It has long been recognised that the tools used to engage with young people and gather the views of children are often ineffective or inadequate.

Young people are too often faced with little alternative than to accept the methods adopted.

In 2015, in Aberdeenshire, the Children’s Services team took the decision to involve the customer, in this case young people, in choosing the engagement method.

This has resulted in the introduction of a highly effective, efficient and appropriate method of engaging with young people. The platform and solution, Together Aberdeenshire, is now ‘tried, tested and well received’ by both service users and service providers.

The product is considered by users to be enticing, flexible and highly adaptable for all forms of continuous improvement initiatives.

Engagements with young people are now conducted offline on dedicated tablets and online by those young people wishing to use the technology more independently.

A year on, Together Aberdeenshire (incorporating My Voice) has become the method for engaging with young people across a variety of educational and children’s service settings.

Following an Inspection by the Care Inspectorate, Aberdeenshire Children’s Services received particularly praise for way it involved young people in the design and implementation of an engagement system, and the way the solution now allows the young person to personalise and individualise their own space for engaging with their particular social worker.

For further details about the platform and the way Aberdeenshire involves and engages with young people contact :

Sam McNeill, Education and Children’s Services, Aberdeenshire County Council
sam.mcneill@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Tel:01224 665181

Jonathan Bostock, People Matters Network
Jonathan.bostock@peoplemattersnetwork.com
Tel:07432 637322