Youth voice action tracker

The youth participation team have collated all of the key themes that you are raising in terms of improvements that you would like to see in Devon. This tracker sets out all of the actions that Devon County Council and its partners have taken in direct response to the issues that matter most to you.

This document is updated quarterly. The current version reflects any changes up and including those that were made between January and March 2025.

What young people would like to see happen

Over the last few years, young people in Devon been speaking up about the issues that matter most to them. As the Devon Youth Council, we’ve summarised this feedback into the following key points of what we’d like to see happen in Devon.

Please note that the following targets are written by the Devon Youth Council to Devon County Council and its partners.

• 🗣️ “We would like you to work together to ensure a smoother and faster transition into appropriate and stable 18+ housing, with a consistent and supportive approach regardless of where we live in Devon.”

• 🗣️ “We would like you to work together to ensure that more of us with SEND or care-experience are supported to thrive in our education and ultimately achieve paid employment in a field which interests us.”

• 🗣️ “We would like you to work together to improve mental health support up to the age of 25. Focus your attention on the needs of vulnerable groups, addressing gaps in services, the transition into adult services, and the early help support offer.”

• 🗣️ “We would like you to ensure that health provision and information is accessible and holistic and that transitions are supported and smooth.”

• 🗣️ “It is important that you ensure we have support to explore and understand our Identity, to find our place in our communities and to feel welcome, included and celebrated.”

• 🗣️ “If we are care-experienced and wanting to start a family, it is important that you provide us with stability and trauma-informed support at every stage.”

• 🗣️ “All of us should have clear access to our rights in any situation, know how to make ourselves heard and feel confident in our ability to influence change.”

Housing and home

We would like you to work together to ensure a smoother and faster transition into appropriate and stable 18+ housing, with a consistent and supportive approach regardless of where we live in Devon.

What we’ve done

• There have been two joint training events with housing district colleagues and PAs to look a how best to support care experienced young people with housing needs which included training on the law and trauma-informed practice.

• The Care Leaver Joint Housing Protocol has been launched.  It provides a commitment for District Housing Officers and DCC to work in partnership to achieve best outcomes for Care Leavers.

• The housing options pages of the SUSU website has been updated so that it is easier to understand and has all the information.

• We held a focus group with care-experienced young people currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) and this has helped to inform how we will provide you with more individualised support into employment.

• When care-experienced young people can prove that they are ready to live independently, their Band B rating is backdated to their 16^th birthday. This gives a higher priority to care experienced young people.

• We are tracking in our data the occurrence of the use of the legal term ‘intentionally homeless’ in relation to care-experienced young people, so that we can ensure that going forwards this will only occur in very specific circumstances. We cannot at this stage get rid of its use entirely.

• If you are care-experienced, living in supported housing and also working (full time or part time), DCC will pay the service charge of the accommodation provider so that you can keep more of your money.

• We have developed our Staying Close model which is an in-house form of supported accommodation to provide stability for young people and prepare them for their own tenancies. The first Staying Close house has opened in Exmouth as a DCC managed alternative to commissioned supported housing.  Others planned for Tiverton and Exeter.

• Julian Watkins will be chairing the Lasting Homes for Care Leavers Panel in order to offer additional support to accommodation providers where there may be challenges.

What we’re doing

• We are increasing our renting ready/ tenancy training offer to help young people be able to transition to their own tenancies and demonstrate their budgeting and independent living skills as this is an expectation of landlords whether that be private or social housing. Young people need to engage with these to move forwards.

• The HUB referral forms for housing have been updated and more strengths based; work needs to continue to make sure that they are being consistently used.

• We know that if you have Special Educational Needs or Difficulties, you will need more support to transition into appropriate housing. The TASC team are creating a transitions pathway that should make it easier for you to access support and understand what is happening next.

• We are working on preventing the use of B+B for anything other than emergency accommodation.

• Some of the SUSU council members are working with Commissioning managers to make a plan which will involve better move on housing options so that care-experienced young adults can afford to work full time.

• Young people who are living in the first Staying Close home have shared their views on what Devon County Council should do about making sure the Staying Close Homes are right for the young people who move into them. This will be part of the ongoing work on housing and home for care leavers.

Education, employment and training

We would like you to work together to ensure that more of us with SEND or care-experience are supported to thrive in our education and ultimately achieve paid employment in a field which interests us.

What we’ve done

• We held a focus group with care-experienced young people currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) and this has helped to inform how we will provide you with more individualised support into employment.

• We have a range of works experience opportunities for care-experienced young people across Devon and are matching young people to them through our newly developed Talent Bank. If you want future employment opportunities please speak to your PA.

• There is a new internal pathway planning forum that looks at post-18 planning for care-experienced young people from the age of 16.5 so that we can support social workers to put things in place for your education, training and housing and look ahead, as we know that things can become more difficult at 18 so early planning is important.

