Involving the Scottish population in health matters that affect them has become an integral part of the remit of NHSScotland. A crucial aspect of this is to engage with children and young people and work with them to ensure that the delivery of health services is adequate for them across the various areas of Scotland. It is important to highlight here that the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child states that a child who is capable of forming his or her own views has the right to express these views freely and to have their views given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity. (Article 12 of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child). With this principle in mind, NES is developing a number of initiatives that will enable active engagement with this population group. Current initiatives include the Young People's Health Advisory Group (YPHAG) and the NES Young People's Public Partnership Forum (PPF). Further information regarding both initiatives are available below.
PPF MEMBERS WANTED
NES are looking to recruit 6 new members to its Young People's Public Partnership Forum. To apply, please complete the application form below:
Please note: Candidates should be between 14 and 21 at the time of application.
NES Young People's Public Partnership Forum (PPF)
A Public Partnership Forum (PPF) is the main way that members of the community or the voluntary sector can be involved in the health sector and can voice their opinions on issues within the NHS. It acts as a bridge between the decision making taken at the very top among executives and the people who are immediately affected by this decision.
The NES Young People’s PPF consists of eleven young people aged between 15 and 19 and is the first of its kind in Scotland. Its main aim is to provide ongoing input into the development of education for staff working with children and young people.
In the past 18 months, the PPF group have successfully taken forward a number of activities.
The PPF members have been involved in the development of scenarios for use for teaching and examination of GPs, Nurses, Paramedics and other Healthcare staff undertaking the national NES Emergency Care courses. In addition to the development work on the scenarios, they have been involved, and will continue to be so, in role playing specific to these scenarios in an examination context.
In addition, the PPF group have successfully held an event in October 2007 at which healthcare staff and young people from across Scotland were present. A copy of the report is available below and hard copies can be requested from the Child Health Team:
The group are in the process of producing a DVD of the video diary and graffiti board of young people's views and experiences of the Health service collected at the event.
The PPF members have also identified a number of priorities that they are to focus on, namely:
A workplan has been drawn up to identify the best way forward in tackling these priorities as well as the group's aims. This is available below:
NHS Scotland Event 2008
The YPHAG and NES Young People's PPF members, in collaboration with Action for Sick Children, led a session on "Involving Children and Young People" at the NHS Scotland 2008 event on Wednesday 25th June at the SECC. The aim of the workshop was to present on current active initiatives involving children and young people within the Health Service, the work undertaken to date and the impact this is having or is set to have in the future. Over 60 delegates from various backgrounds and organisations attended. Copies of the presentations are available below:
Young People's Health Advisory Group (YPHAG)
Background
The policy documents "Better Health, Better Care" (SGHD, 2007) and “Delivering a Healthy Future: An Action Framework for Children and Young People’s Health in Scotland” (SGHD, 2007) both stress the key principle of Involvement. In "Delivering a Healthy Future", NES and others have been charged with establishing a national pilot reference panel of children and young people to provide input into health topics and act as a sounding board on policy development (Action 75 pp.62).
NES are working in partnership with Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People (SCCYP) to establish a Young People’s Health Advisory Group (YPHAG) involved at a national level. Its core function will be to support and advise NES, SCCYP, the CYPHSG and the wider NHSScotland on organisational development issues, education, training and specific initiatives relating to healthcare matters as they affect children and young people.
In the past 18 months, the Young People’s Health Advisory Group (YPHAG) have been involved in a number of policy initiatives relating to children and young people (CYP) including sitting on policy steering groups, responding to consultation documents, giving evidence to health committees (eg: Good Childhood Enquiry), establishing ways of collecting views of other children and young people’s groups for the Scottish Government Health Department (SGHD) and taking forward other more specific initiatives. A full workplan has been outlined and is available below:
The YPHAG members have also contributed to the Health Scotland DVD "Youth Voices" in February 2008. This is accessible on the Walk the Talk website (external site).
Evaluation of the Young People's Health Advisory Group initiative
The YPHAG initiative is in the process of being externally evaluated. Following a tendering exercise undertaken by NES in January 2007, the successful tenderer is aiming to:
The final report is due to be released in October 2008.
A new YPHAG website is in the process of being developed. Access details will be posted shortly.
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