Why?
The ANV AMPLIFY awards aim to champion and recognise the work of children in care councils and care leaver forums. They were held in October 2024 (Amplify – Coram Voice) – Devon’s Stand Up, Speak Up group were nominated for the ‘Participation award’.
What?
In July 2023, 11 care experienced young people from Devon went on a residential in order to learn how to deliver Total Respect training. Total Respect is an award-winning training programme which is designed and delivered by care experienced young people. It aims to improve awareness and empathy of the care system.
The plan to deliver the training was in direct response to Devon agreeing to adopt care-experience as a protected characteristic, something that the group had campaigned for. The training seemed like a good way to raise awareness of what it means to be care-experienced in order to lay the foundations for future improvements both within Childrens Services and further afield.
Since October 2023, the group have delivered Total Respect to teams of PAs, social workers, foster carers, IROs, senior managers, elected Councillors and at a housing conference. All other teams within Children’s Services will receive the training over the next year with the aim to extend to external organisations after this.
What difference did it make?
- The training has had a positive effect on both professionals and the young people delivering it.
- The training has improved the knowledge of professionals on what it is like to be care experienced which has improved their practice.
- All attendees have fed back that the training has reminded them of why they work with children and young people and has refocused their attention to the key areas that need improvement.
- At the end of each session, pledges have been made by attendees which have then been followed up by the participation workers. Some of these pledges are now part of the overall Corporate Parenting Improvement Plan for Devon.
- The young people themselves have grown in confidence and skills and some of them have gone onto secure employment or volunteering roles which utilise these skills.
- The plan is to continue delivering the training to professionals across the County Council and within our partnerships.