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Your voice

Having your say

It is important that you have your say about the care that you receive from Hampshire County Council.

Your social worker or personal advisor should involve you in your care plan or pathway plan, speak to your worker about how you would like to be involved as one size doesn't fit all.

You can if you wish also chair your own meetings, this is when you're in charge of the direction the meeting should go in, and you will guide the other people through the issues that you want to discuss.

Hampshire County Council wants to hear your views about your experiences of working with Hampshire Children’s services, and of the care system in Hampshire, to ensure we continuously addressing needs and improving our services.  There are several different activities or events you can get involved in depending on your involvement with Hampshire Children’s Services, and in the first instance it is always best to talk to your assigned worker with any feedback. You can also join our Children In Care and Care Experienced Adults Boards for more information -

Your voice matters! We want to hear from you!

Voice, Empowerment Work (VEW) is all about making sure:

  • your views
  • your experiences
  • your ideas

Help shape the services you use.

We listen to what you say and use it to improve support for children in care and care leavers across Hampshire.

There are lots of ways to get involved – whatever works best for you.

Hampshire Care Council

What is it?

The Hampshire Care Council is a safe and supportive group where young people with care experience can:

  • share their thoughts
  • talk about what’s working (and what’s not)
  • help make changes

It is youth-led, which means young people help shape what happens.

What is the aim?

“To give care experienced young people a voice and help improve life for others in care.”

Can I join?

Yes – we would love you to join.

You can get involved if you are:

  • aged 14–25
  • a child in care or care leaver

You don’t need any experience – just your own views.

Ways you can take part

You can choose what works best for you. For example:

  • Talking in a small group
  • One-to-one conversations
  • Online surveys
  • Creative activities (drawing, writing, videos)
  • Attending events
  • Helping with interviews or recruitment
  • Sharing ideas to improve services

You can:

  • speak
  • write
  • draw
  • use symbols
  • bring someone to support you

💬 We will work in a way that suits your needs.

Why join?

  • Meet other young people
  • Build confidence and new skills
  • Help improve services for others
  • Have your voice heard
  • Take part in fun and meaningful activities

Join the Hampshire Care Council

Would you like to:

  • share what matters to you?
  • help improve services?
  • meet others and try new things?

If yes, we would love to hear from you.

👉 This is your chance to make a difference.

Corporate Parenting Board (CPB)

What is it?

The Corporate Parenting Board is a group of:

  • councillors
  • professionals
  • care experienced young people

They work together to make sure children in care and care leavers get the best support.

What do they do?

They:

  • listen to young people’s views
  • check how services are working
  • make decisions to improve outcomes

This helps the council meet its responsibilities to young people in care and care leavers.

Can I get involved?

Yes.

Some young people are supported to share their views with the Board in a way that feels comfortable and safe.

Your voice matters! We want to hear from you!

Voice, Empowerment Work (VEW) is all about making sure:

  • your views
  • your experiences
  • your ideas

Help shape the services you use.

We listen to what you say and use it to improve support for children in care and care leavers across Hampshire.

There are lots of ways to get involved – whatever works best for you.

Hampshire Care Council

What is it?

The Hampshire Care Council is a safe and supportive group where young people with care experience can:

  • share their thoughts
  • talk about what’s working (and what’s not)
  • help make changes

It is youth-led, which means young people help shape what happens.

What is the aim?

“To give care experienced young people a voice and help improve life for others in care.”

Can I join?

Yes – we would love you to join.

You can get involved if you are:

  • aged 14–25
  • a child in care or care leaver

You don’t need any experience – just your own views.

Ways you can take part

You can choose what works best for you. For example:

  • Talking in a small group
  • One-to-one conversations
  • Online surveys
  • Creative activities (drawing, writing, videos)
  • Attending events
  • Helping with interviews or recruitment
  • Sharing ideas to improve services

You can:

  • speak
  • write
  • draw
  • use symbols
  • bring someone to support you

💬 We will work in a way that suits your needs.

Why join?

  • Meet other young people
  • Build confidence and new skills
  • Help improve services for others
  • Have your voice heard
  • Take part in fun and meaningful activities

Join the Hampshire Care Council

Would you like to:

  • share what matters to you?
  • help improve services?
  • meet others and try new things?

If yes, we would love to hear from you.

👉 This is your chance to make a difference.

Corporate Parenting Board (CPB)

What is it?

