Investing in Children

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Investing in Children

• UCE
• Stafford
• 22nd May 2007

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INVESTING IN CHILDREN
Childhood is a social construct The innocent
child, in need of protection The reckless child,
in need of control The child as a work in progress
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INVESTING IN CHILDREN
The child moves through Whitehall growing and
shrinking like Alice in the Department of
Health she is small potential victim, at the
Treasury and the Department of Education a
growing but silent unit of investment, but at the
Home Office a huge and threatening yob. Seaford,
2001
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INVESTING IN CHILDREN
Cottages Reeth Richmond Spotlessly clean
properties in 2 acres of grounds, maintained by
resident owners. Excellent views. Private river
frontage. Ample parking
No pets / children
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INVESTING IN CHILDREN
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INVESTING IN CHILDREN
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INVESTING IN CHILDREN

• Rules for Dialogue
• Everyone has the right to their say.
• Everyone must be listened to with respect.
• Everyone deserves to have their claim considered.
• There must be no coercion.
• The force of the better argument.
• Habermas

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Campaigns/Research
40 groups, including Transport
Leisure Mental Health
Skateboard facilities Health Isolation
Environment Youth Services
Police Music venues
School attendance/exclusion Economic
Development Childrens Services
Plan Anti Racism
Special Education
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INVESTING IN CHILDREN
Im not interested in your grand plans and
strategies I want to change things where I
live my life
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Investing in Children Membership Scheme

• Celebrates good practice
• Encourages innovation
• Empowers children and young people
• Evidence of dialogue
• Evidence of Change
• Evidence supplied by children and young people.

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Investing in Children Membership Scheme
150 members and 75 applicants including
Schools Nurseries Children Hospital Wards GP
Practices Libraries and 1 museum Police
Stations Youth Clubs Pupil Support teams Social
Services teams Family Centres Leisure
Centres Voluntary Organisations
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Getting started

• How do you think we could make the library a
  better place?
• Would you like to be able to buy and choose books
  for the library?
• Is there anything else you would like to see in
  the library?
• Are you happy with the choice of books?
• Do you feel welcome in the library?
• What activities would you like to see in the
  library?

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What happened

• Making notice boards
• Redecorating the library
• Choosing furniture and fittings
• Doing newsletters
• Applying for funding

• Redesigning library signing
• Making information leaflets for other young
  people
• Organising holiday activity programmes
• Trips to buy books

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And more

• Holding formal meetings
• Commissioning computer classes
• Running reading clubs
• sense of mischief writing project

• Editing CD collections
• Working on a welcome pack
• Creating a website

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What the assessors said

• The young people I met with feel part of the
  library, they enjoy coming and feel very relaxed
  when they are there. The girls said that they
  could ask to use the phone.

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What the assessors said

• For such a small library lots of things have
  happened. The library is used on a daily basis
  by lots of children and young people in the area.
  After school and at weekends the Internet is
  booked and used constantly by children and young
  people. The library is always buzzing! The
  young people said they definitely listen to us!

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What the assessors said
Having met Carol Attewell and a number of
children and young people at Clayport Library I
have no hesitation in recommending the library
for membership. The organisation showed clear
forum/process for dialogue, Carol evidenced real
change that has been informed by children and
young people and I feel that there exists a
genuine ethos for dialogue between staff and
children/ young people at the library.
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What the assessors said
I was taken aback by the number of changes that
had been introduced over a short time. I met
with a group of young people that had been
involved with the Cool Committee, and their
comments supported the practice of dialogue and
the evidence presented by the staff at Ferryhill
library.
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What the children said

• the library is safe and secure and its like
  being at home
• the library is brilliant we have loads of new
  books.

• Emma said I like the closed off area, Amy added
  that it means the little children wont pick up
  any inappropriate books. Amy also said that its
  good that the girls stuff is separated from the
  boys.

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And more

• The three girls said that the library is very
  very busy and sometimes it can be too busy for
  the staff to be able to spend time with them.

You know sometimes when you ask teachers for
something and you get scared, well you dont with
Mrs. West and Mrs. Beadle.
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And more
The librarians are very nice and friendly, they
never shout!   They ask us, what we want and
then try to get it for us   They dont mind us
hanging around in the library Mrs West and Mrs
Beadle never raise their voices and they have a
laff with us.
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And more
Freda writes down everything we ask for, then we
discuss it, she has got almost everything that we
have asked for - Paige.
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And more
What we really like is that they never shout at
us - Adam
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What have we learned?

• Dialogue, not consultation
• Pay attention to the lived lives of children
  and young people
• Participation is a means, not an end.
• Its all about change.

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Problems

• Gets too comfortable
• Slipping back into old ways
• Unrealised potential in the young people
• Limited vision re. possibilities
• Local action doesnt build into strategy