Report for Schools & Professionals
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Windsor & Maidenhead BullyingBullying Healthy Schools Healthy Minds KeepingKeeping Safe Safe Speakeasy 20 th November 2007 Report for Schools & Professionals What is this report, who is it for and how should I use it? What was Speakeasy? Speakeasy 2007 was an opportunity for young people to discuss issues that matter to them with some of the professionals who work to serve their needs in the borough. This report is an account of the key findings from the day and actions to take forward. Who should be interested in this report? All young people living, working and going to school in the Royal Borough. Anyone working with and for the benefit of young people who wants to know what matters to the young people… The community as a whole who should listen to the needs of young people. How should I use this information? Think about what has been said in the report and how the work you do has an impact in these areas. Spread the word about the services and solutions available and join in the ongoing debate. Listen as well as you hear….. “What is the point of asking us what we want if you ignore what we say!” Delegate, Speakeasy Conference 2007 Published April 2008 by Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Healthy Schools Team For further information about organising a student voice event or to request an electronic copy of the report, please contact [email protected] Report Contents Introduction & Student Voice Page 1. An introduction to Speakeasy Page 2. The Student Voice: What you need to take from this report Page 3. The Student Voice: Focus on Emotional Health & Wellbeing Page 4. The Student Voice: Focus on Safety on the Streets Feedback from the workshops Page 5. Protecting yourself and your possessions Page 6. In the Keeping Safe workshop – Awareness of local services Page 7. Healthy Minds – Prioritising emotional health Page 8. Direct support for emotional health and current service provision Page 9. Bullying - the issues Page 10 Bullying - Changes that would make a difference Page 11. Healthy Schools – Enjoyable learning and positive support Page 12. What should schools be doing to enhance emotional health & wellbeing? Page 13. What should schools be doing to encourage healthy eating & physical activity? Local & National Response Page 14. Local & National Government commitment to Emotional Health & Wellbeing Page 15. Local & National Government commitment to Safety on the Streets Page 16. RBWM Children & Young People’s Plan 2008-2011 - Priorities Background Page 17. Speakeasy 2007 – an opportunity to inform Page 18. Benefits of student participation Page 19. Who attended Speakeasy Page 20. How to Keep Safe – Advice from the young people.. A list of local and national support contacts for young people can be found on the back page 1 An Introduction to Speakeasy “We want to make sure that our children and young people’s plan is working hard to meet the needs of our young people and clear consultation is critical in making this happen” Cllr Cynthia Pittway, Speakeasy Conference November 2007 Bullying Healthy Schools Healthy Minds Keeping Safe Secondary and Middle Schools in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead were invited to send four pupils to represent the views of their school on the four key themes identified by a 2006 survey of 700 young people in the borough. The themes identified were: Healthy Minds, Bullying, Keeping Safe and Healthy Schools. Delegates were asked to prepare by selecting one of four workshops to attend and were encouraged to gather opinions of other pupils in their schools using activities provided in a briefing pack. The conference was attended by 52 young people, all aged between 12 and 18 years, representing 13 schools in the borough. Cllr Cynthia Pittway opened the conference with a speech and two sixth form students from Furze Platt Senior School led the delegates in an interactive questionnaire where they voted anonymously on series of topical questions. Delegates then joined their facilitators for the first workshop. 30 professional delegates, representing agencies that work to serve the needs of young people in the borough, joined the workshops in the second session to interact with the young people. In the final session each group gave a presentation in which they fed back the key conclusions reached in their discussions to all conference delegates. Interactive discussion followed each presentation. Information packs were given to the delegates to enable them to report back to their peers. Professionals had an opportunity to discuss what they had learned from the event and how it might inform their plans for future action. The Objectives for Speakeasy To bring together young people and the professionals concerned with their wellbeing across the region. To provide opportunities for the young people and adults to share and exchange views about the Borough’s new Children and Young People’s Plan, anti-bullying strategy, CAMHS and the National Healthy Schools Programme. To encourage young people to familiarise themselves with the agencies present, their role and service provision. To