The meeting is the culmination of the previous year’s work carried out by the Young Commissioners and through wider youth engagement activities.
At the commencement of the Sutton Youth Board meeting, the participants recognised the importance of fostering a respectful and inclusive environment. With this in mind, a code of conduct and agreed ways of working was explored by the young people present. This code will serve as a guiding framework for the behaviour and interactions of board members, emphasising the values of respect, open-mindedness, and active listening.
Following on from Sutton's Youth Voice Summit in September last year, three key priority areas were agreed on by the young people: mental health, inequalities and safety. The focus for this first youth board meeting was on the priority area of safety and the Board members looked in detail at the feedback from the engagement activities that have taken place over the last year such as Joint School Councils meeting and the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) survey for young people.
The board engaged in productive discussions, sharing personal experiences and insights related to various safety concerns faced by young individuals in the community. By fostering an open and inclusive space, participants were able to understand the diverse perspectives and challenges faced by their peers.
Building on their collective knowledge and experiences, the Sutton Youth Board generated a series of valuable recommendations for professionals working with young people in Sutton. These recommendations, designed to address the safety concerns identified, will be shared with relevant stakeholders and organisations responsible for the well-being of the community's youth.
A huge thank you to all the young people that took part, the diverse range of voices and perspectives represented is essential in fostering inclusive decision-making processes that reflect the needs and aspirations of the entire community. A special thanks to LexisNexis Risk Solutions for their generosity in providing the meeting space and refreshments.
The next meeting of Sutton’s Youth Board will take place in September. To keep up to date on this work please follow the Young Commissioners on their Instagram page.
