Young Voices 2016
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The Young Voices project was carried out by Healthwatch Rochdale to engage young people and gather their views and experiences of local health and social care services. The project aimed to improve young people's understanding of their rights, increase awareness of available services, and ensure that their experiences informed service improvement.
Healthwatch Rochdale worked with schools, colleges, youth groups, and community organisations to reach young people. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences of healthcare services, ask questions about health and social care, and learn more about accessing support. Feedback from education providers indicated that the sessions helped students better understand their rights and the services available to them.
The report found that young people generally had positive experiences of many health services, particularly GP practices and hospitals. However, experiences varied, and some respondents reported dissatisfaction with services, especially in relation to waiting times, communication, and access to support. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) were among the services that attracted mixed feedback.
Mental health emerged as a significant issue for young people. The report highlighted the importance of accessible mental health information, counselling, and support services. It also signposted young people to resources such as Kooth and Healthy Minds for mental health assistance.
A key element of the project was educating young people about health and social care. Topics included ambulance response times, changing GP practices, patient consent when students are present during treatment, waiting times in Accident and Emergency departments, support for young carers, contraception services, and the role of social care services. The report emphasised that young people have the right to make informed choices and to be involved in decisions affecting their care.
The report collected 163 pieces of feedback about health and social care services. Overall, 82 comments were positive, 37 were very positive, 25 were negative, and 19 were very negative, indicating that positive experiences outweighed negative ones.
The services most frequently mentioned included GPs, dentists, accident and emergency departments, urgent care centres, hospitals, pharmacies, mental health services, and social care services. Feedback showed that young people valued friendly staff, good communication, and timely access to care, while complaints often related to delays, poor communication, or difficulties accessing services.
Participants also expressed the view that it was important for young people to have opportunities to influence the design and delivery of services. Many felt that their opinions should be listened to by decision-makers and translated into real improvements.
Overall, the report concludes that engaging young people directly provides valuable insight into local health and social care services. It recommends continuing to involve young people in consultation and service development, improving awareness of available support, and ensuring that young people's voices contribute to future service improvements.