Autumn 2008
The challenge
Lewisham Council wanted to ensure that their Children and Young People’s Plan for 2009-2012 reflected the needs and aspirations of young people in the area. This meant a consultation which was stimulating for those involved and accessible to the range of different people living in the borough – and which created practical outcomes for the council, which could be prioritised and measured.
How we approached it
We designed an interactive consultation process using our ‘who wants to be a millionaire’ voting handsets. This allowed young people to vote on their priorities for different areas of the plan. Each question then became a starting point for a facilitated discussion on the topics it raised. To add interest and an element of competition, consultation questions were interspersed with quiz questions, with a prize for the winner in each group. Respondents included youth groups, young carers, care leavers, The Pupil Referral Unit, young parents and those with learning difficulties.
What happened
We aggregated the results to give a full picture of young people’s priorities. Following the consultation, the council was able to produce a Children and Young People’s Plan – making it one of the few councils in the country to do so. We subsequently produced a version of the plan specifically for young people, designed in partnership with the session delegates.