Issue - meetings

Child Friendly Warwickshire

Meeting: 23/02/2021 - Children & Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 6)

6 Child Friendly Warwickshire pdf icon PDF 175 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Anita Lekhi, Technical Specialist - Performance and Evaluation, introduced the Committee to the initiative for Warwickshire to become child friendly.  The Committee learnt that “a child friendly city, town or community is committed to improving the lives of children, and is a place where the voices, needs, priorities and rights of children are fundamental in decisions”.

 

The aim of the initiative is that all children in Warwickshire are –

 

·         safe and secure

·         happy and healthy

·         live stable lives

·         able to enjoy learning and have employment opportunities

·         involved in decisions that shape services that impact their lives.

 

The initiative is being led by the Council’s Children and Families Services but with the aim that everyone in the Council will become involved, recogning the key role that children have in the county.  The initiative comes from Leeds City Council, who introduced theirs some years ago and who are recognised as an outstanding local authority in this area.

 

The following points were noted –

 

·         The initiative will involve taking to children and young people via surveys and virtual workshops to see what they would like.

 

·         A brand will be created to share and promote Child Friendly Warwickshire across the county.

 

·         Communication will not only be within the Council, but also with all partners, local communities, and businesses.

 

Following a question from Councillor Jeff Morgan, Daniel Atkins, Advanced Practitioner, gave an explanation of Restorative Practice; highlighting that it is about how Warwickshire County Council works with colleagues, partners, children and families.  The practice recognises that relationships are at the heart of everything that the Council does, and this initiative puts the child at the centre.  Restorative Practice relationships are about supporting and challenging each other to avoid any ‘blockages’ to the process.  In simple terms, it is about restoring family relationships.

 

The Chair asked how important officers feel it is to install a sense of resilience in young people; to encourage them to take responsibility.  Nigel Minns, Strategic Director suggested that each generation faces different challenges, perhaps none more so than the current generation facing the pandemic.  Child Friendly Warwickshire will support independence and it will be a key part of the work done; recognising that it is important to do things ‘with’ children and young people, and not ‘for’ or ‘to’ them.

 

Resolved

 

That the Committee endorse the Child Friendly Warwickshire initiative and action plan