Barnardo's Refer 2 Us Group [NI]
Age Group: 14-22 years
Specific Interest Group: Ethnic Minority, Young People in/leaving the Care System, LGB Young People, Young People at Risk, Young Mothers and Young People with Disabilities
How are the Children and Young People involved?
Refer 2 Us are a group of young people aged 14-22 from different Services within Barnardo’s and therefore with different life experiences. They have been together for over 3 years now and meet the last Sunday of every month and participate in several residentials every year.
The purpose of the group is to be the voice of all the children and young people within Barnardo’s, and they have undergone various training opportunities to accommodate this.
More recently they trained to carry out a consultation with 150 children and young people within Barnardo’s (aged 3-25 years) to find out what they needed to feel ‘Safe’ and ‘Happy’ in Northern Ireland.
The Safe and Happy Consultation produced some very interesting key messages which can be accessed in the report or in the posters(designed by the group.) The group also produced a DVD about themselves and the Consultation and can be viewed on the Refer 2 Us Web Page.
The key messages are being taken on board by the Northern Ireland Committee, Senior Managers and Managers within Barnardo’s and will have an impact on Services within Northern Ireland.
The group presented the key findings at a conference in September which they organised and delivered themselves. This will have an impact on how we provided Services in the future. It has also given people an insight into what children and young people are capable of if they are supported in the right way.
Links are currently being made between the Refer 2 Us group and the Northern Ireland Committee to ensure their voices can be heard at the highest level within the organisation.
Geographical Location
Group meet in Belfast but young people are from various locations in N.I.
Do you use a specific model/guide/theme?
Yes, we have developed a Participation Strategy within the organisation.
What did or what has the project/initiative achieved in terms of positive change for the organisation or/and the children and young people?
The Refer 2 Us group have been on an incredible journey over the last 2 years – I have seen each participant grow in confidence and self esteem and all the members are now thinking much more positively in terms of their future.
The group have always been keen to be the voice of other children and young people within the organisation and they now believe they are at the stage of doing this. With the success of the Safe and Happy Consultation the group are now in the process of planning another Consultation within Services.
Due to my role and support to staff as Participation Worker, I believe that children and young people within each of our 47 Services are now being involved much more in the decision making processes. This has become apparent through out internal monitoring systems.
Contact
Rhoda Cassidy
Barnardo’s
542-544 Upper Newtownards Road
Belfast
BT4 3HE
E-mail: rhoda.cassidy@barnardos.org.uk
Web: http://www.barnardos.org.uk
Tel: 028 90672366
