In March, we resumed workshops for STAGE 2 of APiC’s COVID-19 Project with Children and Young People in Scotland. Supported by the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland (CYPCS). ScotYouthandCOVID2 has recalled the Young Consultants who participated in our original project .
APiC’s original self-funded study in April/May 2020 was a participant-led project and report that was one of the only truly participatory projects held with children and young people at that time. It set out the important changes and challenges young Scots were experiencing, including proposed solutions. It involved teams from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and (Rural) Stirlingshire and Falkirk, each with 4-6 boys and girls, aged 10-16 (now 11-17) years. Earth in Common, the Children’s Parliament Imagining Aberdeen programme, Denny High School, Northfield Academy and Manor Park Primary School helped us with the recruitment.
#ScotYouthandCOVID2: Workshop 6
We reported in the last blog on workshop 6 on our Young Consultants Asks to the new Scottish Government administration. These were listed broadly in priority order and under the core themes we identified together. These are:
- Improving motivation in school
- Addressing inequalities across society
- Mitigating the impact of ‘exam’ years where young people have experienced very high workloads and stress in difficult circumstances
- Improving wellbeing for groups across our society
- Addressing the impacts of uncertainty on children and young people
- Taking further action to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change
After finalising our Asks, we also talked about developing a strategy of transforming these into a manifesto that speaks to the priorities of as many children and young people across Scotland as possible.
In their Taskforces, Young Consultants filled out the below grid on what the biggest challenges might be in taking the Asks forward into a manifesto, and what strategy we might take to overcome as many of those challenges as possible. We also asked them what kinds of areas they might like to be involved in in future if additional opportunities arise for their participation.
In this blog, we present analysis of the themes of this strategy-forming exercise and conversation with Young Consultants. We then present our proposed steps, and hope that you and/or organisations you work with may be interested in engaging with us as part of this strategy.
Representation is Vital – For Fairness and for Weight of Evidence
Young Consultants were very clear that any manifesto development would need to incorporate the wide variety of children and young people’s perspectives and experiences over the last year. They saw this as both morally right, and a way to ensure a solid evidence base when advocating for any proposed changes. Finding common ground will hopefully make it more difficult for the powers-to-be to ignore Young Scots
We need to Communicate, Collaborate and Cooperate Effectively
Young Consultants emphasised that we need to find ways to effectively communicate with children and young people and other stakeholders. They also made it clear communication needed to account for their first priority of wide representation. Therefore, we should try a variety of ways to get the word out. This includes engaging journalists and working with other organisations that have suitable platforms for having live conversations with children and young people.
Getting Heard by the Right People
Many Young Consultants were concerned that they will not be heard by the people that can make a difference. They want to identify and collaborate with changemakers who genuinely care about their experiences and recognise the quality of their proposals for building a better Scotland. They also recognised that individual priorities and perspectives on details might vary, and it is important to try to discuss and incorporate differences of opinion.
They expected things reached by agreement by children and young people may elicit some opposition by adults. A core solution to this is to focus on the priorities shared most strongly by them and by the Scottish Government as the basis for discussion and next steps, with the unifying goal being ultimately to:
‘equal everyone out by improving mental health and physical health, education, food, activities, nature access etc.’
Timelines
Our Young Consultant’s final consideration was timelines. They acknowledged children and young people may find it hard to think about the future whilst still experiencing the difficulties of the pandemic – especially primary school children. They also felt it vital to note that children and young people participating need to be made aware that they might not see the changes they propose, or see them within timeframes where they might personally benefit most. There may even be arguments from some stakeholders that change is already on the horizon and so their views are not needed on subjects such as this year’s SQA assessments procedure.
Our Proposed Strategy
Taking into account the above problems, proposed solutions, and the discussion we engaged in collectively at the end of the workshop, below is our strategy for transforming the Asks from last week’s blog into a Scotland-wide manifesto for children and young people:
- Give as many children and young people across Scotland as possible opportunity to object and contribute to these Asks based on their own specific experiences. This involves a survey, leveraging schools, organisations, Young Consultant’s informal networks, and multiple channels. We must make an effort to reach and include all, especially those for whom positive change could make the biggest difference. We also think it important to engage with teachers around the educational Asks, to understand their perspective and ensure they know that young people appreciate the challenges they have faced this last year too. Young Consultants see these Asks as supporting teachers to support them.
- Identify and seek support for the Asks from changemakers who care deeply about children and young people’s experiences and future, or about improving the areas which they address in a broader sense. Find safe and sensible ways of engaging with them -hopefully face-to-face if the pandemic recovery allows – and ask for their help in spreading knowledge and sharing opportunities for building the conversation and support.
- Frame debate and purposeful action around the priorities where we have strongest agreement amongst children and young people and Scottish Government. Make it clear that all of our Asks are underpinned by the principle of levelling the playing field and attending to core concerns. Although, our Asks seek a better Scotland for all, in the first instance a special focus should be given to children and young people who are having the toughest time. Some may disagree with our Asks, but they cannot deny the very difficult experiences from which they emerged, and the need to improve these experiences moving forward.
- Acknowledge and work with the context of COVID-19. In our approach we must consider that change takes time, and the potential challenge for some children and young people to think about their future. Any communications and dialogue about change and recovery needs to be clear and sensitive to these circumstances, and continue beyond the process of discussing the Asks. We also need to remember that they were put together during a crisis. The Asks bring into sharp focus general problems and improvements, but some aspects relate specifically to the pandemic. These may inform a kinder, more effective, response to future crises.
What’s Next?
We will begin implementing this strategy in the next few weeks, by devising a survey and other consultation materials to share and reaching out to stakeholders that can support and help us. If you think you might be one of those people/organisations please get in touch by emailing Jenny Wood at jenny.wood@aplaceinchildhood.org.
We will be posting further updates on this strategy and manifesto so follow us on Twitter for updates. We will also be writing a report that chronicles how we got to this point and explore the themes and experiences that underlie our outputs in June.
Read “#ScotYouthandCOVID: Children and young people’s participation in crisis” with the new foreword by the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, Bruce Adamson.
Read our blogs covering Stage 1 of this project.
Find out about other APiC projects.