Co-production in a changing world

By Jordan Wosik, Young Advisor at Doncaster Children’s Services Trust

In honour of Co-production week, I want to share with you how as a Young Advisor for the Trust I feel we focus on delivering our services with equal partnership.  I work in the Advocacy and Participation team so I have seen first-hand the work my colleagues do to support children and young people to have their say. Tracey, Participation & Advocacy Co-ordinator, has supported me from day one and this support led to me wanting to provide support for others in a similar situation to my own.

Equality is a big part of our relationship with the Trust. It is essential for us as young people to know we are truly valued.  A prime example of this is how Tracey always makes sure we are rewarded for our time (because let’s face it our time is as valuable as any other professionals!). 

There are so many shared benefits to working alongside the Trust. Young people are given opportunities and support to do things they may not normally get to do at their age.  I wouldn’t have seen myself ever doing things such as giving speeches in front of rooms full of people or delivering our ‘HearMe’ training about the importance of a young person’s voice, but these are things I really enjoy and get a lot from. Doing this stuff has built my confidence and self-esteem and I have made so many friends and connections with people. These skills have set me up for the future and taught me valuable lessons about working life, the culture and how get my point across in a professional way. I love working in an organisation that has the child’s needs at the centre, and to see how my input helps to make a real difference.

This is just the tip of the iceberg for all the things we do to be inclusive, it is a constant for us through all the work we do. We hope to share some more in our next update so stay tuned.

Have a fantastic Co-production week.