Young people’s recommendations to shape a Youth Voice Service in Southampton

Young people who live, study or work in Southampton have given their recommendations on what a Southampton Youth Voice Service should include.

Sixteen young people on the NxTGen Young Researcher Training Programme and academics from the University of Southampton were commissioned by Southampton City Council and the Southampton Place Partnership to produce a set of recommendations for a Southampton Youth Voice Service. The group of young people were from a range of backgrounds and experiences including young carers, neurodiverse young people, and those with special education needs.

The recommendations cover a range of issues affecting local young people, from improving school communication with parents to giving young people a chance to input into what their spaces look like, to addressing disparities between private, public, and home education, to highlighting the need for diverse sports and cultural activities.

The group have presented the project and the recommendations in a report: Co-Creating Tomorrow - Our City, Our Say: Report and Recommendations of the Southampton Youth Voice Project.

The NxTGen programme, which is co-developed and hosted by the University of Southampton’s LifeLab, aims to develop research and advocacy skills in young people, equipping them with tools to support their academic and employment journeys and beyond.

The group carried out their research projects, including surveys and interviews with their peers, patients and professionals, into what a Youth Voice Service could look like and how young people’s voices should be included. They held a co-production day with council representatives, NHS staff and other regional charities and community groups to discuss their research and co-create a set of recommendations to develop the service.

Feedback from the young people taking part has been overwhelmingly positive. When asked how it felt to bring their recommendations to decision makers’ attention, 15-year-old Huniya said: “I felt like a leader and that I am teaching them something new and that they're interested in."

Fourteen-year-old Daisey added: “I was a bit nervous to do the presentation because I don't like talking to people I've not met before. But I stood up in front of everyone, and I am really proud of myself. Young people deserve to be involved in the decisions about services that affect them, so I am pleased to be a part of the Youth Jury.”

Stuart Webb, Head of Quality, Improvement and Commissioning in Southampton Children and Learning Service, said: “In Southampton City Council we believe that listening to, and acting upon, the voices of children and young people is one of the building blocks to making Southampton a more inclusive, child-friendly place to live.

“The feedback we received from young people, through the work of the young researchers, has helped to develop a new commissioning framework that we plan to launch later this year. Alongside this, we plan to invite our young researchers to share how we are responding to their recommendations and celebrate their achievement.”

The Southampton Place Partnership, coordinated by Energise Me, aims to remove the barriers people face when trying to be more active and support people in the city to live more active lives.

Lee Timothy, Place Development Lead for Energise Me, adds: “The Southampton Place Partnership were delighted to support the NxtGen Programme. We really want to invest in learning more about communities in Southampton so we can better support people to lead more active lives. These Young Researchers have blown me away with their confidence, understanding of complex social issues and ability to articulate their recommendations to decision makers in the city. We’re already working to action their findings in the community and we hope other partners will see this as a building block for further community research and, importantly, meaningful action.”

Professor Jo Sofaer, of the University of Southampton and Co-Director of the Southampton Institute for Arts and Humanities, added: “Services and policies that are made about and for young people should include their input and representation. The quality of research undertaken by the NxTGen researchers was extremely high, and the discussions between young people, council staff and other adults were very informative. This project showed the importance of giving those who are not often listened to a voice, as well as allowing them to lead the discussions and recommendations that will shape a service. We know that the council will take them into account when developing a Southampton Youth Voice Service in the future.”