Valuing the Voices of Young People
Walter Tann
Divisional Lead Nurse, Quality & Patient Experience.
What do all these things have in common?
Who is this?
What did these guys do?
Would you do what these two did?
What was the significance of this date?
th
18
September 2014
Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital
370 beds (potential)
271 beds (commissioned)
8 dedicated Neonatal/Paediatric theatres (plus 4 shelled theatres)
41,511 patient episodes
61,000 A&E attendances
120,000 Outpatient attendances
In the beginning …….
There was nothing.
Background
• Established November 2002
• In response to Youth Engagement Structure within the then
Manchester Children’s Hospitals.
• Members where consulted on various projects both corporately and
from individual wards and departments.
• Run by members – Chair, minute takers.
• Senior staff attend to support and
held to account .
Youth Forum Today
• Over 64 members 11-21yrs of age.
• Monthly meeting 5-7pm.
• Average meeting attendance 20.
• A growing portfolio of activities and projects now covering
most aspects of healthcare.
• Youth Ambassador – available for consultation
on any issue.
• Youth Governor created as part
of Foundation status.
Function of Youth Forum
• Who is best placed to tell us what it feels like to be a child
or young person in hospital ?
• Provide a voice for young peoples’ thoughts on health
issues and services provided within the hospital.
• Influence Trust Policy and procedure.
• Create meaningful links with decision makers both in the
Trust and in local health service provision.
• Act as a conduit for feedback from other young people.
Youth Forum - Projects
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Influenced the design of old RMCH OPD.
Full consultation of new RMCH – design, configuration, services
Influenced numerous art projects.
Involvement in public consultations and awareness events.
Presentations at Grand Round.
Involvement in Transition projects.
Consulted on re: mobile phone policy.
Created @RMCHosp.
Consolation with Professional bodies to develop patient and young
peoples engagement strategies – RCPCH, GMFS.
Influenced trust website.
Participated in numerous service specific workshops.
Annual meeting with CEO and Chair.
Participation in the creation of the Trust’s Vision document “Children &
Young People’s Nursing : Vision into Reality”.
Youth Forum – 2014 & beyond (part 1)
• Participation in the National Youth forum through RCPCH.
• Full participation in the Greater Manchester Healthier Together
Consultations.
• Overwhelming desire to engage with service users and clinical
staff on a regular basis.
• Could the Youth Forum become fully embedded within clinical
teams to support service design, delivery and monitoring of
outcomes?
• Direct link to Ward Managers, Matrons, Lead Nurses – Buddy
System.
• Direct link to patients.
• Development of a Work Plan linked to key issues – nutrition,
information, discharge, infection control, communication.
Youth Forum – 2014 & beyond (part 1)
Priorities and Collaborative Working Proposal
2013/14
Youth
Forum
Link
Issues
o
o
o
o
Infection Control
YF Member
Measures (how do we know we
have achieved our goal)
Suggested Matron activities
o
o
o
o
o
Matron V
Engage the
support of
children and
young people in
the dissemination
and monitoring of
infection control
practices.
Hand washing
Basic hygiene
standards
Cleaning
Bare Below the
Elbow.
Activities
Participation in Divisional
Infection control meetings
Observational audits
Service user feedback
Specific initiatives –
standards for bedsides,
dress code, hand hygiene.
Place assessments
Youth Forum Activities

Life size hand washing
posters with YP.

Design of literature.

Undertake an infection
control project including:
ward rounds to challenge
staff who do not comply
with policy / best practice,
participate in PLACE
assessments and contribute
to ward accreditations.
What do you need to be assured that we have achieved what
we wanted to and changed what we wanted to change:
Information, reports, visits, and inspections?
Matron
Buddy
For discussion and agreement by Youth Forum
Strategy Initiative
Youth Forum – 2014 & beyond (part 2)
• Full participation in PLACE assessments.
• Participation in the Trusts Ward Accreditation scheme.
• Sit on the Trust’s Children & Young People’s Standards Steering
Committee.
• Contribute in the hospital’s CE Committee.
• Attend Transition Steering Group meetings.
• Creation and implementation of the Youth Forum’s 15 Steps
Challenge.
Youth Forum – 15 Steps Challenge
Welcoming & Ward first Impression
Observations

Recommendations/suggestions
Not acknowledged by any nurses when went  Put more children’s' character
into the ward, patients or visitors, wouldn’t
have known where to go or what to do.
• No obvious information about visiting times.
• More welcoming by having decorations
hanging from the ceiling.
• Lots of colourful posters of characters like
Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog in the
playroom
posters around the ward
instead of just in the playroom.
Youth Forum – 15 Steps Challenge
Caring and involvement
Observations
• Good communication between patients and staff,
very positive feedback from family.
• Mum felt completely involved in her baby’s care and
had received lots of information about every aspect
of a child‘s care.
• Friendly staff, team work present in the ward.
Recommendations/suggestions
No
recommendations/Suggestions
Youth Forum – Summary
• RMCH Youth Forum has had continuous success over 12 years.
• A fantastic journey of discovery in partnership with young people.
• True commitment and curiosity from all professionals.
• Passion and dedication on the part of the members to see real change.
• Members have been a vital pillar to the foundation of our Trust.
• RMCH & CMFT are extremely proud of all of it’s Youth Forum Members
• Privilege to see members grow into adulthood and move onto new
ventures.
And Finally……
“Vision without action
is merely a dream.
Action without vision
merely passes the time.
Vision with action can
change the world.”