01
Introduction
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Youth Jury on health and social care for young people was held 16th to 18th July at the University of Southampton. The purpose of the Youth Jury was to increase young people’s involvement in, and influence on, health and social care policy and practice in the region but also nationally.
To help us as a group of young people develop the skills and confidence to produce meaningful policy recommendations, we participated in research skills training between March and July 2024 in the University of Southampton’s Young Researcher Training Programme, in association with the University of Southampton’s LifeLab The training provided us with a solid understanding of different research methods and enabled us to apply a range of methods to our independent research projects. From this research skills training delivered by scientists, researchers, public health practitioners and decision-makers, 15 young researchers have emerged.
"FEELING UNEMPOWERED, UNHEARD AND FORGOTTEN, YOUNG PEOPLE WANT, AND DESERVE, TO BE INVOLVED IN DECISIONS WHICH IMPACT THEIR HEALTH AND FUTURES.”
During the Young Researcher Training Programme, we identified and researched health and social care issues affecting us an our peers. Importantly, we employed research methods whi involved engaging in our local communities and collecting th voices of our peers to identify solutions to the health and so care issues experienced by young people.
We then used our independent research to inform discussio with health and social care decision-makers and practitione from the Hampshire & Isle of Wight ICB and ICP at the Yout Jury. Over three days, the Youth Jury deliberated on the key issues we identified to produce a set of policy and practice recommendations to improve young people’s health and wellbeing.
Meet the authors 02
The YRTP has helped shape Libby’s love for midwifery and to consider the possibility of becoming a research midwife. She initially joined the young researcher programme to enhance her university applications, but it has sparked an interest in research and a passion for women’s health. Libby would like policymakers to learn from young people, and realise that they can be an asset to them and to their work. She feels that young people are often dismissed as being lazy and ignorant, but actually programmes like the YRTP can help them discover new interests and guide them towards making a difference in a pos
Mustafa aspires to become a doctor Initially, he was unsure as to whether he would want a career in medicine but doing the research led him to the conclusion that he wants to research people, he wants to learn more and wants to work in a people facing job, much like a researcher. “The Youth Jury not only gave me an insight into how services run in Hampshire but also on the degree of change that can be achieved by people of my age, as long as they’re willing to try. I hope the policy makers take our recommendations further and become advocates and implementers of our ideas.”
Zarka is an enthusiastic student with a pas taking on new challenges Her friends desc and full of positive energy Outside of school, Zarka enjoys working on her girls-only sports project, for which she is proud to have secured permanent funding with the help of community support. She is passionate about creating spaces for girls to thrive in sports and believes in the importance of equal opportunities. Through this manifesto, Zarka hopes policymakers will recognize the importance of supporting young people and their projects and ideas. She believes that programs like YRTP help foster growth, skill development, and future success.
njoys spending time with her friends and family, as well as watching football and listening to music. After college Rosie wants to study Occupational Therapy at University. Rosie joined the Young Researcher Training Programme to have the opportunity to be involved in something that would have positive impact on the use of funding for young people in the local area She wanted to do research into something she is passionate about and be able to share this information with someone with the authority to do something about it Her favourite part about being a young researcher was meeting like-minded people and being able to run a research project of her own.
An aspiring medic, Oscar found out about LifeLab when he was trying to find work experience and applied for the LifeLab Youth Panel in July 2023 Subsequently, he joined the panel for winter term At the end of the panel, Oscar applied for the YRTP that he had learned about on the Youth Panel In the YRTP, Oscar researched vaccine hesitancy, as thesubject interests him greatly. This was a very different investigation from most people, leading to a set of entirely different findings. Oscar was asked to share his findings with a PhD researcher from King's College London. At college, he studies Chemistry, Maths and Biology where he particularly enjoys immunology. Outside of work and study, Oscar is an active member of the is a young leader with his nearby group. the young people there and believes it will or working with children as a doctor.
