Engagement: Seen, Heard, Included

Towards the end of 2022, a sub-group was created from the Disabled Children and Young People Advisory Group (DCYPAG)* to explore tools and methodologies to support the meaningful engagement and participation of disabled children and young people whose needs are complex and whose voices are rarely heard, and their families, and share learning on these approaches.

To capture what matters to this cohort of disabled children and young people and their families within the context of effective planning and effective support, and to contribute to the design and development of the National Care Service and the National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy.

Funded by the Scottish Government; the ALLIANCE, Contact, Down’s Syndrome Scotland, Family Fund and PAMIS came together to carry out engagement activities and our learning report has now launched: Seen, Heard, Included.

Below you can find additional outputs from delivery partners who engaged with children, young people and families. Please take the time to have a look over at the amazing work that has been produced.

Key themes to support meaningful engagement and participation includes:  

• Review existing evidence
• The importance of existing relationships and trust
• Person-centred and whole family engagement approaches
• Time
• Communication and feedback

The sub-group plan to continue work with the Scottish Government to consider wider dissemination of the findings of this report, to shine a light on good practice and appropriate ways to engage with disabled children, young people and families in designing policy. We want to work together with our wider networks to act as advocates on their behalf in highlighting what works and what can be done better.

Resources:
– Contact Reporting
– Down’s Syndrome Scotland Reporting
– Family Fund Reporting
– PAMIS Reporting

If you have any similar resources that you wish to share or feedback on our learning so far, please get in touch with Marianne Tyler, Senior Development Officer for Children and Young People at the ALLIANCE by emailing Marianne.Tyler@alliance-scotland.org.uk

*DCYPAG is a forum created to share intelligence and expertise to the Scottish Government on issues which impact upon disabled children, young people and their families.