Working in partnership with young people who live and use services in an area of north-east London, and the adults who work with them, this partnership development project will explore how under-served young people’s participation can best inform the work of an Integrated Care System and improve young people's health and wellbeing.
Background
Young people in the UK have poorer health and well-being than in many similar countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has also affected many young people’s mental and physical health. Integrated Care Systems (ICS) were set up across England in 2021 to get people to work together and improve the health and wellbeing of people who live in their area. This project is exploring how under-served young people in the north east London (NEL) borough of Redbridge can participate in health and wellbeing services in accessible and inclusive ways. Under- served means not having enough help or access to the right services. The project has been developed, and will be delivered by a collaboration including young people, a community organisation (Community Action Redbridge), University of Hertfordshire researchers, and the NEL Integrated Care Board (who lead the ICS).
Redbridge has a very diverse population and high levels of poverty, with limited support for young people and a voluntary and community sector which is not as well connected as in other areas of NEL. It is also important to consider how things like disability, ethnicity, culture, and poverty affect each other, the health and well-being of under-served young people and their opportunities for participation.
Project Aims
The aim of the project is to create a strong and lasting partnership in NEL between young people and the adults who work with them, learning and working together to help improve the participation, health and wellbeing of under-served young people.
Project Activity
The project will:
- Map existing groups and networks and develop a partnership which builds on these
- Engage and bring people together online and in-person
- Explore what good and inclusive participation looks like in practice and how we can make this happen
- Co-produce an evaluation with young people involved in the project
Anticipated or actual outputs
- Webpages including a blog with guest posts from young people and organisations involved in the project
- A short film and other creative outputs
- A project report and young people-friendly summary
- Articles in academic and practitioner-focused journals
- Learning from the project and evaluation will directly inform the future development of the NEL ICS and ICB planning and strategy more widely, and the work of the ARC EoE through presentations at theme meetings and events and newsletter articles. The project will also inform plans for a multi-centre study to refine and evaluation a tool, developed by the project, for ICBs to audit participation practice with young people. It will also inform research to map and evaluate children and young people’s involvement in the NHS more widely, both in collaboration with partners including the ARC EoE.
Who is involved?
- ARC EoE Co-PI and corresponding researcher: Dr Louca-Mai Brady, CRIPACC, University of Hertfordshire
- Other University of Hertfordshire researchers involved in the project: Dr Yvonne Robinson, Prof Daksha Trivedi
- Project partners: Community Action Redbridge, North East London Integrated Care Board
Contact
- l.m.brady@herts.ac.uk (project email: panels@herts.ac.uk)
