VIP Participant, Murron Dempster, introduces the Voice and Inclusion Project and discusses how to take part
Are you aged 12 – 26 and have you been to a children’s hearing?
Do you want to help make children’s hearings better for young people?
We know there are many challenges for children and young people when taking part. Sometimes things could be better. And young people can help tells us what changes might make things better.
What’s the Voice and Inclusion Project about?
The Voice and Inclusion Project (VIP) has been set up for children and young people with care experience to come together to work with us at CELCIS, the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection, so that we can find and create ways to improve the experiences of children and young people when they take part in a hearing.
It’s a research project which means that the information, ideas, and ways to make things better will be shared with those who run the system and anyone who wants to know about children’s hearings. This project is led by the questions and needs of children and young people based on their experiences and feelings.
Getting involved
You can be with us from the start of this project, as part of the team. We want you to be involved at every stage, from determining the questions to ask, developing methods of how we might find out the answers to the questions, collecting information, and the ways in which we will tell people what we have found out at the end.
You’ll get to choose how long you take part, it can be for a week, or for two years!
What’s in it for me?
You’ll have opportunities to learn throughout the project and be a part of creating change within the hearings system. There are many ways to be involved and there will be some opportunities in the project where work will be paid.
You can be as involved as you want to be – the project runs for two years, but the level of participation is up to you.
I’m interested, what do I do now?
We want as many young people with experience of children’s hearings to take part. The first step is to tell us you are interested!
We are going to have some information events online so that everyone who is interested can find out more.
Following confirmation that you would like to be involved, and after the information session, those aged 12-15 will need the consent of a person who you normally live with.
Contact Robert on WhatsApp: 07967 339359, or by email: robert.porter@strath.ac.uk with any questions or to let him know you want to know more about the project.
