The Process
Introduction
During the months of December 2014 and January 2015, West Dunbartonshire Youth Voice groups, with support from West Dunbartonshire Youth Alliance, carried out a consultation Penny for Youth Thoughts* to find out the priorities for young people on 6 key themes. The Youth Voice groups asked young people to prioritise the themes in order of importance to them in order to generate a theme that the Youth Voice groups would focus on during 2015.
As a result of this consultation, the young people of West Dunbartonshire identified Health & Wellbeing as the most important theme to them. Furthermore, they identified the 6 priority issues within this theme as:
Alcohol
Smoking
Drugs
Depression
Stress
Bullying
On Friday 13th March 2015, the West Dunbartonshire Youth Voice groups hosted a consultation event named, We Asked Youth Voiced, to feedback the results of the Penny for Youth Thoughts consultation and to find out young peoples views on the 6 priority issues within the Health & Wellbeing theme.
The information gathered from the young people will form part of the Youth Alliances 3 year plan, which is being developed to meet the new CLD Regulations on how CLD providers will deliver Youth Services to young people over the next 3 years.
During the event 94 young people took part in workshops on each issue and the following 3 questions were asked:
1. Why is this an issue?
2. How can we raise awareness of this issue?
3. What can we do to tackle this issue?
This report is the analysis of the feedback received by the young people during the We Asked Youth Voiced event. To conduct the analysis the Youth Voice groups looked at the feedback from the young people and from the response to the 1st question it became clear that this feedback is what should be highlighted in relation to the issue. The responses within question 2 & 3 have been used to formulate the recommendations for moving forward.
At the start of this report you will see word clouds for each issue, which have been developed using young peoples responses to the first question, Why is this an issue? Can you guess what the image is? You will find the answers in appendix 1.
Alcohol
Can you guess what the image is?
It has been created using the young peoples responses to the question - Why is alcohol an issue?
Smoking
Can you guess what the image is?
It has been created using the young peoples responses to the question Why is smoking an issue?
Can you guess what the image is?
It has been created using the young peoples responses to the question - Why is drugs an issue?
Drugs
Depression
Can you guess what the image is?
It has been created using the young peoples responses to the question - Why is depression an issue?
Stress
Can you guess what the image is?
It has been created using the young peoples responses to the question - Why is stress an issue?
Bullying
Can you guess what the image is?
It has been created using the young peoples responses to the question - Why is Bullying an issue?
What Needs Highlighted?
****Please note these are only some of the examples of what the young people said****
Recommendations
Methods
Some examples
Education (Youth Work, Peer Education, In Schools)
Motivational speakers
Assemblies
Workshops
Lesson Plans for HWB in schools
EX drug users speak to groups.
Peer education workshops
Sessions for parents/teachers
Campaigns / Raise Awareness
Posters
Social media
Videos
Scottish Youth Parliament
Local press/radio
Youth theatre production
Adverts for bottles (like cigarette packets)
Poster competitions
Youth Voice reps to raise issues on Young Scot National Management committee
Dedicated Facebook/twitter pages
Support
Groups
Drop in
Specialist organisations
School counsellors
Dedicated websites
Anti-bullying clubs in schools
Drop in session in communities
DYVG looking to set up ourcloud site on stress.
Moving Forward
Word Cloud Answers
Alcohol section is a picture of someone drinking from a bottle.
Smoking is Selma from the Simpsons.
Drugs is a picture of a bong.
Depression is picture of a broken heart
Stress is a picture of a hand holding a stress ball.
Bullying is a picture of Nelson (The bully from the Simpsons).
Penny For Youth Thoughts
Health and Wellbeing
Housing & Homelessness
Health & Wellbeing theme chosen as top priority, with the following as the top issues within Health & Wellbeing
Drugs
Alcohol
Youth Consultation & Representation
Community Safety
Education, Employment & Training
Lesuire & Facilities
Young people asked to prioritise issues within each theme and prioritise the themes
Smoking
Bullying
Stress
Depression
We Asked Youth Voiced Event
Alcohol
Impact on Health
Addiction
Bullying
Leads to Self harm / Suicide
Social exclusion / isolation
Depression
Affects people at any age
Violence
People taken advantage of
Underage drinking
Easy access
It's Everywhere (Social Media, School, Communities)
Trust Issues
Affects Victims & Families
Rarely talked about
Expectations
Terms loosely used
Relationships
Different types of it
Drugs
Peer pressure
Don't know effects
Smoking
Health issues
Passive smoking
Stress
Unemployment
Crime
Curiosty/ Boredom
Poverty
Influenced by media (TV, Games etc)
Coping method
Financial issues
Influences
Adults 'Jumping in' (purchasing for Young People)
Debt
Body image
Family
Sexuality
Gossip
