At the heart of our work is our commitment to listening to the people we support — and acting on what they tell us. Over the past year, we’ve further embedded a structured, three-tiered model of participation across both youth and adult services.
At the heart of our work is our commitment to listening to the people we support — and acting on what they tell us.
Over the past year, we’ve further embedded a structured, three-tiered model of participation across both youth and adult services. This model spans from consultation to co-production and participant-led initiatives, ensuring everyone has a meaningful say in shaping the support they receive.
Tools that drive change
We continue to use the Lundy Model of Participation in daily practice and the Hear by Right framework to embed participation at an organisational level. In October 2024, we launched a new Participant Voice Survey. This app-based tool captures insights directly from participants. Unlike traditional feedback, it focuses on journeys, goals, and support needs, helping us understand what truly matters.
In our young people’s services alone, we’ve gathered more than 112 new participant voices, uncovering priorities like mental health, budgeting, and transport barriers.
Youth Ambassadors leading the way
Since April 2024, nine Youth Ambassadors have joined our team.
Our ambassadors have influenced projects ranging from website and branding — suggesting that we add staff images and information to build trust — to helping shape our 2025–2028 strategic plan. They also represented youth voices at our Local Authority stakeholder workshop in October 2024.
Youth participation in action
Each operational team has led at least one dedicated participation project, varying from consultative to collaborative. Examples include:
Liverpool Careers Fair: Fourteen young people took part in an online survey and focus group, sharing their views on industries of interest, the type of support they needed, and how the event should run. The Liverpool team designed the fair to include more employer engagement, CV support, and practical workshops. Including young people from the very start led to more tailored, relevant outcomes.
Transport barriers in Salford: Through group discussions in Salford, young people shared how travel anxiety and poor transport links limit access to programmes. Their feedback is now shaping how we plan locations and implement travel training.
Voice Champions Network
Our Voice Champions Network is now active across both youth and justice services and meets bi-monthly to share insights and co-ordinate actions. Nine champions represent all key operational teams in youth services, and seven champions represent our adult justice services contracts.
Embedding participation within adult services
We’ve begun work on a Participant Voice Charter for our adult-facing services. We’re also designing an adult Participant Voice Survey, collaborating with Voice Champions to ensure questions are meaningful and capture the issues most relevant to participants.
We’ve involved justice service participants in the wording of a new resilience assessment tool focused on goal setting, communication, and optimism for the future, helping to shape something that genuinely reflects their needs and language.
Focus groups for our adult justice participants have also led to tangible improvements across prison services:
- HGV training: Delivered in response to participant interest in rehabilitation and employment
- Group sessions: Expanded into larger spaces to increase access
- Support networks: CFO and peer mentors are enhancing communication and wing-based support
- Environment and delivery: Participants helped rebrand rooms, refine phased delivery, and define orderly roles
- Wing timetable: Discussions focused on sessions participants find most useful, enabling the team to keep timetables relevant and focused on skills that aid successful transition back into the community
Read our full Impact Report 2024-25
Discover more stories about how we help the people we support.
