‘talking about it, without talking about it’ engaging young people through animation valerie...

‘Talking about it, without talking about it’ Engaging young people through animation

Valerie DunnUniversity of Cambridge/ CLAHRC-CP

June 2013

Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC)

Background 2008 NIHR funded 9 CLAHRCs for 5 years-partnerships: researchers, NHS & social care-applied health research focused on the needs of patients & service users-translation of research evidence into practice-commitment to Patient Public Involvement CLAHRC-Cambridgeshire & Peterborough: http://www.clahrc-cp.nihr.ac.uk-focus on mental health across the life-course-diversity: NHS, LA, University, commissioners, managers, clinicians, service users, carers, researchers …

BUT …

Adolescent Theme

• Mental health of young people facing transition out of local authority care

• Mental health training for foster carers: CloseUp Training

• PPI? Foster carersYoung people ?

The challenge:• Actively & usefully involve young people• Capitalise on young people’s views & perspectives • Make the process innovative, engaging & creative• Form lasting links for future work

The solution:

What’s it like to be taken away from one’s family and placed in local authority care?

- Maverick approach required, surveys won’t do it

...but maybe a film could ...

My Name is Joe

 http://youtu.be/ArBjWe3IWs0

Team Joe – a perfect balance

*Participation Officer, Cambs. County Council, Mary Ogden-11 young people in care, aged 13-21

*Cambs Film Consortium Coordinator, Trish Shiel-Lizzy Hobbs, Spellbound Animation-James Rogers, Sonic Sound Studios-Ryd Cook, Independent film-maker

*Tom Mellor, Restorative Justice Coord., Cambs YOS*Volunteers (film students) & research assistants

The Process

- Jan-July: core group planning meetings groundwork with young people

- July: regional workshops to enthuse & recruit - outline project, animation & sound workshops

- August: 4-day animation summer school

Summer School

Day 1: ice-breakers, experimenting with animation & sound techniques & equipment, ideas, discussion & workshop exercises

Day 2: AM at the cinema – variety of animation clips, sound techniques. PM Tom-workshops. ‘Joe’ came to life

Days 3 & 4: bringing the ideas to life with animation & sound. http://youtu.be/o17AHhi_fus

Feedback from the team‘Well, we were talking about it without talking about it weren’t we. Yep, it was good.’ Young person

‘This is a University isn’t it? I’m not clever enough to come here, but will you show us round?’ Young person

‘I wanted to say how brilliant it was ... nice to be involved in a project that was so well planned & supported, a great team I think! I was really impressed with the young people, they were very courageous in sharing their ideas & taking on so many new challenges.’Lizzy,animator

‘That film says it all’ Foster carer

Principles of PPI

Active involvement

YP perspective

‘Feeling part of stuff’ (Action for Children)

Bottom-up approach

Everybody learns something

Gains for YP: views matter, new skills, confidence, CV

Form a bond for future work

The Product

- Unique, raw & powerful resource – multiple audiences

- YouTube over 1300 views- So far: used to train foster carers & social workers- Fostering Information Exchange website (LGA)- National Care Advisory Service website (NCAS)

Thanks to - Core team: 11 YP, Trish, Tom, James, Lizzy, Mary, Ryd- Volunteers Max Zeh, Sophie Ferney- RAs Jasmeet Thandi, Kelly Harris, Mischa Gwaspari- Anglia Ruskin University- NIHR-CLAHRC

Thanks for listeningLook out for the sequel in September