Get involved

Get involved

If you would like to take part in activities with ECHO where you can have your say, please complete this form. We ask you about your support, access, or communication needs so we can help you take part fully. All information we ask about you will be kept confidential and used only to support you in activities.

We know that some children and young people who are LGBT+, care experienced, seeing sanctuary, or who have a special educational need or disability, or a caring responsibility can find it more difficult to have their voices heard and will have unique experience of getting health and wellbeing support. We especially want to hear from you.

All sessions will be fully facilitated by Barnardo’s staff, who will support your individual needs to help you take part comfortably and confidently.

If you have any questions about what is involved or what to expect, please contact us.

Teens boys and girls sitting on the grass

What happens next?

After you fill out the sign-up form, we’ll drop you an email to say hi

Share further details about the opportunity, such as timings, location, number of workshops etc

We’ll discuss any access or support needs on an individual basis

Get involved! In person and online, we can’t wait to meet you!

What is voice, influence and participation

Voice, influence and participation is about ensuring that children, young people and families are not just heard, but are actively involved in shaping things that affect their lives. It moves beyond simply asking for opinions, rather focuses on meaningful engagement where their views lead to real change.

We define meaningful engagement as working with children and young people, rather than doing things to or for them. This includes creating safe, inclusive spaces where they can share their experiences, ideas and feedback in ways that feel comfortable and accessible to them. It also means being transparent about how their input will be used, and importantly, closing the feedback loop so they can see the difference their contributions have made.

We are particularly committed to engaging with those whose voices are often underrepresented or seldom heard, ensuring that services are equitable, inclusive and responsive to the needs of all communities.

Children’s Rights: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) - Children and young people have a right to express their views freely in all matters that affect them, and for those views to be given due weight (Article 12). They also have the right to access information (Article 13) and to participate fully in decisions about their lives and communities.

Our definitions

Collaboration

Co-creation

CYP work with us in the ideation, conception and strategic planning of projects, products and services.

Co-design

CYP work with us to design projects, products and services.

Co-production

CYP work with us to design AND implement projects, products and services.

Co-evaluation

CYP work with us to evaluate projects, products and services.

Engagement

Participation

CYP are asked for their views on an ONGOING basis, which are taken into account and given due weight when decisions are made that affect them.

Consultation

CYP are asked for their views at speciﬁc, ONE-OFF points during a project or service journey, which are taken into account and given due weight when decisions are made that affect them.

Expression

Representation

CYP are supported to express their views to those responsible for making decisions that have an impact on their lives.

Compliant

CYP are supported to express dissatisfaction or concern.

Compliment

CYP are supported to express praise, thanks or appreciation.

Voice and Influence

The collective term we use to describe the different ways we support, listen to and respond to the voices and lived experiences of children and young people (CYP).

Voice/s

the ways in which CYP communicate with others, verbally and nonverbally.

Lived experience/s

knowledge, understanding and expertise CYP gain or learn through direct, ﬁrst-hand encounters.

Influence

The effect CYP have on the action, behaviour and/or development of someone or something.

Our belief and vision

We believe that children and young people are the experts of their own lives and experiences.

Their voices - perspective, views and ideas - are powerful and must be valued, respected, and acted upon. We believe that when children and young people meaningfully influence decision making in the support offer and services that affect them, outcomes improve.

Children and young people deserve safe, accessible, inclusive spaces where they can lead, challenge, and create.

Is to create safe, accessible, inclusive, anti-discriminatory and representative spaces where children and young people in Tower Hamlets are equal partners in shaping the health and wellbeing services they use.

Is to ensure children and young people's voices are listened to with respect, that their insights drive action, and their lived experiences are reflected across systems and decisions.

Is to build a local culture of participation where all children and young people, especially those whose voices are often unheard, can shape a healthier, happier, safer and more hopeful future for themselves and their communities.

We recognise this is their right under the UN Convention on The Rights of the Child (Articles 12 & 13)

Our objectives

Listen and respond to the experiences and voices of children and young people.

Create opportunities for children and young people to shape the future.

Speak out alongside children and young people.

Listening and responding

Strengthen how we listen to and act on the voices and lived experiences of children and young people in Tower Hamlets, especially those whose voices are often unheard.

Speaking out and standing with

Ensure that the ECHO team stands alongside children and young people and speaks out on their behalf when they are unable to be present.

Opportunities to shape the future

Design and facilitate meaningful opportunities for children and young people to lead, co-design and influence service improvement, system change and public health priorities.

Representation and accountability

Ensure that our voice and influence work values and reflects the diversity of cultures and experiences in Tower Hamlets... building trust by closing the feedback loop and telling the difference their voice has made.

Approach

Our approach to our practice and our alignment with organisational values and impact.

How we approach what we do

Our approach to voice and influence work with children and young people is centred around children's rights, using the Lundy Model, which is built on and around four dimensions, each of which are necessary components of great voice and influence practice.