• The Aspirations worker employed by the Virtual School is specifically looking at care-experienced young people who do not have a post 16 or post 18 education plan. 

• The Youth Voice event in November 2024 clearly demonstrated the need for more neuro-affirming spaces in schools and colleges. This message has been heard, and the Head of Education is working on embedding the Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision guidance for all schools in Devon so that schools are as inclusive as possible.

• An online vocational profile tool has been developed as part of a project on future careers led by Network for Change. The group created a questionnaire for young people in special schools exploring career aspirations and barriers to access those. The results of the questionnaire have been used with the new tool and will result in creating the right careers support for young people in Special Schools to work towards future careers and jobs that they will enjoy.

• The first version of the Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision (OAIP) framework has been developed to improve universal support and inclusion for all children and young people in schools and settings. This is currently being embedded within schools across Devon. Version Two of the OAIP was published in January 2025.

• A locality based Early Help Education offer is being piloted in North Devon since September 2025 to support schools, enabling a more proactive approach to supporting children and young people.

• An additional 50 Further Education places for young people with SEN were introduced in September.

• We have developed and rolled out Cyber Fundamentals workshops, designed specifically for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) schools through the Raising Digital Engagement Programme for KS3 students.

• PACE (Positive about Care Experience)  training programme for education providers and employers has been launched so that colleges and employers are more trauma-informed and understanding of support they can offer to care-experienced young people.

• Devon County Council have updated the guidance for managers to support care-experienced young people with work experience opportunities.

• Virtual School learning advocate for young asylum seekers has been appointed. This will help Young Asylum Seekers to access appropriate support for learning. 

• An online vocational profile tool has been developed to support young people with SEND to consider their motivation, interests, work attitudes, resource, and support needs by gathering and assessing information that is relevant to their future job and career aspirations. It was launched to schools and professionals on 28 November.

What we’re doing

• Young asylum seekers have raised with us the challenges some of you are facing to access education, employment and training opportunities. This has been raised with the Deputy Director who is looking at how to address this problem. The college are looking at different options other than just ESOL.

• Young asylum seekers have raised some of the challenges around integration in some education facilities in Devon. The Head of Education (Jack newton) has spoken with the college who are considering how to address this.

• We are working with Petroc and Exeter colleges to provide an additional 350 Further Education places for young people with SEN from September 2025.

• University of Exeter are developing their offer to care leavers.

• We are piloting a free bus with Stagecoach for a small number of care leavers who need it in order to help with getting to work experience opportunities and to work.

• We are working with Exeter College to help care-experienced young people access individualised apprenticeships (as part of the PACE programme).

• Young people who are accessing alternative education provisions have shared their views on what is working and what needs looking at in these provisions so that the commissioning service can make sure they purchase the right kind of support.

Mental health

We would like you to work together to improve mental health support up to the age of 25. Focus your attention on the needs of vulnerable groups, addressing gaps in services, the transition into adult services, and the early help support offer. 

What we’ve done

• Three new Therapeutic Wellbeing Practitioners (TWP) for Care Leavers, have now been employed.

• The new Therapeutic Wellbeing Practitioners will research the issues that care-experienced young people have raised around mental health support needs-  particularly the gaps in provision and the transition into adult services. They will advocate for you to get support when you need it and offer some therapeutic support themselves if required. A member of the SUSU council is now part of the TWS steering group to ensure that the young person’s view is at the centre of the project.

• In order to educate paediatricians on the importance of understanding mental health needs and fighting for support for young people’s mental health needs when they stay in hospital, a member of the Devon Youth Council worked with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to create a training video for doctors based on her life-experiences.

• We have bought a number of Rees Foundation Ask Jan subscriptions for Care Leavers. This subscription offers counselling, peer support and other opportunities. Speak to your PA if you would like to access this offer.

• We have started a project to improve Lifestory work so that we can improve the quality and consistency of this and prevent ongoing questions about your early life affecting your mental health as you get older. A member of Children’s Services staff attended the SUSU council meeting in February to share new Lifestory booklets and training for workers. The council liked the approach and think it will work. The training has been delivered throughout March and April.

What we’re doing

• The Thrive directory of community support services for mental health has been created. This now needs to be embedded and used effectively by professionals working with young people.

• We are developing our training offer to foster carers so that they can better understand and support young people who are experiencing mental health challenges.

• Some leisure centres in Devon are offering free access for care-experienced young people as we know exercise is important for wellbeing. We are working with local councils to get all council leisure centres to adopt this policy.

• Our Lifelong Links project recognises the positive impact of long-term trusted relationships for care-experienced young people on wellbeing and future relationships. Our Young Care-experienced Lead will be giving a presentation on Lifelong Links to PAs soon so that as many of you as possible can access this opportunity.

• Children’s emotional wellbeing procurement is currently underway. A new model of support will be delivered from June 2025, which includes youth worker input to targeted children’s populations.