The Corporate Parenting Board is a group of:

  • councillors
  • professionals
  • care experienced young people

They work together to make sure children in care and care leavers get the best support.

What do they do?

They:

  • listen to young people’s views
  • check how services are working
  • make decisions to improve outcomes

This helps the council meet its responsibilities to young people in care and care leavers.

Can I get involved?

Yes.

Some young people are supported to share their views with the Board in a way that feels comfortable and safe.

Who are they?

A Voice Empowerment Worker helps make sure young people are:

  • listened to
  • involved
  • supported to share their views

How they support you

They can:

  • meet you at home, school, college or in the community
  • support you to join activities
  • help you share your views in a way that works for you
  • make sure you are listened to
  • feedback what has changed

They work in a:

  • trauma-informed
  • inclusive
  • young person-centred way

Contact

If you would like to talk to someone or get involved:

📧 Nick Glover
nick.glover@hants.gov.uk 

Who are they?

A Voice Empowerment Worker helps make sure young people are:

  • listened to
  • involved
  • supported to share their views

How they support you

They can:

  • meet you at home, school, college or in the community
  • support you to join activities
  • help you share your views in a way that works for you
  • make sure you are listened to
  • feedback what has changed

They work in a:

  • trauma-informed
  • inclusive
  • young person-centred way

Contact

If you would like to talk to someone or get involved:

📧 Nick Glover
nick.glover@hants.gov.uk 

Voice Of Our Own are an awesome team of young people from all over the UK who help spread the word about care experience and the rights or care experienced young people. 

Their mission is to create a powerful community for young people, led by young people. They want care experienced young people to feel confident sharing their feelings, experiences, and opinions and to be part of decision-making. 

Through Voice of Your Own you can be part of loads of projects, here are just a few:

  • Being a Children’s Rights champion!
  • Making videos for social media and YouTube
  • Helping to design Mind Of My Own apps
  • Poster making & art competitions
  • Decision making at Mind Of My Own

Find Out More and Sign Up

Voice Of Our Own are an awesome team of young people from all over the UK who help spread the word about care experience and the rights or care experienced young people. 

Their mission is to create a powerful community for young people, led by young people. They want care experienced young people to feel confident sharing their feelings, experiences, and opinions and to be part of decision-making. 

Through Voice of Your Own you can be part of loads of projects, here are just a few:

  • Being a Children’s Rights champion!
  • Making videos for social media and YouTube
  • Helping to design Mind Of My Own apps
  • Poster making & art competitions
  • Decision making at Mind Of My Own

Find Out More and Sign Up

Hampshire SEND Youth Forum: A forum for young people aged 14-25 who represent wider groups of young people with SEND, they work as a Steering Group, overseeing the strategy and action plan and ensuring the voices of other young people are considered in decision making. They have created a SEND Participation Strategy​.

  • SEND Groups and Youth Forums: There are a range of groups in schools, community settings and partner organisations for children and young people including those with SEND. These group engage with the forum ‘as and when’ to support wider participation and bring forward their views from different lived experiences, representing a wider group of young people. ​
  • Young People Sub Groups: The SEND Youth Forum will also stand up ‘Sub Groups’ that will bring together young people with specific interests or to move forward pieces of work. This should support young people to get involved in area that interest them.

Hampshire SEND Youth Forum: A forum for young people aged 14-25 who represent wider groups of young people with SEND, they work as a Steering Group, overseeing the strategy and action plan and ensuring the voices of other young people are considered in decision making. They have created a SEND Participation Strategy​.

  • SEND Groups and Youth Forums: There are a range of groups in schools, community settings and partner organisations for children and young people including those with SEND. These group engage with the forum ‘as and when’ to support wider participation and bring forward their views from different lived experiences, representing a wider group of young people. ​
  • Young People Sub Groups: The SEND Youth Forum will also stand up ‘Sub Groups’ that will bring together young people with specific interests or to move forward pieces of work. This should support young people to get involved in area that interest them.