At the heart of our use of the Lundy Model, are our charity’s core values: inclusive, supportive, positive, accountable.

1. Designing and providing safe, ethical, inclusive and meaningful opportunities for children and young people to give their views and share their lived experience.

2. Supporting and enabling children and young people to form and give their views and share their lived experience, in their way, on their terms, to get the best out of them.

3. The views and lived experiences of children and young people are heard by the people who can act or make a real difference.

4. The views and lived experiences of children and young people are responded to and/or acted upon, and feedback is provided to those involved.

Barnardos values

Our work is underpinned by Barnardo's core values.

In everything we do, we’II be working with children and young people to be safer, happier, healthier and more hopeful.

We also apply an anti-racist, culturally curious and intersectional lens across all our participation work.

This includes being reflective in our practice, responding to feedback, and working with tools and partners like SEEN to continually improve.

Inclusive

We priorities the participation of seldom-heard young people, including those from marginalised communities, long term health needs, and those disproportionately impacted by health inequalities.

Supportive

We create safe, trauma informed spaces and provide the emotional and practical support young people need to contribute meaningfully.

Positive

We celebrate the strengths, insight and leadership young people bring, and design our activities to build their confidence, knowledge and agency.

Accountable

We commit to acting on what we hear, closing the loop, and working transparently with young people, colleagues and partners.

Quality

How we ensure quality in what we do

Inform you

Be clear and upfront

Safe space for you

Help you feel safe to give your views if you want to

Support you

Let you be in control of how you want to be heard

Include you

Treat you fairly, don’t judge you and give you an equal opportunity

Relevant to you

Include you in issues about you and are of interest to you

Value you

Your opinion matters, treat you with respect

Makes a difference to you

Listen to what you say and tell you what’s happened as a result

7 Quality Standards

Our voice and influence practice should be excellent, inclusive and high quality.

To evidence this, it should meet our seven quality standards, which were developed with young people themselves./p>

These standards enable children and young people to hold us to account for the way we work with them in amplifying their voice and influence.

Impact

Through continuous evaluation of children & young people's understanding of ECHO and their experiences, and through monitoring who we are reaching and returning engagement, we’re constantly monitoring our impact with children & young people.

How will you make sure this is meaningful and high quality?

We will make sure all our sessions and activities are engaging, planned and relevant to the group we are engaging with. We will be responsive to feedback and reflect on our work, keeping the 7 quality standards agreed with young people, in mind.

How will you help me take part?

Individualised support and adjustments, reaching CYP in a way that feels accessible and safe to participate. We ask CYP what their needs are before they take part, and about their experiences through and after activities. Choice led.

How will I know you have listened?

Reflecting back what we’ve heard, checking our understanding, and ensuring we represent children & young people as they intend. They are given opportunities to refine and clarify their views and ideas.

How will I know the difference my voice has made?

Ensuring children and young people understand the purpose of the work. We will feedback what we’ve done with the information they gave us, who we shared it with and what impact its made.

The impact of children and young people’s voice and influence can be seen and evidenced in different ways but is always context dependent and rarely ‘one size fits all’. Impact, outcome and/or output measures should always be rooted in the purpose and objective of the activity undertaken and so may be different depending on the piece of work being undertaken.

Our partnership with Compass reflects a shared commitment to translate CYP voice and lived experiences into meaningful change, ensuring that children and young people’s voices are not only heard but are actively shaping service direction across the borough.

Through strategic partnerships and community engagement, we inform public health priorities, share learning across community partner networks, and build meaningful relationships with key stakeholders. By centering the voices of children and young people, we are influencing local decision making, shaping service design, and supporting a culture of shared accountability.

Young Health Hub (Tower Hamlets)

Young Health Hub (Tower Hamlets)

Get involved

Get involved

What happens next?

What is voice, influence and participation

Our definitions

Collaboration

Co-creation

Co-design

Co-production

Co-evaluation

Engagement

Participation

Consultation

Expression

Representation

Compliant

Compliment

Voice and Influence

Voice/s

Lived experience/s

Influence

Our belief and vision

We recognise this is their right under the UN Convention on The Rights of the Child (Articles 12 & 13)

Our objectives

Listen and respond to the experiences and voices of children and young people.

Create opportunities for children and young people to shape the future.

Speak out alongside children and young people.

Listening and responding

Speaking out and standing with

Opportunities to shape the future

Representation and accountability

Approach

How we approach what we do

Barnardos values

In everything we do, we’II be working with children and young people to be safer, happier, healthier and more hopeful.

Inclusive

Supportive

Positive

Accountable

Quality

Inform you

Safe space for you

Support you

Include you

Relevant to you

Value you

Makes a difference to you

7 Quality Standards

Impact

How will you make sure this is meaningful and high quality?

How will you help me take part?

How will I know you have listened?

How will I know the difference my voice has made?

Young Health Hub (Tower Hamlets)

Young Health Hub (Tower Hamlets)