The Children's Rights Service:
- Provides advocacy for children and young people from Trafford who are in care or have left care
- Facilitates the Children In Care Council
- Facilitates the Trafford Youth Cabinet
- Offer work experience opportunities for young people
- Offer support, advice and guidance for professionals
What children young people say about getting involved in youth cabinet
Advocacy for Children in Care
The Children's Rights Service (CRS) provides advice, information, support and representation to all children and young people from Trafford who are in care.
The Children's Rights Service strives to:
Offer children and young people independent and confidential advice, information, advocacy, representation and support.
Ensure that the service is accessible to all children and young people in care
Respond to children and young people promptly
Help children and young people participate in all decision making processes, particularly in statutory review meetings and care planning, case conferences and planning meetings.
Some examples of why the Children's Rights Service may be contacted are:
When the child or young person does not consider that they have been treated fairly and they cannot resolve the matter with the person concerned.
When the child or young person wishes to make a comment or complaint.
When the child or young person wishes to have someone to represent their views or opinions.
When a young person is unable or unwilling to attend their review or they need someone to speak for them.
When the child or young person is uncertain of her/his rights and does not seem to be able to gain a response from those they are in contact with.
When the child or young person is in a placement that is making them unhappy and they do not know how to deal with the issue.
When the child or young person's wishes are not being considered within the Organisation's decision making process.
The Children in Care Council
The Children in Care Council (Youth Advocacy) is a group of children and young people from Trafford who are or who have been in care. It tries to ensure that children and young people are involved in the improving the service the CYPS delivers to children and young people in care.
It meets during each school holiday for a day at Gorse Hill studios in Stretford. Members also get involved in other activities (such as interviewing for new staff, being trained and training professionals and foster carers).
You may want to refer a child or young person who:
is interested in becoming involved in service planning.
would benefit from being in a group with other children and young people in care.
The Trafford Youth Cabinet
Trafford Youth Cabinet are representatives of the children and young people of Trafford.
It has members aged between 11 and 19.
Each member must live, work or study in Trafford.
They usually meet weekly in term time and at other times in school holidays.
They meet at Talkshop in Sale Waterside on Wednesday's at 4.30pm till 5.45 pm
Any member of the cabinet can represent the cabinet in any regional or national meeting or event.
Members are reimbursed for transport costs for attending meetings.
The youth cabinet tries to ensure equal opportunity for ALL children and young people.
The cabinet will does everything possible to ensure that any young person who wishes to be involved is able to do so. This may involve paying for child care costs, adaptations or special communication tools as required.
You may wish to refer a child or young person who:
Is interested in improving services for children and young people in Trafford
Would benefit from working with a group of other children and young people
Has an interest in politics or community improvement.
What children young people say about getting involved
What young people have said about the youth cabinet...
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Ace
Interesting
Fantasmagorical
Different
Fantabulous
Inspiring
Enlightening
Eye-opening
Alright
What skills children and young people have developed...
Taking minutes
Being organised
Socialising
Public speaking
How to sit in professional meetings
Chairing meetings
Communication skills and expressing views
How to do a speech
Debate
Communication skills
How to talk
Listening skills
How to speak in public
And how they have used them in the 'real world'...
Talked to new people
I have minuted in a few other things outside the cabinet, I can speak to the public about appropiate things relating to the topic....
I am more confident to give opinions on discussions :)
going to presentations
More confidence dealing with people
Work Experience
The service offers work experience to young people. They spend the week working with the service attending meetings and helping develop the service.
Support, advice and guidance for professionals
The service preovides support, advice and guidance to workers and organisations who wish to involve children and young people in improving services.
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