In Hampshire County Council there are a range of opportunities for children, young people and families to get involved and have a say, some group that focus on SEND include: ​

  • KIDS and Council For Disabled Children’s Young People’s Participation (South) Making participation work – Kids The Department for Education has jointly commissioned Kids with the Council for Disabled Children to deliver a national participation programme with disabled children and young people, and those with Special Educational Needs.​
  • Hampshire Parent Carers Network (HPCN): Provides opportunities for parents of children and young people with SEND to feedback to the Council, Health and other services. This includes an annual questionnaire that helps shape change in the local area. ​
  • Hampshire SENDIASS: An impartial Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) that aims to make a positive and lasting difference for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) and their parents and carers. SENDIASS regularly feedback information and areas of concerns to the Council and our partners.​

There are also opportunities for young people to get involved with a range of other Voice activities, the below groups are open for all young people and welcome young people from all backgrounds, including those with SEND: ​

  • #BeeWell regularly collects information from children and young people across Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton. They also host Youth Matters a group for young people to help shape the direction of the #BeeWell programme. ​
  • Hampshire Youth Parliament are elected UK Youth Parliament members, alongside a Youth Council who engage with Hampshire County Council on a range of issues, and undertake campaigns based on the UK Youth Parliament Make Your Mark votes. ​
  • Hampshire Hospitals Youth Forum allows young people 11-16 years old who are a patient or have used the children's health services at Basingstoke Hospital or Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester to have your say and help us to shape the way children's services at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. You only need to be able to volunteer two hours of your time, a few times a year.
  • Hampshire and Isle of Wight Youth Commission enables young people to support, challenge and voice young people’s opinions from all across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, to help shape decisions about policing and crime.​
  • Youthwatch Hampshire is a network of volunteers aged between 16 and 25 who are passionate about young people’s rights, and keen to make a difference in health and social care.​
  • School Councils: Many schools in Hampshire have School Councils that provide a platform for children and young people to express their views and participate in decision-making process within School. Talk to your school about opportunities. ​

In Hampshire County Council there are a range of opportunities for children, young people and families to get involved and have a say, some group that focus on SEND include: ​

  • KIDS and Council For Disabled Children’s Young People’s Participation (South) Making participation work – Kids The Department for Education has jointly commissioned Kids with the Council for Disabled Children to deliver a national participation programme with disabled children and young people, and those with Special Educational Needs.​
  • Hampshire Parent Carers Network (HPCN): Provides opportunities for parents of children and young people with SEND to feedback to the Council, Health and other services. This includes an annual questionnaire that helps shape change in the local area. ​
  • Hampshire SENDIASS: An impartial Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) that aims to make a positive and lasting difference for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) and their parents and carers. SENDIASS regularly feedback information and areas of concerns to the Council and our partners.​

There are also opportunities for young people to get involved with a range of other Voice activities, the below groups are open for all young people and welcome young people from all backgrounds, including those with SEND: ​

  • #BeeWell regularly collects information from children and young people across Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton. They also host Youth Matters a group for young people to help shape the direction of the #BeeWell programme. ​
  • Hampshire Youth Parliament are elected UK Youth Parliament members, alongside a Youth Council who engage with Hampshire County Council on a range of issues, and undertake campaigns based on the UK Youth Parliament Make Your Mark votes. ​
  • Hampshire Hospitals Youth Forum allows young people 11-16 years old who are a patient or have used the children's health services at Basingstoke Hospital or Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester to have your say and help us to shape the way children's services at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. You only need to be able to volunteer two hours of your time, a few times a year.
  • Hampshire and Isle of Wight Youth Commission enables young people to support, challenge and voice young people’s opinions from all across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, to help shape decisions about policing and crime.​
  • Youthwatch Hampshire is a network of volunteers aged between 16 and 25 who are passionate about young people’s rights, and keen to make a difference in health and social care.​
  • School Councils: Many schools in Hampshire have School Councils that provide a platform for children and young people to express their views and participate in decision-making process within School. Talk to your school about opportunities. ​

At the bottom of our webpages you will find this:

If you click on either face you will be taken to a short form which allows you to contact us to feedback on the contents of this website. 

We want to hear from you!

  • Have we not included some information that you need?
  • Could you not find what what you were looking for?
  • Did we get some information wrong?

Whatever your feedback, good or bad we want to hear it to help make this website the most useful and accurate resource for parents, carers, young people and  professionals as we can.

More information on transparent feedback, co-production and annual reports for the Local Offer

At the bottom of our webpages you will find this:

If you click on either face you will be taken to a short form which allows you to contact us to feedback on the contents of this website. 

We want to hear from you!

  • Have we not included some information that you need?
  • Could you not find what what you were looking for?
  • Did we get some information wrong?

Whatever your feedback, good or bad we want to hear it to help make this website the most useful and accurate resource for parents, carers, young people and  professionals as we can.

More information on transparent feedback, co-production and annual reports for the Local Offer

Helpful links

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