Parents and carers share their views in a way they had not been asked to do before

The pathfinder recognised parents and carers as a key stakeholder group and was keen to gather their views and include them in their pathfinder findings, which already included the views of senior managers, frontline workers, young people, their families and local communities.

The challenge was to encourage parents and carers to come to an event and share their views in a way they had not been asked to do before. They were individually selected by frontline practitioners who had worked with them before through outreach youth work and Junior YIP. They were rewarded for their involvement in the event with shopping vouchers, which were well received.

At the event, held during the Discover stage of the change process, the parents and carers were asked to give their views on the environment their children inhabit and the risks they are exposed to. They were then asked what young people and parents need in order to support their families in this challenging environment and for their views on current service provision: what works well and what doesn't work well.

The parents and carers created a mindmap at the event, illustrating what it's like to live where they live. This formed a key part of the project team's Decision Point 2 presentation.

The workshop was well received by parents and carers. They were very keen to give their view and encouraged the authority was looking at these issues with a view to doing something about them. They are keen to be involved again in designing new ways of working and will encourage others to become involved in the same way.

Further information
Relevant activities for this case study include conducting focused interviews and workshops, which are part of the activities in the Discover stage.

Click for further case studies relevant to the Discover stage of the targeted youth support change process.