Marley originally wanted to go into a career in Information Technology But the YRTP pushed him to interact with people in a new way and work as part of a team in a way he’s never had to before He’s now using those transferable skills in his new job in sales. He’s been prepared by what YRTP has taught him. He says: "The YRTP has taught me some valuable skills for life. Researching a project and having to talk to people and pushing me out of my comfort zone has allowed me to do something I never thought I would’ve done previously. I do hope that the work we have done will stick, and that the policy makers will bring forward at least some of the changes we proposed, for a better Southampton.”
Willow has great confidence in public speaking and has proven herself to work well under pressure Willow studies Biology, Chemistry and Fine Art at college; demonstrating her time management skills, she finds great pleasure in art having practiced it since a very young age. Her friends would describe her as someone who is a friend to everyone, being able to strike up conversation with anyone. She proves her resilience and determination through persevering with Biology and Chemistry even when struggling with the content. It is through studying these subjects that Willow discovered her passion for research, and it was this paired with a desire to help better the community she lived in that led her to discover this programme. Her favourite part of the programme has been the Youth Jury where Willow displayed her confidence speaking publicly and her ability to articulate her points clearly and respectfully whilst still listening and asking what all parties have to say Willow really wants the policymakers to take on board the group’s conclusions on youth participation programmes. She feels that groups like these have the ability to benefit all parties involved and would help solve some of the challenges the ICB stated they were having, whilst helping to inspire young people, widening their knowledge of opportunities and future career aspirations.
Nilab aspires to work in the healthcare sector The YRTP introduced her to health research about which many people have a lack of awareness, even though research is what benefits health services for future generations and advances the quality of care overall.
Nilab says: “The YRTP has allowed me to develop new skills within research that I can implement within my education and hopefully my future career, for which I am very grateful. I was given the confidence to develop recommendations for the ICB which is very empowering for young people like me. To have those in authority actively engage with and listen to our ideas, it goes to show that if young people are given more opportunities to participate in programmes like the YRTP, we can have an impact on the decisions of policymakers, leading to more effective policies that are more representative of the youth ”
Maram has always been passionate about policymaking, driven by a desire to create positive change in her community and advocate for the needs of young people
Maram says: “The Youth Jury gave me a unique opportunity to voice my opinions and experiences, allowing me to understand the concerns and aspirations of my peers. Through discussions and decision-making processes, I gained firsthand insight into how policies and programs are crafted to address youth issues. I really hope the ICP take in our recommendations and work on them to create positive change”.
Introducing Angel Charlie N Padua, a Filipino aged 19 Angel is currently discovering who she really is, what she loves to do, and what she wants to become. Angel has consistently been characterized as a person of integrity, selflessness, and emotional intelligence. She still has a lot to learn about herself, including her favourite topic, her talent, and her extracurricular activities. Although she has lots to learn about herself, through the YRTP program, Angel has come to the realization that she is certain of one thing: she wants to bring about and participate in change.
Talitha particularly enjoys studying Maths and Biology, but also has hobbies outside of college such as running, reading and photography She loves a challenge and enjoys working as an Escape Room host
She has found debating and learning from her fellow young researchers particularly rewarding, as well as making new friends. She has found it to be a privilege to convey the group’s views and priorities to those who are capable of enacting change and to collaborate on the Youth Jury and this Manifesto.
Sophia is a very driven, hardworking person who finds herself ambitious and dedicated to achieving her goals and aspirations. She has always had a great interest in being educated in matters going on in the world and our society. For a long time, Sophia has been focused on becoming a nurse. This has been one of her long-lasting aspirations that she is highly determined to achieve. Being a researcher, Sophia has found it empowering to have opportunities to voice opinions in matters relating to healthcare and feeling like her thoughts have significance and value
Erin is ambitious and hard-working, with an altruistic approach to situations Erin’s best talents and skills involve singing, crocheting, and finishing 500+ page books in one night and one sitting Her career aspirations involve becoming a neurosurgeon She values the fulfilling and rewarding nature of medicine and wants to harness her desire to help people through scientific application and holistic care. She would like policymakers to see that the YRTP was formed to amplify young people’s voices and that they are incredibly passionate about the policies they are pushing forward. She feels that every member of the YRTP although they have differing priorities in healthcare, all have a common desire to improve youth healthcare to improve their quality of life.
