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First Newsletterwe are the Young Advisors

Delivered by young people from

We are the Young Advisors, Amy, Jordan, Kanisha, Leuven, Annika, Caitlin, and Ellie. We all have experience of care and we work together with Doncaster Children’s Services Trust. With the Trust we work on all sorts of fun things to help everyone understand what life is really like for children and young people in care. We help teach people so we can work together to make things better for you!

This month is jam-packed! First off we get to know Julie, then we have cooking with Amy - I wonder what amazing food we can make! Lastly keep an eye out for our Happy Facts and test your friends.

Wow, that’s enough to keep you going all month!

Amy

Caitlin

Kanisha

Ellie

Annika Leuven

Jordan

Hi everyone!

Q) Julie you’re the Director of Children’s Social Care, what does that mean?

A) I’m responsible for a lot of teams who help support and care for children, young people and families. Teams such as Early Help, Child Protection, Children in Need, Fostering, Adoption, as well as Inspiring Futures who support young people leaving care. My job is about understanding how all of those services work, making sure we have the right people in the right place so that children, young people and families are getting the support they absolutely need when they need it!

Q) We often hear people at the Trust talking about the voice of the child. How do you make sure you and your teams are listening to young people?

A) We know our children in care team, fostering, adoption and young people’s services are doing a great job at listening to our children and young people. We’ve also got a brilliant Children in Care Council and Young Advisors who are using their experiences to help us to make the changes that will make a big difference to you! We know there is more to do! We want to hear more from those children and young people who are living with their families who we only support for a short amount of time. We are sometimes in and out of their lives so quickly that this can be hard to do, as we’ve not built up a relationship with them. So this an area we are going to be looking at.

Every month we will be chatting to some of the people who work at the Trust to find out what they do for you!

First in the hot seat is one of the ‘big bosses’, Julie Mepham

Hi, I’m Kanisha

Q) How can you help if a young person is feeling they aren’t being listened to?

A) By listening! My role is to make sure children, and young people are being listened to. If a young person has spoken to their worker, advocate and their carer and they feel they aren’t being listened to, then I need to know! You can always get in touch with me by...

Q) Julie tells us about a time you went an extra mile for a young person?

A) I once helped a young woman get ready for her wedding day. I wasn’t happy about her marrying the man, but I also knew she had no one else to help her with her special day. So she jumped in my car, and we went shopping together, and I brought her wedding dress and shoes. With the help of others, we made sure that she had food sorted for the reception, she had her hair and make-up done and on the day and I drove her to her wedding. Whether it is driving you to your wedding, coming with you to your hospital appointment or just making time to meet with you for a cuppa tea; you are all our children and we are here for you!

Q) What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

A) Be true to yourself! People will give you lots of advice good or bad advice. Take the advice, but listen to yourself and what your heart is telling you. Do it when it feels right to you, not when others are telling you should do it!

Q) If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

A) It isn’t really a superpower but to have a magic pot of money, so I could have enough to do all the things we need to do, without having to think about what we can do with the amount of money we’ve got.

Thanks for reading!

Cooking with Amy

Walking Tacos

Ingredients:

1 pack of beef

1 packet of chili mix

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can kidney beans or refried beans

5 packets of plain crisps

Toppings: Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and sliced green onions

Instructions:

Add 1 table spoon of oil into a pan

In a large pan, cook the beef over medium heat.

Top tip: Ask an adult for help with this

When it is no longer pink and has turned brown add in the other

ingredients

Stir in chili seasoning mix

Stir in pepper

Stir in tomatoes

Stir in beans, after 2 – 3 mins turn down the heat.

Let the ingredients in the pan simmer, this will take 10-15 minutes, make sure

to stir it occasionally.’

Just before serving, cut open crisp bags

Pour in beef mixture and add your toppings

Crossword Questions and Answers Child’s Rights CrosswordAcross2. All adults should do what is b_ _ _ _

for you.

4. You have the right to food, c_ _ _ _ _ _ _ and a safe place to live.

Down1. You have the right to be protected from

being h_ _ _ _ and mistreated, in body and mind.

3. Everyone under the age of e_ _ _ _ _ _ _ has these rights.

5. You have the right to a g_ _ _ _ quality education

Happy fact: The first paddington bear soft toy was designed in Doncaster by a lady called shirley clarkson.

Happy fact: Did you know?Doncaster is home to the only polar bear in the UK.

Happy fact: The longest chain of loom band bracelets is made of 5,038 bracelets and was achieved in the frenchgate shopping centre.

1. Hurt (Article 19) 2. Best (Article 3) 3. Eighteen (Article 1) 4. Clothing (Article 27) 5. Good (Article 28)

1

2 3

4 5

Happy FactsThe

Tell us what you think Send your feedback to, the Young Advisors, Collonades House, Duke Street, Doncaster, DN1 1ER.