9th October 2023 • My Family Our Needs

In light of National Inclusion Week, Action for Children gave us the rundown of their Inclusion as Prevention initiative and their key principles for equity. They show us what inclusive spaces should look like for all young people and what we should all be doing to foster this attitude.

Inclusion as Prevention: An Action for Children initiative

Inclusion as Prevention (IAP) is an early action system change initiative funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. IAP seeks to reduce the number of young people becoming involved in the youth justice system through the co-design of system change and service improvement with children and young people.

IAP aims to support children and young people to share their views, opinions, and ideas to affect change in the systems that support them. Making this space for co-production as inclusive as possible is of utmost importance.

The organisation has found that flexibility in approach is essential to engagement and participation. They note that their engagement coordinator provides participation opportunities in a multitude of ways. Young people have taken part in one-to-one sessions,  joined pre-existing and newly formed groups and contributed to detached youth work in the community and at planned events.

Principles for inclusion

To ensure inclusion, their engagement process follows several key principles:

• They provide choice for different young people to engage in a way and at times that works for them 

This includes a variety of engagement methods/workshops/activities and settings that suit individuals which are available at times most convenient to young people so they are available to participate rather than having to “fit into” schedules.

• They strive to apply an equity lens to all engagement 

This means actively seeking to engage marginalised or ‘seldom heard’ groups who are at increased risk of experiencing systemic discrimination.

• They create safe spaces and structures for young-person led decision-making

Ensuring that young people are supported to make informed decisions and share their ideas without, or with minimal, external influences from other services. 

• They aim to validate young people’s experiences and celebrate their contributions 

By acknowledging and rewarding young people’s valuable knowledge, expertise, and contributions to Inclusion as Prevention (IAP) we developed a virtuous circle creating mutual results and outcomes.  Recognising past trauma caused by the system when rights have not been respected is also vital.

• They endeavour to shift the power balance so that professionals are more accountable to young people

A tailored experience

In addition, Action for Children aims to foster an inclusive mindset by investing in continuous feedback loops and ensuring that young people have full knowledge and understanding of how they are contributing to IAP. By feeding back what impact their work is having, who’s listening to what they’re saying and explaining the next steps, they find this empowers young people. They also have a mechanism so service providers can ‘pitch ideas’ directly to young people.

The children and young people involved in IAP all have varying experiences and support needs. Each engagement session is individually tailored to the needs and comfort of the individuals involved and the Engagement Coordinator ensures that participants have input and choice into the delivery of sessions.

IAP still aim to ensure a laid-back and friendly atmosphere; therefore, engagement sessions are planned and scheduled in advance with each activity having multiple methods of approach and alternative ‘plan Bs’. This allows for activities to be adapted on the day depending on the needs and moods of the young people.

Removing barriers to taking part

Taking part is also a huge barrier to inclusion in mainstream learning and activities. SEN children are often excluded because of the lack of adaptations to suit their needs. Though, Action for Children adopts three ways in which young people can engage in their program.

For example, with the goal of understanding what participants value most in their community, one particular activity had three possible methods of delivery. Young people could:

1. create an art piece showcasing their ‘ideal community’; 
2. write their ideas down;
3. work in pairs or as a group to discuss their thoughts whilst a participant or the facilitator took notes.

IAP believes that this approach of providing multiple delivery options gives control to the young people to participate in a way that best suits their confidence and abilities without stigma or exclusion. For young people with anxiety and/or sensory needs who wish to participate as part of a group, sessions are adapted in advance as well as having flex for as ad hoc provision.

It is of vital importance to understand how each young person feels about participating and cater to their needs, so the choice is always available. The initiative aims to adopt this through an engagement coordinator who will meet with the participant and/or support staff in advance to gain an understanding of any barriers and how they like to participate. 1:1 discussions also take place throughout the co-design journey. An example of how sessions have been tailored to meet sensory needs includes the use of different resources during activities.

Some young people have needed lots of choices, colours and textures to fully get involved and make their voices heard in the initiative’s activities. However, IAP has also strived to minimise resources and ‘clutter’ from sessions for young people who often feel overwhelmed by too much choice. An example of supporting young people with anxiety to participate in a manner that is comfortable for them would be allowing time during each session to settle and adjust to the environment with minimal pressure to speak aloud.

The organisation has also utilised games which remove the need to speak aloud such as writing thoughts down, making a paper aeroplane and throwing it into the room. The facilitator can then take on the speaking role. This game not only hopes to remove the pressure of speaking but is also fun and can become a competition if desired.

‘Inclusion is at the heart of everything’

Overall, the clue is in the name, inclusion is at the heart of everything that Inclusion as Prevention does and should certainly be at the heart of mainstream learning. Voices that are often missed are also often the most important and impactful.

Co-design and creating a space where young people can flourish should be the linchpin of youth and community services, where children and young people feel empowered and have the opportunity to shape the support that they receive.

Young people who have been involved in the Action for Children initiatives said:

“We’re not too young to understand, we know more than you think”

“We have felt included because we are in a team, and we are updated on a regular basis” 

“Our voices are heard, and our opinions are used when we suggest something”

Adopting a similar approach to inclusion in other learning settings and services can only produce positive results for SEN children in education and social spaces. This can then open up avenues for further inclusion as they transition to adulthood. Inclusion is the way forward in order to provide equal opportunities for all and give every young person a chance for their voice to be heard.

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