Emily is studying Biology, Chemistry and Religious Studies A Levels at College and hoping to study Biomedical Sciences at University. She is interested in a career in biomedical research. Outside of college Emily enjoys playing Badminton and doing Art, especially sketching anatomical drawings for example of the heart, brain and limbs. Emily has enjoyed being part of the Young Researcher Training Program as it has been interesting to meet like-minded people, learn about how to undertake research, and take part in discussions about health-related topics. With an interest in young people’s mental health, she hopes that policymakers will use the manifesto to help improve services for young people
Nadia is ambitious and sets goals for the future that are realistic as well as optimistic. She is extroverted and never struggles to start a conversation with anyone. Nadia has always been very active and sporty and doesn't normally struggle to stay motivated. Outside of college she goes to work as a waitress where she serves customers and makes coffees for them. She joined the Young Researcher Training Programme to learn more about different aspects of life including health care, but also to meet new people who have similar aspirations. The experience allowed her to see other people’s future aspirations which helped her choose her own. As well as this, she gained a lot of new experiences
Vision statement 03
In this manifesto, Youth Jury members present a vision for the future of young people’s health and wellbeing in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Our vision includes prioritising health issues important to young people, empowering young people to access information and have a say in decisions made about their healthcare, listening to young people regarding their lived experience and health issues, engaging with young people on health and social care issues which affect them, and collaborating with young people to make positive changes within their communities
Using evidence-based research and careful deliberation, the Youth Jury produced 12 policy recommendations designed to improve the health and wellbeing of young people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The recommendations are based on five key values that underpin our effort to increase engagement with young people in deciding health policy and practice. These values are: Reach, Empower, Listen, Include, and Collaborate.
Partnership and Funding 04
Production of this manifesto was supported and enabled by the UKRI Rebooting Democracy project, the ARC Wessex Motivating and Sustaining Engagement of Young People in Improving their Health and that of their Communities (MOTH) project, NIHR Engaging Adolescents in Changing Behaviour (EACH-B) programme, UKRI Pathways to Health through Cultures of Neighbourhoods and the University of Southampton’s LifeLab Project.
This project was set in motion by work done by the MOTH team to identify the best ways of giving young people a voice. The MOTH team worked with the LifeLab and the Pathways to Health teams on developing a Young Researcher Training Programme (YRTP), the aim of which is to equip young people with skills to generate evidence to legitimise their research and policy recommendations. The YRTP also gives young people the opportunity to interact with decision makers, raise their aspirations, and improve their health and wellbeing. The young people in our project were trained using the YRTP and then teamed -up with Rebooting Democracy whose focus is innovative engagement of marginalised groups in political decision-making and which is based in the Centre for Democratic Futures. The Rebooting Democracy team organised and delivered a bespoke adaptation of a Youth Jury which enabled the young people to cross-examine experts and decide on a set of priorities and recommendations for policies to bring about the important changes they wish to see.
LifeLab hosted the YRTP and supported its delivery. LifeLab is an educational initiative and purpose-built facility which has worked with over 16,000 young people since its inception and has an international reputation for innovative science education and youth engagement. You can see the team who delivered the YRTP here:
We would also like to thank for their invaluable input to the programme Kath WoodsTownsend, Jo Sofaer, Emma Thompson, Gareth Giles, Buse Kaygusuz, Helen Coleman, Fran White, Emily Bastable, Vanissa Wanick, James McCombe, Katrina Lueddeke, Becky NaylorTeece, Donna Lovelock, Lisa Bagust, Helen Coleman, Fran White, Kaye Taylor-Ryall, The University of Southampton Debating Society: Joshua Slocombe & Anthony Bedale, Theatre for Life: Michelle Smith, Laura Lister, Morgan Mason, Anne-Sophie Darlington, Sue Nottingham, Polly Hardy-Johnson, Ravita Taheem, Nisreen Alwan, Sarah Jenner & Milly Bird.
