If you are worried about the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person in Devon,
please complete the request for support online form.

If you think that the child is at risk of significant harm,
contact our Front Door directly by calling 0345 155 1071.

In an emergency call 999.

Youth voice opportunities – December 2022 update

Devon Youth Council exists to get the voice of young people heard and to make a positive change. We’re continuing to grow and develop our youth council, and there are lots of opportunities coming up that we’d love to have you involved in!

Upcoming opportunities this month include training to become a change maker, having a say on East Devon’s plans for the future and improving services in Devon for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

If you’d like to get involved with any of these events, please email ukyouthparliament@devon.gov.uk. You can also sign up to the Devon Youth Council Network here.

Take part in free training to become a change maker

The European Youth Forum are offering a free online training course covering a step-by-step guide about how to become a more effective change-maker by:

Revealing the stories you hold about yourself, others and the world in your activism.
Understanding that these stories are important for the change you want to make.
Finding your role in the change process,

If you have any questions or want to provide feedback, please get in touch at verena.mitschke@youthforum.org.

Take part in interviewing

Are you interested in making sure that the right people get the right jobs? We are often looking for young people who are willing to form interview panels and help select staff for various roles. While we currently don’t have any opportunities coming up, we are looking to create an online training workshop for those who are interested in finding out more and to give you all the skills and information you would need, should the opportunity arise. If you think you’d be interested in finding out more and taking part in an online workshop, please get in touch via the ukyouthparliament@devon.gov.uk email.

Make a difference and promote youth voice

You can make a difference for more young people by letting people know about the Youth Council and all the opportunities mentioned above. Make sure you follow us on social media to keep up to date with opportunities to have your say and get your voice heard and share these opportunities with friends. We are committed to getting the voice of young people heard and need your help to get your friends involved and speaking up on the issues that are important to them.

Have your say on the Future of East Devon

Do you live in the East Devon District Council area? If so, you can have your say on their new Local Plan. A Local Plan is a document that sets out policies or proposals for new developments in an area. It can cover topics such as housing, employment and shops and should take into account the views of all its residence. East Devon District Council have asked for their local plan to be shared with the Devon Youth Council Network so that the views of young people might be gathered as part of their consultation. More details can be found on the East Devon District Council website.

Have your say on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

SEND improvement work

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) participation team are currently looking for interested young people who would like to have their say on SEND improvement work in Devon, including the implementation of the SEND improvement plan and focusing on the four identified areas of weakness. We will provide different opportunities for involvement depending on how and in what way you feel comfortable, and we will aim for these opportunities to be co-produced. We are interested in hearing from all young people with SEND, including those without a diagnosis. If you know a young person with something to say, please get in touch via the SEND participation team form.

New SEND participation group

The SEND Participation team would also like to hear from young people interested in collaborating with them in the development of a new SEND participation group called Impacts. The group will take place after school and will be for anyone aged 12+ who is interested in working together on topics and issues that are important to them, as well as involvement in improving DCC services. The group will be youth-led, and you will be able to decide how much or how little you are involved, as well as having a say on the format and content of the group. This group will run along with the existing SEND participation groups such as Champions for Change, which takes place during school hours. If you think you would be interested in joining this group, please get in touch via the SEND participation team form.

Have your say on what care looks and feels like

The #KeepCaringTo18 campaign wants to know what the care system looks and feels like to 16 and 17 year-olds, so your experiences could help them to influence government policy. You can take part in the #KeepCaringTo18 survey here.

Have your say for Young Carers

The Carers Trust has launched a survey to find out about the pressures and challenges facing young carers aged up to 25, and what support they need.

The findings of the survey will be published on Young Carers Action Day 2023 (March 15) and will help influence decision makers to give young carers and young adult carers the support they need.