in April 2021. This includes setting up a range of new initiatives as well as providing support to 94 children that are either in care or are care-experienced adults.
The team aims for a joint approach and actively listens to and brings about change based on the opinions and feedback of children and adults. The team also oversees the Wiltshire Youth Council, which addresses various topics ranging from the environment to education and equality.
All Child, Youth and Family Voice Team members are care-experienced, bringing deeper understanding and empathy for the challenges that care-experienced children face.
The team successfully launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, initially starting with online meetings for care-experienced children and young people to attend. As restrictions eased, they ensured that sessions were enjoyable, and interactive, and provided opportunities for them to forge friendships, acquire life skills, and contribute to positive changes within Wiltshire Social Services.
Through organising diverse activities, the team has built trust and now engages with more than 20% of the looked-after cohort in Wiltshire.
Initiatives implemented by the team have improved services and had a significant impact on the lives of care-experienced children. These include:
Children in Care Council Voice Ambassadors Mind of My Own App Young Person’s Fostering Consultation Panel.Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, said: “This is a tremendous achievement and I want to say a huge congratulations to our Child, Youth and Family Voice Team for being shortlisted for the award.
“The team is committed to pushing boundaries, taking calculated risks, and exploring new approaches to ensure that we provide services that truly make a difference. They have an unwavering belief in the potential and resilience of the children and young people they work with – and being shortlisted for this award is a well-deserved recognition of their hard work and dedication.
“I would like to wish them the best of luck at the award ceremony in November!”
The Children and Young People Now Awards ceremony takes place on 23 November 2023 in London.
More about the Children and Young People Now Awards and a list of shortlisted entries can be found at: https://www.cypnowawards.com/2023-shortlist
More about Children’s services in Wiltshire can be found at: https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/children-young-people.
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