Prof Matt Ryan
Prof Mary Barker Dr Katy Tabero
Dr Zohreh Khoban
Mr James Cantwell
Ms Naomi Leonard Ms Cara Black
05
The Young Researcher Training Programme
Recipe for success
The team started by working with Bite Back 2030, the largest UK youth-led nongovernmental organisation, to understand how they support their young people to become advocates for policy change They spoke to their youth board, leaders, and operations experts. From this information, they were able to add elements to the Youth Researcher Training Programme that took the young people’s research findings from evidence into action. The young people and wider team were supported in this by working closely from the outset with the people who ran the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board and Care Partnership. The ICB is responsible for setting the strategic plan for the NHS in Hampshire and Isle of Wight to deliver its part of the health and care strategy. It allocates NHS resources to make sure the right health services are being delivered to people across the area.
Recruitment
Our group of young people was recruited for the project under the following criteria:
- Age 16-17 years
- Live and/or study/work in Southampton
We filled out an application, completed a discussion group activity, and an online interview. We were accepted for the project in April 2024 and employed by the University of Southampton to begin our journey to become 15 young researchers.
The training programme covere research methods including qualitative and quantitative approaches, an ethics and safeguarding session by No Lim diversity session by the Reboo Democracy team, information Integrated Care Partnership is from the ICB, and information policy landscape from Public Policy|Southampton, to name
During the 12 weeks of research training, we didn’t just learn about how to conduct research, but we were given the chance to create our own research question, identify our own research participants, and carry out an independent research study. We learnt about how to use primary and secondary research, qualitative and quantitative data collection methods including interviews, focus groups, surveys, and questionnaires, and data analysis methods Our training also included learning from the Rebooting Democracy team about inclusion, debating, decision-making, and advocacy.
Our research projects covered a range of health and wellbeing issues impacting young people today; these included physical and mental health concerns and representation and engagement challenges. Each young researcher employed a range of research methods to collect data, many using interviews within the local community to collect detailed information from other young people and surveys and questionnaires to gather qualitative and quantitative information. We then employed formal methods of analysis to summarise our data and communicate our research findings.
Example posters created by young researchers to communicate their research findings.
Our independent research projects helped us to generate important data which informed the discussion and formation of recommendations carried out with policy makers and practitioners at the Youth Jury on health and social care policy and practice held in July 2024.
The Youth Jury process 06
Between 16 and18th July 2024, our group of 15 young people took part in a Youth Jury at the University of Southampton. The Youth Jury allowed us to discuss with members of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board and Care Partnership our findings on factors affecting health and wellbeing of young people and to deliberate together to produce policy and practice recommendations
Over 3 days, the Youth Jury were guided by facilitators through 3 stages:
Deliberation: Our deliberations were informed by our independent research as well as data beyond our research, to identify priorities we wanted to take forward into policy and practice recommendations
Learning: During the Youth Jury, we as young researchers engaged with members of the ICB and ICP, learning about their views and experience of the key issues we had identified as affecting young people’s health, wellbeing, and representation
Decision-making: The Youth Jury worked together to make hard decisions on priority policies and practices and develop meaningful and feasible recommendations
Day 1
Working in groups, and using our research findings, we identified a wide range of different policy ideas and changes to existing practice in categories including young people’s mental and physical health and their representation in decision-making processes.
Working from a list of 56 recommendations we produced at this first stage, we then reviewed the full list and debated which we were going to move forward with as our priorities.
After our first round of discussions, we narrowed the list down to 30 policy recommendations.
By the end of Day 1, we had narrowed th further to produce 16 key policy recommendations to take to the Youth J the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB and personnel the next day.
We utilised skills gained on the training programme to develop strong, well-reas persuasive arguments for our top 16 policy recommendations.