• Children in Care CAMHS will be redesigned over the next 6 months according to the results of the review and resources.

• We are working with Petroc and Exeter colleges to provide an additional 150 Further Education places for young people with SEN from September 2025. We are also speaking with other colleges to try and identify further opportunities in the south of the county.

• We are working towards having an award-winning mental health support programme rolled out across all schools in Devon by 2029. This will see primary, secondary and colleges across the county equipped with dedicated mental health practitioners on site in all schools through The Mental Health Support Team in schools (MHST). Schools will also have access to training, consultations, digital mental health tools as well as access to a network of trained professionals to provide both preventative and responsive services.

Physical health

We would like you to ensure that health provision and information is accessible and holistic and that transitions are supported and smooth. 

What we’ve done

• We have worked with some young asylum seekers to create a video about Initial Health Assessments so that it is less confusing and scary for new young people arriving in Devon. The video has been translated into several different languages. This piece of work won Coram Voice’s Digital Award in it’s national awards in 2024.

•  NHS Devon has agreed to fund Pre-Payment Certificates for Care Leavers who are not currently covered by free prescription categories. This will go live by 1 April 2025.

• There are now two trauma-informed NHS dentist practices in Devon who will ensure priority access to Children in Care and Care Leavers.  One is in Plymouth and one in Ilfracombe. 

• Free prescriptions for all Care Leavers for anything other than one-off prescriptions has now been launched.

• An online Neurodiversity Hub has been developed to provide resources to support to children and young people of all ages who are neurodivergent and their families. 

What we’re doing

• We are working with Petroc and Exeter colleges to provide an additional 150 Further Education places for young people with SEN from September 2025. We are also speaking with other colleges to try and identify further opportunities in the south of the county

Identity and community

It is important that you ensure we have support to explore and understand our Identity, to find our place in our communities and to feel welcome, included and celebrated. Includes accessible transport.

What we’ve done

• We want to take every opportunity to celebrate your achievements as care-experienced young people, so we have increased our financial incentive when you take exams to include Functional Skills.

• In order to raise awareness and understanding of care-experience, we have supported some of you to deliver Total Respect Training to teams in Childrens Services. This has made a really good impression and led to changes and improvements across the service.

• We have worked with some of you to develop a Welcome information pack and leaflet for Young Asylum seekers. This was officially launched in January 2025.

What we’re doing

• Our Lifelong Links project recognises the positive impact of long-term trusted relationships for care-experienced young people on wellbeing and future relationships. Our Young Care-experienced Lead will be giving a presentation on Life Long Links to PAs soon so that as many of you as possible can access this opportunity.

• We have started a project exploring how the belongings of children in care and care leavers are stored and looked after throughout care as this is something that has been raised to us as an issue through the Total Respect Training.

• We are developing a Celebration and Practice Week around celebrating and promoting children in care and care leavers and best practice for summer 2025.

• Young people who are part of the Network for Change are working with transport managers to improve accessibility of transport options for young people with SEND.

Supporting care experienced parents

If we are care-experienced and wanting to start a family, it is important that you provide us with stability and trauma-informed support at every stage.

What we’ve done

• The updated Local Offer now has a financial offer those who are expecting or who are new parents

What we’re doing

• We have started a working group to look at the issues you have raised as care-experienced or vulnerable parents so that we can continue to improve the support that is given to you so that you can be the best parents possible.

Our rights and our voices

All of us should have clear access to our rights in any situation, know how to make ourselves heard and feel confident in our ability to influence change. 

What we’ve done

• We have recently updated our complaints process so that it is more accessible for young people and so that you know how to feedback any concerns you may have safely and easily.

• We have created this action tracker so that anyone who is interested can see the main issues raised by young people in Devon through the Participation Team and the actions that are taking place to address them.

• The youth participation strategy for Children’s Services is complete. It was co-designed with young people, and all staff are being trained so that they listen to young people in a meaningful and appropriate way.

• We have created a new section of the SEND Local Offer focusing on Health and Wellbeing support available.

• An EBSA (emotionally based school avoidance) online resource has been developed for parents, schools and education settings which can be found on the SEND Local Offer.

• We have developed and trialled a more youth friendly, jargon-free assessment document for Children in Care.

• Members of the Devon Youth Council met with the My Life My Say group to help form the National Youth Strategy by representing the views of Devon young people.

What we’re doing

• An online resource for young people with SEND as they transition into adulthood is being tested in April 2025 by young people from Pathfield school.

• We are seeking the views and experiences of 4-11 year olds in care through the Bright Spots Survey in January/February 2025.

• We are working with children and young people to update our Promise to Children in Care.

• The Devon Youth Council have completed the Make your Mark survey across Devon. Over 7000 young people responded and we have established our top issue for 2025.

• Young people from Network for Change are working with the Director of the SEND Improvement Board to make sure the strategies and approach are right for young people