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For Scotland's children report

appendix 5 issues in current services -the experience of young people

A Report on Meetings with Young People, facilitated by the Action Team on Better Integrated Children's Services on behalf of the Scottish Executive during May 2001

About the Meetings

In addition to meeting with young people using specific services during the series of field visits conducted by the Action Team the Team also wanted to meet with young people in mixed groups and outwith particular project/service locations. With this in mind meetings with young people took place in Forfar (Angus), in Falkirk and in Alexandria (West Dunbartonshire). A total of 33 young people attended.

The purpose of involving young people in our work was to find out young people's views on the services available to them, how they work together and how we might improve how they work together. We asked young people to talk in a group about some of the services they have used. We wanted young people to think about what services have been good from their point of view and what could be better. The comments reported here are from across the three meetings held. The source of the comments is not identified because young people were assured that their views would be confidential.

At the meetings young people discussed the following things:

• How adults view children and young people in Scotland today
• What young people need from adults
• What services young people use or come into contact with
• Which services young people would recommend and why
• Things young people would change about current services
• The characteristics of an adult who young people might call their 'champion' or someone they felt was 'on their side'

The meetings were designed to be both participative and safe for young people, many of whom were currently engaged with a range of services and in relation to a number of issues. The young people were aged between 11 and 17 years old.

All the people who took part in the meetings received a copy of a report about the meetings. The young people were also keen that their views should be shared directly, as one young person said, "with someone important that will listen to what we have to say." With this in mind the young people's comments have influenced the findings of the Action Team but they have also been shared directly and independently with the Scottish Executive via Gill Stewart, Head of the Children and Young People's Group within the Scottish Executive Education Department.

How Adults View Children and Young People in Scotland Today

Young people were asked to consider the question 'How do you think adults view children and young people in Scotland today?' The discussion focused around the following key points:

• As troublemakers, especially the police, social workers and the older generation.
• In light of their family reputation - if they've been in trouble you'll be trouble.
• As trouble in school or trouble in shops, you get followed by security guards
• As violent - they always think that we're going to beat them up. Adults will cross the road if they see a group of young people hanging about or coming towards them.
• As just a series of referrals.
• It can depend where you come from, if you come from a certain neighbourhood they'll think certain negative things about you.
• If a young person has been in care or has run away they get treated differently. Other people's parents think you're trouble.
• If they are in foster care people think they're bother or they're violent. People in care are seen as a burden.
• Adults can't be bothered with young people
• When we have mental health problems they don't understand
• Benefits staff don't inform you of your rights.
• Some teachers see us as stereotypes.

What Young People Need from Adults

The young people were asked to consider what they need from adults. The following comments were given:

• Proper support + somewhere to go if they are school non-attenders - they don't have something
• Better playparks
• Basketball and skateparks
• Centres and places to meet that we can afford
• To change things
• More things to do - that are free
• A reaction - listen to us
• More youth clubs and sports facilities
• To be able to be elected - not part of separate youth councils

What Services Young People have used or Come into Contact With

The groups then began to discuss their experiences of services - provided by statutory sector, voluntary sector and private sectors. The young people who attended the young people's sessions identified that they had used or come into contact with the following services:

Health

• Doctors/GP's
• Dentist
• Family Planning
• District Nurses
• Hospital
• Physiotherapists
• Health visitor
• Chiropodist
• Speech Therapy
• Young People's Unit/Royal Edinburgh Hospital
• Hospital Accident and Emergency
• Psychiatrist

Schools

• Nursery, primary and secondary school and the teachers that work in them
• Learning support
• Behaviour support
• After school activities or classes we have been involved in, Cricket, Netball, Badminton, Recorder, Brass Instruments
• Psychologist

Other Council Services

• Social work
• Secure accommodation
• Foster care
• Respite care
• Home helps
• Emergency duty team
• Resource workers
• Children's rights services
• Community education
• Housing departments/homeless section

Leisure

• Parks
• Sports courts
• Clubs e.g. Youth Groups
• Discos/Parties
• Sports facilities

Support/Counselling Services

• Tayside Council on Alcohol
• School & Family Support Service

Voluntary Sector/Community Based Services

• Young Carers Project
• Rachael House
• Barnardo's projects including Cluaran (Falkirk) and 16+ (Edinburgh)
• Children 1st children's rights project
• Project 20/20
• ChildLine
• Samaritans
• Venture Scotland
• Centre Point (London)
• Who Cares?
• No. 21 Counselling service
• Community Mediation
• Women's Aid
• Riding for the Disabled Association

Other Services

• Public transport
• Lawyers/criminal justice
• DSS/Benefits
• Job Centre
• Police
• Church
• College
• Shops
• Banks
• Public toilets

Which Services Young People Would Recommend

Young people were asked 'are there any services you would recommend to other young people and why?' Across the groups they identified the following:

Service Why Would You Recommend It?

Things We Would Change About Services

Young people were asked to identify what they would change about current services. They identified the need for change in relation to:

• Social work
• Health services
• Schools
• Leisure and recreation
• Police
• Housing
• DSS and benefits

Social Work

Things We Would Change About Social Work:

• Make sure that everyone that needs to be is informed about cases, so you don't repeat yourself.
• Having to constantly write things down again and again.
• Have more outings.
• Make more effort to keep people at home.
• Social work has a positive impact but it has a lot of faults.
• Social work is supposed to look after children, but it doesn't. Children are at the bottom of the list.

Things We Would Change About Social Workers:

• Social workers need to be better at listening, they just don't listen.
• Return phone calls sooner rather than later so we don't have to keep chasing things up.
• Make sure that if they promise you something that they give you it, or give you feedback.
• Make them more kind and understanding.
• They don't always keep things confidential.
• And they can be really moody sometimes.
• They go into meetings and say things you don't want them to say.