Day 2
Members of the ICB and ICP attended the jury to participate as experts and to answer questions about the priorities for young people’s health and social care that we had identified in Day 1. To break any ice, we started the day playing the game ‘Lemonade’ where we were partnered with a member of the ICB or ICP. Lemonade is a boardgame designed to facilitate conversations about aspirations, life paths and inequalities. Playing the game with the ICB/ICP members was really fun but also got us talking about the trade-offs that we have to make in life between the need to earn money and our health and well-being. Networking with ICB/ICP members also allowed us to present our independent research find d b b ld l onships with key stakeh im e recommendations.
Throughout the day, we interrogated the ICB/ICP for their views as policymakers and practitioners to help us refine our ideas into actionable polices. We were able to ask questions on what the ICB/ICP are currently doing to address and improve health-related issues for young people, what their priorities are, and what challenges there may be in implementing our specific recommendations We took the results of our discussion in the morning of Day 2 to a formal ‘Jury’ session in the afternoon where we advocated for implementation of our recommendations.
Day 3
We came back together as a group to discuss what changes we wanted to make to our recommendations based on our work from Day 2. We discussed the need to make some of our recommendations clearer and merging some together to increase their impact
We finalised our list bringing it down from 16 to 12 policy recommendations and produced expanded explanations and context for each recommendation.
We produced a summary and outline of the recommendations and defined an overarching vision for the manifesto which includes all topics.
We then reflected on all the hard work we had done to produce a wellresearched and important set of policy recommendations for young people’s health and well-being.
Our final set of recommendations and explanations are provided below in Section 08, starting on page 20.
Finalising our recommendations
Over the three months following the Youth Jury, we worked on finalising our manifesto and on preparing for a Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICP assembly where we were due to present our recommendations to the whole partnership. We filmed videos, created our presentation, took part in a workshop with Theatre for Life, and made ‘zines’ to express our ideas as creatively and persuasively as possible. We’ve really bonded as a group, supporting each other as many of us apply for our next big adventure - university!
We present 12 carefully researched and evidence-based policy recommendations based on the values that are fundamental to how we work. We have put a lot of time and hard work into producing these recommendations and hope the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB and ICP implement them to improve local young people’s health and wellbeing.
Our Recommendations are centred on five activities that the ICP/ICB need to engage in to improve their support for young people. If the ICP/ICB were to Reach, Empower, Listen, Include and Collaborate, then they would be able to achieve our recommendations and improve the lives of young people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
REACH
EMPOWER
Reach - Currently, many services for young people rely on us to actively seek them out, which creates a significant barrier to access. The ICP/B should instead focus on reaching young people through channels and platforms where they are already engaged These include schools, community centres, local healthcare providers, and social media platforms.
Empower - The more informed, skilled and confident we are, the better equipped we become to make decisions that positively impact our health and wellbeing.
Our goal is to empower other young people to have the same access to skills and reliable health resources, enabling them to make well-informed decisions regarding their healthcare.
Listen - Young people often have limited opportunities to influence decisions in their school or home environments. There is an assumption that, due to our age, our perspectives are not valuable. However, as young people with lived experience, we possess unique insights that deserve to be considered.
Include - As well as including young people in decisions, the ICP/B should prioritise inclusivity by actively considering the diverse backgrounds of all young people. This includes fostering cultural sensitivity, making accommodations for disabled and neurodivergent young people, and reducing financial barriers to accessing services.
Collaborate - It is essential for young people to have a voice on issues that directly affect them. By actively engaging with young people, we can empower a generation of young people to drive positive changes within their communities
Collaborating with young people removes the ‘guess work’ in decisionmaking, allowing for more confident implementation of policies that are aligned with young people’s needs and will have a meaningful impact.
08
Summary of Recommendations
Our recommendations are presented as they relate to the five key actions that the ICP/ICB should take to improve their support for young people
Our recommendations are to:
Reach
1. Expand extra-curricular wellness activities
Encourage extra-curricular activities in schools such as sport or book clubs with a focus on wellness, personal and social development. Ensure activities focus on areas beyond academic learning.
