Young People's Advisory Group Statement

The Making Noise young people’s advisory group have worked together since July 2015, making sure the research has children and young people at the heart of it. These are their key messages to practitioners about the research.

We always hear adults say that young people who are unheard are marginalised in some way. From our experience, young people are not 'hard to reach' – they are just never given a voice. A message from the research is that we need to give them that voice, and when they do speak, you need to take notice of it and act. Adults need to listen to children and young people's wishes and feelings, and young people should feel empowered and encouraged to share these.

Young people are just that; young. They haven't had same life experiences as adults. But the young people who have been through this experience are more than just the experience; they want to be treated like a whole person with needs and desires and personality. Sometimes the problem is that a service or a person prioritises the abuse and not other things in their life that make them them. They are an individual.

The children and young people who have taken part in the research have been brave enough to give their voices to help Making Noise make noise! We need to make sure they've been heard so there won't be anyone suffering. With all different research and projects that have happened, we don’t want ours to be the one that there's no action upon it. Where you need training, find it, get it in place. We want to make sure no-one goes unnoticed or unheard.

We feel so proud to be a part of this and to know it's going to help lots of professionals help children and young people in their individual recovery.

Making Noise Young People’s Advisory Group, April 2017

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