[jellybrain]

The importance of designing a service that responds to the needs of the children and young people.

Why is it important that children and young people participate in the decisions that affect their lives?

Really struggling with this one - this is what I have put so far can anyone point out anything else I need to add please I'm never sure that I've put enough down

The importance of designing a service to meet the needs of children and young people is to maximise their life chances by reaching their full potential. Each child and young person is an individual and requires different support to help them achieve the 5 positive outcomes of ECM - Being Healthy, Staying Safe, Enjoying and Achieving, Making a Positive Contribution and Achieving Economic wellbeing.

There are a wide range of servies available to children and young people including - children's centres, education services, health services, social services and youth servies.

By working together they identify the needs of each individual and organise and plan with care the strategies for furhter development.

Listening to and taking into account the childs, yp and parents views and preferences of what and how they are to achieve their goals. By giving the child and yp the chance to participate in decision making increases their confidence and ability to develop their self asteem, social skills and communication. It enables a child or yp to establish their likes and dislikes. This is carried through to adulthood where life choices are made eg. to go to further education, to get married, to have children or what career to have. These are decisions that can affect the rest of their lives. We need to understand that children and young people have a 'voice' and should be respected and listened to through their mens of communcication it is their right by law (UNCRC)

By supporting this we need servies that can be accessed easily and to be flexible and effective in children and yp being able to reach these types of decision making.

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a way of assessing a child or yp additional needs. This enables practioners to deliver and assess at an earlier stage and work with other practioners, services and parents/carers.

Hope this reads ok - any help would be great

xx