Agenda item

To receive an update from Wiltshire Council’s Youth Voice Team on:

·       Youth Council Elections.

·       Police and Crime Commissioner’s Young Commissioners.

·       Children in Care Council New Activity Programme.

Support Worker Cameron Strawson updated the Area Board about the work of Wiltshire Council’s Youth Voice Team. The Youth Voice Team worked closely with councillors in their role as corporate parents, in particular those on the Corporate Parenting Panel. Cameron explained that the team had been set up in April 2021 and comprised four members of staff, all of whom had experience of growing up in the care sector. The aim of the team was to empower children in care and to ensure that their views were embedded in decision making.

The officer also spoke about the Mind of My Own App run by Wiltshire Council that enabled young people accessing Families and Children’s Services to provide information to the team. He was pleased to report that within the last two recorded quarters, Wiltshire had had the highest usage of the app of any local authority in the country.

During the discussion members spoke about the importance of helping Children Looked After as they left formal education and moved to secure employment. The officer explained that a lower proportion of care leavers than the general population were able to find employment, so the team conducted surveys to find out from young people what additional support could be put in place to make the transition into work easier.

Further details about the Youth Voice Team and Mind of My Own App can be found from page 39 of the minutes pack.

Youth Council Elections

It was explained that elections had recently taken place to the Wiltshire Youth Council. Over 40 youth councillors had been elected representing a wide range of communities including schools, home educated children, LGBT groups and military children. In response to a question from members about the representation of children resident in Wiltshire but educated outside of the county, the officer explained that seven seats on the youth council were allocated to community groups. Community seats had been created to ensure that groups, such as children schooled in neighbouring counties, had fair representation.

The officer reported that a welcome day had been held for the members of the youth council at County Hall. The youth council planned to meet on a monthly basis and that its agendas would be determined by the young people. Topics under consideration included transport, climate change and LGBT plus support. A shadow cabinet would also be elected so that each member of Wiltshire Council’s cabinet would be shadowed by a youth councillor.

In response to a question about how Ukrainian refugees coming to Wiltshire would be able to participate in the youth council, having missed the elections, it was reported that school elections would take place every two years. However, a series of special adviser posts would also be created so that people who had missed out on the election could still be involved and have their say. A youth council WhatsApp group had also been set up to promote discussion.

Wiltshire and Swindon Youth Commission

It was explained that the Wiltshire and Swindon Youth Commission was set up by the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). The group, consisting of 30 members aged between 14 and 25, came from a diverse range of backgrounds and included individuals with experience of the criminal justice system. The group had engaged with young people about important issues, such as substance abuse, and produced a report making a series of recommendations to the PCC and Wiltshire Police.

A full copy of the Wiltshire and Swindon’s Youth Commission’s report to the PCC can be found starting on page 13 of the minutes pack. 

Children in Care Council New Activity Programme

In order to create a positive environment for young people, a series of fun activities were being run through the Children in Care Council (CiCC), including a trip to Longleat and a climbing wall. It was explained that sessions were run on a monthly basis and the CiCC had around 20 members. They were also running a Children in Care star award, holding a big celebration event to raise money for children in Africa. It was reported that there were approximately 426 children in care in Wiltshire.

Members thanked Cameron for the update on the Youth Voice Team and expressed a desire to work closely with their local youth councillors and commissioners.