2. Improve our methods of handling young people’s mental health by creating accessible services
Provide freely accessible mental health assessments for young people in schools, along with mental health training for all young people, and increase funding for mental health support beyond just investment in CAMHS
Empower
3. Respond to vaping proactively
Prevent first-time use of vapes, e-cigarettes and nicotinebased products in young people.
4 Deliver a comprehensive digital health platform for young people
Ensure the NHS ALL Access APP is available to young people, providing young people with a digital platform that provides information tailored to young people, covering topics which are at risk of being misrepresented in other online sources, such as information about vaccines and vaccine hesitancy.
5 Review the PSHE curriculum
Expand the PSHE curriculum beyond ‘sexual health’ to include broader reproductive health and a more embedded, standardised PSHE curriculum, with standardised training for teachers delivering the curriculum
6. Encourage the mixed teaching of Sexual and Reproductive Education (SRE)
Deliver joint sex education and women’s health lessons to replace the current gender segregated approach.
Include
7. Cultural and religious sensitivity
Provide parents and carers with culturally sensitive information about young people’s needs, accommodating people from diverse backgrounds.
8. Provide accessible information to parents
Provide parents and carers with accurate, reliable information about topics including young people’s engagement with drug culture and information on eating disorders.
Collaborate
9. Deliver youth engagement
Increase funding for young people’s engagement programmes, such as LifeLab, to support improvement in their general wellbeing
10. Diversify and expand work experience and financial support for prospective professionals
Deliver more opportunities for work experience placements within the NHS for young people, and a focus on reducing complexity and delays in accessing such opportunities. Improve awareness of the financial opportunities available for prospective healthcare professionals, including appropriate information for those of different faiths.
11. Establish panels to honestly inform young people about NHS careers
Hold joint healthcare provider and political leader sessions at local colleges to discuss the pros and cons of NHS work, and the initiatives underway to resolve negative aspects
12. Produce youth-led marketing
Develop a marketing strategy with a youth advisory board to develop marketing campaigns for youth engagement in health and care decision-making
Recommendations on priority actions in full
1. Expand extra-curricular wellness activities
We would like the ICP/B to focus on the personal and social development of teenagers and encourage schools to not just focus on academics. This would be implemented through a wider range of extra-curricular activities.
It is important that young people are cared for holistically. They can experience a lot of academic pressure because of exams. These activities would be outside of school, in schools or local community centres. They would promote community, and encourage wellness through non-competitive activities such as colouring, craft and reading During school, talks would be held about wellness activities and why young people should actively engage with them to protect them from stress.
This would not only help us through exams and coursework, but also give us the tools and skills to maintain our mental health when we start employment Improving mental wellbeing can improve academic performance and will take pressure off the NHS by providing a preventative and protective intervention.
2. Improve our methods of handling young people’s mental health by creating accessible services
Create freely accessible mental health assessments along with updated support in and outside education, through a new form of intermediate mental health support. This would include confidential support within schools through better links with charities. There needs to be intermediate mental health services for us to be able to access before we reach a critical state (i.e. pre- CAMHS).
This service would provide readily accessible routine mental health assessments, advice, and support for everyone including those who are neurodivergent. This would also reduce the stigma of seeking support for mental health and would reduce the risk of misinformation about mental health being shared on social media
In school support would include professional counselling, which is independent of schools to ensure confidentiality Current support and help available for young people would be better advertised through fairs that would take place in local secondary schools that charities and services could use to promote the programmes that they provide The service could take the form of an app which would pop-up with notifications with targeted advice at seasonally appropriate times
3. Respond to vaping proactively
Vaping has fast become highly prevalent among teenagers in the UK, and there is little long-term research on the harm it can cause first-hand users. The ICP/B needs to act swiftly and proactively to prevent first-time users of vapes amongst teenagers by working collectively with local businesses, schools, and the police.
