Young Healthwatch Resources

Take a look at Healthwatch Northamptonshire’s 10 top tips when engaging with children and young people – produced by EMAHSN (East Midlands Academic Health Science Network).
Young Healthwatch Northamptonshire volunteers

EMAHSN top tips when engaging with children and young people

1. Environment 

Consider your environment. Always use a space which meets the needs of your audience. 

2. Learning styles

Consider using a range of different learning styles. For example people may have an ‘Activist’ approach to their learning and will need to actively take part.

3. Ownership

Ensure your audience is able to have full ownership. Consider how you engage and use local champions to drive work forward.

4. Access

Make sure meetings are accessible and consider your language and the terminology you use to ensure everyone is able to fully take part.

5. Creative

Be creative and use a full range of tools and resources to ensure you engage with your audience.

6. Listen to your audience

Use active listening skills to ensure you get the correct feedback and views from your groups.

7. Be organised

Where possible plan your work in advance to ensure its correct focus. This is particularly key if you are organising transport.

8. Clothing

Where possible ensure you make your audience feel comfortable, so match your clothing with your groups however be clean, smart and presentable.

9. Common ground

Build relationships from “common interests” and use this to create conversations and develop your group.

10. Evaluate your journey

Ensure all members of your group are able to comment on their experiences as a way to gather views and ideas.

Read the full document

Engaging with children and young people

Other useful links and contacts

  • www.youngminds.org.uk - Young minds champion children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing across the UK.
  • www.themix.org.uk -  For under 25s. The mix gives you the information and support you need to deal with issues you find embarrassing, weird questions, and various other topics.
  • www.healthtalk.org - Healthtalk.org provides free, reliable information about health issues, by sharing people's real-life experiences. You can watch people sharing their stories about cancer, autism, motor-neurone disease, pregnancy, drugs, depression and much more.
  • www.papyrus-uk.org - Prevention of young suicide. PAPYRUS exists to reduce the number of young people who take their own lives by shattering the stigma around suicide and equipping young people and their communities with the skills to recognise and respond to suicidal behaviour. 

Know other useful links and contacts?

Let us know