How children and young people can get involved and influence decision making in the council.
Opportunities for young people in Bristol to get involved in decision making include:
- Bristol City Youth Council
- The Children in Care Council
- The Listening Partnership
- Young Carers Voice
- Shadow Safeguarding Board
Bristol City Youth Council
The Bristol City Youth Council (BCYC) and Bristol Members of the United Kingdom Youth Parliament (UKYP) are an elected group of young people aged 11 to 18.
Members are voted for in the Bristol Youth Elections. They meet every two weeks.
Being a member of the BCYC or UKYP you can:
- express your views on the decisions that are important to you and your peers, for example campaigning for votes at 16
- make positive changes in your communities
- make a difference to the young people of Bristol
Find more informaiton or get involved with the BCYC
The Children in Care Council
The Children in Care Council meets once a month to raise awareness of children in care and care leaver's rights. They also offer training led by children in care and care leavers to practitioners.
You can be involved in interviewing job candidates applying to be:
- social workers
- residential staff
- senior managers
For more information or to get involved, email cicc@bristol.gov.uk
The Listening Partnership
The Listening Partnership group is a group of young people in Bristol with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). It meets once a week.
If you're a young person with SEND, you can:
- talk about important issues that affect you, such as being included in school activities
- express your views on decisions that are important to you, such as the kind of support available
The Listening Partnership also support you to contribute to the development of education, health and social care services, through:
- consultations
- interview panels
- focus groups
- staff training
- inspections
- projects
For more information or to get involved, go to the West of England Centre for Inclusive Living (WECIL) website.
Young Carers Voice
The Young Carers Voice group meets once a month. If you're a young carer, you can:
- talk about important issues that affect you, such as the demands of your caring role and what support is available
- lobby the council on important policies and strategies, to change the way young carers get support in the future
Young Carers Voice also support you to contribute to the development of Young Carer services, through:
- interview panels
- staff training
- inspections
- projects
For more information or to get involved go to the Carers Support Centre website Go to https://www.carerssupportcentre.org.uk/young-carers/young-carers-voice/ (opens new window).
Shadow Safeguarding Board
The Shadow Safeguarding Board is made up of young people representing various youth groups from across the city.
It's also open to anyone age 12 to 25 who has an interest in improving services that support or involve young people. You do not have to be a member of an existing group to get involved.
The Shadow Safeguarding Board help to set the work of the wider safeguarding partnership which includes council, police and health partners.
This is done through direct engagement with leaders who represent projects or services that visit the board to seek the views of young people on them.