Restrictions on the sale of vapes to minors need to be reinforced, with a taskforce created to lobby for harsher consequences for those who are found not to be following policies. Working with local shopkeepers, we can lobby for the removal of ads and posters in shops in local school zones and encourage parents and carers to report illicit sales
As well as reinforcing current restrictions, and encouraging shopkeepers to be responsible, we need to increase the awareness of the health problems associated with vaping to empower young people to make informed decisions. It is important that instead of criminalising those who are vaping, we are instead actively trying to prevent new users as a community.
4. Deliver a comprehensive digital health platform for young people
To empower young people to make healthier lifestyle choices we want more accessible information from the NHS available to young people. This would involve a digital platform that is interactive as well as informational. Unlike current provision, this platform would have links to explain medical word meanings, and language translations.
This would make sure young people feel reassured when researching health topics.
The current NHS app requires ID and age verification, which is a barrier to access. This new digital platform would supplement the current NHS provision, and be aimed specifically at those aged 16 and below
5.
Review the PSHE curriculum
Standardised teacher training for PSHE should be developed and expanded to include reproductive health topics, including sexual health.
By collaborating with students in local secondary schools and colleges, local authorities can ensure curriculums are more specific to prevent schools picking and choosing topics Every school should have access to high quality teaching that addresses the needs of all young people.
The curriculum should include mandatory topics on contraception, responsibility surrounding pregnancy, consent, and physical health.
Schools should be provided links to approved organisations to deliver advice, resources, and in-school assemblies, as well as using these organisations to increase the training for current teachers
Our research has shown that there are large gaps in young women’s knowledge of reproductive health issues We also believe that improving education will improve diagnosis times for conditions such as endometriosis and PCOS as people will be more aware of the symptoms This will benefit the whole community because it will give everyone a better understanding of one another and greater respect for the bodies of others.
6. Encourage the mixed teaching of Sexual and Reproductive Education (SRE)
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB and ICP should advise and recommend to schools that they combine students of all genders in SRE classes, particularly when learning about puberty In our research, we found that the boys in primary school received very little information about puberty in girls, and this was a source of embarrassment for young girls. By implementing a co-ed approach, this will help eradicate stigmas surrounding periods, and increase boys’ understanding and respect for the female body.
As well as having co-ed lessons, the ICP could provide support on how to present these lessons tactfully and effectively, as well as guidance on how to inform parents about the content of SRE lessons Schools can employ tactics such as having anonymous question and answer boxes, and separate gender sessions after co-ed lessons so students feel comfortable asking questions. SRE should be taught by teachers of all genders, who have received standardised support and training.
7. Cultural & religious sensitivity
For healthcare providers, parents, teachers, and students there needs to be more cultural sensitivity training to ensure we are inclusive in our approach to public health
A better understanding of each other’s ethnic background will mean more members of our community can receive more effective support for topics such as smoking, mental health, drug use and eating disorders. For example, for conditions such as eating disorders, healthcare providers currently only provide white culture-based meal plans, which are not inclusive of other cultures.
As well as providing training, schools could provide parent meetings about different topics, so that parents feel comfortable asking questions. Some parents have very little knowledge about drugs or how to spot the signs that their child might be involved in county lines.
8. Information to parents
In addition to cultural and religious training and parent meetings, the ICP/B should provide detailed and reliable information about common healthcare concerns for young people to parents.
This will allow parents to increase their understanding as to what their children are experiencing. This information would cover topics such as eating disorders, vaccine hesitancy, mental health issues and drug abuse. By not providing information, this creates anxiety for parents, and may lead them to read misinformation about health on the internet
This information should be actively reviewed by professionals, with disclaimers to avoid self-diagnosis Information should be provided digitally and physically, distributed by healthcare campuses and schools. Advice should be added for parents on how to effectively communicate to their child in a non-threatening and non-shaming way about possible health risks.
This approach to information would help parents identify medical issues in their children, have proactive conversations, seek help from professionals, and receive support before the health issues escalate.
9. Deliver youth engagement
Programmes such as LifeLab have developed the skills of over 16,000 young people in Hampshire and beyond, as well as increasing confidence and access to further education.