promote a better understanding of the young people’s views among local agencies and professionals. To stimulate thought and discussion and raise young people’s awareness about the importance of emotional health and wellbeing and the causes and effects of poor mental health. The Student Voice 2 What you need to take from this report There are three key things that the delegates at Speakeasy told us. Firstly, that young people want their emotional health and wellbeing to be made more of a priority, secondly that they feel threatened by the behaviour of some young people on the streets and change their own behaviour in reaction to this and finally, they want to see more evidence that action is being taken to address their concerns. So, what can be done to improve the lives of young people in the borough? The suggestions made by the conference delegates are summarised below and explored in more detail on the next two pages…… 1. Focus on the Emotional Wellbeing of Young People “Sometimes our emotional health needs to be prioritised over other things!” (Healthy Minds Delegate) In all contexts this means providing support to help those who are suffering and actively encouraging positive emotional health through activity. ‘ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN WE ARE STRESSED’ ‘MAKE RELEVANT SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO US’ ‘INCREASE AWARENESS OF WHERE TO FIND SUPPORT’ ‘INTEREST AND ENGAGE US’ ‘CONSIDER THE EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF EVERYONE’ 2. Focus on Safety on the Streets… When asked, “what one thing would you do to improve the lives of young people in the borough?” over 65% of delegates wanted to ‘Make the streets safer for young people!’ ‘ACKNOWLEDGE YOUTHS AS THE VICTIMS (AS WELL AS INITIATORS) OF ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR’ ‘USE VISIBLE POLICING, CCTV AND LIGHTING AS A DETERRENT’ ‘ENSURE THE PUNISHMENT FOR CARRYING A WEAPON IS WIDELY UNDERSTOOD’ ‘PROVIDE SUPPORT TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE GET OUT OF TROUBLE EARLY ON’ ‘CONSIDER AND TREAT THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR’ Aggressive youth culture, bullying and a feeling of unease when out all add to other concerns and have a negative impact on emotional health and wellbeing. In answering the question, “what makes a healthy mind?” healthy minds delegates neatly summarised the three areas of importance as emotional resilience, safety and security and an ability to ask for help and/or support when in trouble. These are the key themes that run throughout the report….. “What makes a healthy(HAPPY)Mind?” “An ability to take things ‘in your stride’” To cope effectively with challenges such as stress, disappointment and fear. “A feeling of safety and security” Feeling threatened (physically or emotionally) or insecure takes up valuable emotional energy, leaving you less resilient or able to cope with other stress. “Connect well with other people” Give and receive support and feel able to ask for help. 3 The Student Voice Focus on Emotional Health & Wellbeing How often do you feel stressed? ‘ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN WE ARE 5% 25% 21% STRESSED’ 25% of conference delegates voted that they felt stressed a lot of the time and just under 50% reported feeling stressed a little bit of the time. The stress created by the pressures facing young people at school was raised as a concern both in the healthy minds and the 49% healthy schools workshop - where the delegates felt that more A lot A little Hardly ever Not at all could be done to help counteract and reduce exposure to stressful situations. ‘MAKE RELEVANT SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO US’ Offer practical advice and information to help young people avoid, manage and cope with problems and ensure the availability of direct emotional support for those who need it . This was a universal message from the Speakeasy delegates. Throughout each role play, whether about bullying, stress or drug abuse, the delegates advised others to find help and support rather than suffer in silence. When asked in the evaluation: “What would you like to see happen as a result of Speakeasy?” most young people mentioned ‘better access to information and support’ - in relation to bullying, stress, illegal activity, helping others with their troubles, both inside and out of school. “For children to always have at least a bit of confidence and speak to a close relative or friend about their concerns ” Students discussed and compared the effectiveness of: peer mediation schemes; access to counselling; helpline and online support. They reached the conclusion that more needs to be on offer in schools and this is an area for development. Some of the more specific comments around support included: “A higher awareness of bullying and the solutions a victim can take” “Provide more advice – for both people with problems and the mentors trying to help them” “An Anti-Bullying box in my school” “Introduction of in-house confidential email system” Concerns that stigmatisation of issues around mental health may be preventing young people from seeking help were voiced.