Collaboration in action: The vital role of Participation Programme Assistants in our work
At CORC, we have a wonderful team of dedicated and talented staff with a range of expertise. From generating annual service reports, to conducting service evaluation, to managing memberships, we are a busy team! Our potentially lesser seen but arguably most valuable team members are our Participation Programme Assistants (PPAs): parents, carers or young people who work for Anna Freud to shape our work by drawing on their lived expertise.
PPAs work with us on a range of CORC projects, supporting everything from project development to day-to-day delivery, to analysis and report writing. For example, they often lead focus groups, interviews and YPAGs (young person's advisory groups) as part of our evaluations. You might see them co-delivering training with CORC staff or speaking at events.
Involving young people, and parents and carers, in our work is really important to us, and our work within Anna Freud. Anna Freud builds participation into our research across the mental health sphere, from one-off consultation to sustained coproduction approaches. We endeavour to directly include the voices of children and young people, to design, shape and influence what we do. We know that participation is a right, not a luxury.
PPA Ahmad Khan is working with us on an evaluation of Synergy in Greater Manchester. CORC are evaluating how a programme of training about the Lundy model is being received and implemented in youth services across Greater Manchester. Ahmad says that:
Erin, PPA on the London Vanguard project, our evaluation of impact and best practice of the London Vanguard (violence reduction) being piloted across 13 boroughs in London, shares that:
Thank you to all the wonderful PPAs who are part of the CORC team. It's so valuable to have you involved.
On 23 June, Rachael Stemp, our Participation in Research Officer, will be co-delivering training our PPA, Dina Koschorreck, focussing on how build participation into research.
This training will draw on both practices within Anna Freud and the latest participatory research, for example within the Lundy Community of Practice (of which Anna Freud is a leading member) to consider how to effectively collaborate with young people in research throughout the project lifecycle.
This training aims to influence and improve research practice by upskilling professionals to enhance their participatory research. It will cover the basics and principles of research participation from a rights-based perspective, and share practical guidance and tools for effective collaborative research, from bid writing to project dissemination. It will also draw on examples from research around young people’s mental health, but the principles and practices are widely applicable to other disciplines.
To learn more or sign up see here:
23 June: Participation in Research training
Additionally, if you use outcome measures in your work with children and young people and haven't yet attended Rachael's training - this webinar will explore how young people can be meaningfully involved in the processes and practices of routine outcome measurement. Participants will consider how to ensure young people’s voice is given due weight and hear practical suggestions for improving participation in their service.
6 July: Engaging young people in routine outcome monitoring
1 October: Engaging young people in routine outcome monitoring