'Our Rights, Our Voice': Workshop on NHS Constitution for people aged 16-25

Origin of ‘Our Rights Our Voice: NHS Constitution project’

• Back in 2013 the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) consulted children and young people and found that while they wanted to know more about their rights as patients, few of them had any awareness of the NHS Constitution, the key document where those rights are set out.
• Therefore, as part of the project exploring how the rights in the NHS Constitution can be promoted to children and young people, the National Children’s Bureau and Council for Disabled Children (CDC) have developed and piloted a session plan and set of resources that introduces the rights in the NHS Constitution, alongside other key standards, to children, young people and health professionals.
• These resources were then tested by the project partners during workshops run in their local areas.
• This resource is aimed at a wide range of children and young people with various health needs. Locally, following the recommendations of a Healthwatch Brighton and Hove report, which found that there is a need to raise awareness about rights among CAMHS services users, it was decided to deliver 2 sessions for young people aged 16-25 years old with mental health needs.
• The workshops were delivered in collaboration with Sara Callarman from Speak Your Mind Young People's Advocacy Project, Alex Garner, Engagement Worker, and Phil Stevens, LGBT - TAPA (Teen to Adult Personal Advisor) from Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.