By increasing access to funding, LifeLab can expand and deepen their reach to continue this work. Additionally, LifeLab can be a model to other organisations of how to run engaging and impactful programmes at all ages One of the successful programmes that can be replicated are the Youth Panels. These new Youth Panels would cover multiple public sectors such as healthcare, education, and politics, as well as:
Be open to all citizens and have different age-appropriate avenues for engagement (the youth panels could be for ages 16-21).
Have a selective application process
Focus on including young people of colour and those from areas of deprivation
Work with schools to advertise the opportunities, as well as using social media
If delivered successfully like LifeLab, this will provide a platform for young people to collectively amplify their voices, promote inclusivity within our community and create place-based impact in Hampshire.
10. Diversify and expand work experience and financial support for prospective professionals
The ICP/B should work together to provide more opportunities for work experience within the NHS for young people and raise awareness about the financial opportunities available to increase access
Many young people are eager for opportunities to learn more about a career in healthcare but do not have many options for work experience or training For opportunities that are currently available, the information is not currently widely available or the wait lists to shadow staff in the NHS are very long.
Instead, an expanded opportunity board should be created with shadowing, volunteering, and job opportunities which should be advertised through posters, leaflets, and presentations within schools. A fund should be created to give young people from lower income families funding to cover their transport and food to encourage participation and enable access
11. Establish panels to honestly inform young people about NHS careers
We want to encourage more people to enter healthcare careers, but because of trade union disputes over the last couple of years there has been an increase in negative press about the NHS We propose that panels are jointly hosted by healthcare professionals and local political leaders to discuss the pros and cons of NHS careers.
This will improve preconceptions of the NHS and of politicians as they will be seen to be working together on recruiting the next generation of professionals.
These assemblies would be hosted at local colleges in Hampshire and can be used as a platform to present local work experience opportunities and give career guidance and advice.
12. Produce youth-led marketing
Young people know young people best Instead of designing marketing strategies that are costly and range across multiple platforms, organisations such as the ICP/B should collaborate with young people to review where information is not reaching the target audience and can co-design new strategies.
For example, all opportunities for young people in Hampshire could be listed on a database that is accessible for schools to share opportunities in a timely manner. Young people can get email updates themselves and schools can advertise opportunities to their students.
Through centralising information and using platforms that are most appropriate for audience and context, we can rapidly increase the engagement with existing programmes across Hampshire
09 Making Change Happen
Youth Jury members recommend that all appropriate stakeholders work together to achieve the 12 policy recommendations outlined.
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board and Integrated Care Partnership must prioritise working with young people, together with school boards, local government, local and national charities and non-governmental organisations to develop and deliver the necessary mechanisms and resources to implement the 12 policy recommendations.
Our recommendations were agreed and endorsed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board on 6 November 2024, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Children and Young People’s Partnership board on 5 December 2024 and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICP Joint Committee on 22 January 2025
On 13 November 2024, us as young researchers ran an assembly for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICP, attended by 70 representatives of commissioners and deliverers of health, education and social care services to young people. We presented who we were, the process that we had undertaken and the recommendations we were making for changes to improve the health and well-being of young people in the region. Round table discussions of each of the recommendations then came up with plans for their implementation. These plans are shown in the table on the next page The report of the meeting of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICP Joint Committee on 22 January 2025 details how and who is to be held accountable for implementing the recommendations
What an amazing session I learnt so much on the very impressive work that our young people are involved with - we really do need to start engaging with these services across health!
-Youth assembly attendee
The young researcher's presentation was excellent! They were all extremely knowledgeable and articulate about their research areas and recommendations and handled difficult questions wonderfully -Youth assembly attendee
We are delighted to say that work has already begun in many areas to make change happen on the ground.
ICP/ICB & Stakeholder Action Plan
Key Initial Timeline
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Partnership joint committee
22nd January 2025
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Children’s and Young People’s Partnership Board
quarter 3 meeting for 2024/25
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Partnership joint committee
14th May 2025
ICP acceptance of Action Plan
Partners
