Celebrating our Youth Board's contributions to mental health services
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB) has its very own Youth Board, made up of young volunteers aged 13 to 25. The Youth Board is instrumental in ensuring young people are part of the Health Boards decision making processes. The programme is extremely successful, particularly due to the perspectives it offers and contributions it makes towards the way we shape our services. In turn, this helps the Health Board improve access to services for children and young people, as well as supporting them to lead healthier lifestyles.
Recently, the Youth Board has identified emotional wellbeing and mental health as key priority areas and have been engaged in a series of projects around these topics. Here are some examples of what the group has been involved with:
Feedback on CAMHS environment at St David’s Hospital
The Youth Board has worked with Health Board colleagues to offer their views, giving open and honest feedback about the existing area and making suggestions on what they would like the environment to look like. They advised on elements such as décor, colours and furniture styles. Thanks to Cardiff & Vale Health Charity, funds were made available to refurbish the area based on the Youth Board’s suggestions.
Developing the new emotional wellbeing and mental health website
Cardiff and Vale UHB has recently developed a new website for children and young people, providing useful information and resources. The website has been co-produced with the Youth Board from the very beginning through to its launch, and will continue to be developed with input from the group.
Designed, voiced and starred in videos and animations
A series of videos and animations have been created with the support of the Youth Board to inform young people about mental health, caring for their own mental health and where to get help. You can see some of these videos on the Health Board’s TikTok account @CV_UHB.
Consulted on pathways and service user communication
A major piece of work has been undertaken in collaboration with the Youth Board on service pathways and how services communicate with young people and families. They worked with Health Board colleagues to review the content of letters and other materials to make them friendlier for young people and less formal. They also advocated a children’s rights-based approach, by suggesting letters are addressed to the child or young person.
The Youth Board is engaged with work on projects across the Health Board and plays a key role in ensuring services continue to be developed in partnership with the local population.
Jan Janczewski, Chair at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said: “The Youth Board is such a fantastic asset to the Health Board and is a brilliant example of involving young people in the design of services which can directly impact them. The work the group have done around emotional wellbeing and mental health will help support so many – thank you to each and every one of you for volunteering your time to support us. Thank you to all of our staff who continue to work and engage with the Youth Board.”
The Health Board currently has around 20 Youth Board members who contribute a minimum of one hour per month. The Youth Board is involved with a variety of activities, from interviewing staff, to presenting at conferences and gathering feedback. Being part of the Youth Board not only gives young people the opportunity to contribute to service design, but helps them develop personal skills, gives them new experiences, provides training opportunities and has the potential for hours to form part of the Welsh Baccalaureate qualification. The Health Board has also been able to provide references for young people completing university and job applications.
Lisa Cordery, Specialist Nurse in Emotional Wellbeing, who works closely with the Youth Board, added: “Our Youth Board is made up of exceptional young people that have so much to offer us as a Health Board. They are incredibly enthusiastic and offer views and opinions that are key in driving change to the way we offer services. It’s a pleasure to work with them, seeing them grow in confidence and gain a real sense of purpose. We can’t thank them enough for their continued support, volunteering their time to help us ensure we are constantly improving.”
Applications to the part of the Youth Board are currently closed but new opportunities for 2022 will be announced in late spring. The Health Board is also exploring further methods of engagement for children and young people who may not want to join a formal group or may be too young to join. Keep an eye on Health Board social media channels for further updates.