Things We Would Change About EDT (Emergency Duty Team):

• More understanding/open minded.
• Be less judgmental towards young people in care (especially if young person has run away).
• Provide financial assistance when needed, i.e. when being discharged from hospital and are stranded and need to get home.

Things We Would Change About Respite Care:

• Agencies take too long to respond and give the help people need.
• You should be able to challenge the decisions that providers make without feeling that they will take it personally.

Health Services

Things We Would Change About Doctors:

• When you go to them with a problem they don't always give you antibiotics.
• They just tell you that things will be better soon.

Things We Would Change About Support and Counselling Services:

• It is important that you can trust the person you are speaking to, so it is important that you know that what you say will stay in their confidence.
• Many counsellors have to report some unnecessary things sometimes.
• Everyone needs emotional help once in a while.
• Waiting times for young people are too long, it can take six months or longer to see who you need to see.

Schools

Things We Would Change About Education:

• There is too much pressure from Head of Schools to sit 5 Highers instead of 2 Highers. Don't put as much pressure on people. Encourage their decisions. Not push them just because of school reputation.
• There should be less focus on qualifications and more on education.
• There should be a better understanding of people's issues, especially young carers. You need to listen to what they say.

Things We Would Change About Teachers:

• Attitudes from teachers and staff. It feels like we're never good enough.
• Whatever mood a teacher wakes up in reflects on us.
• Teachers don't explain things properly. They just expect you to know what to do.
• High School teachers should be more friendly and take in the fact that some teenagers have problems.
• They should make classes shorter to keep the attention of pupils.
• Primary School teachers can be OK but some are unhelpful and unfriendly.
• They need to know more about mental health problems that young people can have.

Things We Would Change About School:

• Have activities during lunch and break.
• Make class sizes smaller and that gives more people attention.
• Teachers have to be nicer, more easy going.
• Playground assistants they need to treat people the same.
• I think a swipecard should get used outside school. I would use it for cafes that are not inside. I think it would be easier to use.
• More choices for lunch.
• More teachers.

Things We Would Change About Learning Support In School:

• If they had more equipment such as computers, because there are not enough computers.
• Sometimes people get bullied and I don't like it.

Things We Would Change About Guidance In School:

• If you're in foster care, your guidance teachers treat you as if you're a bad influence on the others.
• Some guidance teachers don't listen to you.
• Guidance teachers should have more understanding of young people.
• Guidance teachers should treat you like a normal person.
• They should listen.
• If teachers learned from their pupils this may prevent any misunderstanding.

Housing

Things We Would Change About Homeless Section:

• They need to treat you more with an open mind when explaining your situation.
• More access to appropriate emergency accommodation in East Lothian.
• Respect for young people using the service.
• Young people should get a house without having to have a baby.

Leisure and Recreation

Things We Would Change About Play Parks:

• I would like my child to go to a safe park, no concrete involved, a number of options of things to play with and on, up to date equipment.
• More of the green belt around towns for children and adults, which would attract more tourists as well, and we wouldn't have to go so far to enjoy our countryside.
• Security around parks and the green belt to ensure no damage is done, and the safety is highly approved.
• The park near us has swings and roundabout removed and we would like them back especially the swings. Each thing has been taken away without reason that we know of.
• The park in our town has a floor that has been destroyed.
• There is nowhere for young people to go to at night in our town.

Things We Would Change About Youth Clubs:

• There are no places for young people to go to especially for a certain age group that we can go to in our town.

Police

Things We Would Change About Police:

• The police seem to judge us by how we speak and on how we dress.
• They treat you calling them out as if the call is unimportant and take too long to respond to calls.
• They also seem to be quite violent to us people who cut about in the town.
• We deserve to be treated with more respect.
• They need to be better at believing what young people say.
• More plain clothed police officers.
• Tougher penalties.
• Everything.
• Some police are better than others, just like social services.

DSS and Benefits

Things We Would Change About DSS/Benefits:

• Have more information, readily available about entitlements for 16-18 year olds.
• There should be designated worker for 16-18 year olds.
• There should be easier access to the DSS Officers for rural communities.
• Why does it have to be such a long wait and so tedious? This is a big problem if we have disabled siblings with us who get fed up and disturb other people who then stare at us.
• Better places to wait if you have to wait.

A Children's Champion

Throughout sessions young people had identified positive aspects of services and of adults involved in delivering them or providing support, as well as things they wanted to change. To end the sessions young people were asked to consider 'the characteristics of an adult who young people might call their "champion" or someone they felt was on their side.' This person could be built around aspects of adults they already knew as well as what they would like to see in the adults that cared for and cared about them.

Working as a group they talked and drew life-size figures with the characteristics of their 'champion' described. They saw the need for someone who...

• Knows how to deal with problems
• Understands all problems
• Is smart
• They spoil you
• Never angry
• Knows about what young people think and do
• Helps you with everything
• Kind
• Somebody not boring
• Funny
• Nice looking
• They do everything for me
• Good listener and good at solving problems
• Up to date
• Fun-loving
• Lenient
• Sensitive
• Caring
• Brilliant cook
• No shouting
• Being kind
• No swearing
• Someone who knows about fashion
• Strict
• Good sense of humour
• Good nature
• Laughs a lot
• Keeps promises
• Strong personality
• Happy nature
• Easy to talk to
• Willing
• Friendly
• Laid back
• Doesn't give punishments
• Has experience of the problems we go through
• Non-judgemental and open minded
• Gets to know us
• Responsible
• Musical
• Honest
• Gives good hugs

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