voypic VOICE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN CARE ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - 2023
Welcome
On behalf of the Board of Directors I am delighted to share with you this year’s annual report for the financial year ending April 2023.
The past year has been one of innovation and celebration.
In October 2022 construction work on our new headquarters building 100GPS finished and the staff team moved into our new home in November 2022. This was a fantastic reward for our team given the immense effort applied to the construction project while they continued to deliver high quality services for young people.
Completion of this fantastic facility after years of effort is a reason for huge celebration. 100GPS provides our young people with bespoke youth spaces, our staff with a high-quality working environment, and provides the organisation with greater security and additional revenue raising opportunities.
100GPS is a fantastic collaborative project between Include Youth, VOYPIC and VIable Corporate Services and we continue to foster the partnership between the organisations while retaining VOYPIC’s distinct identity as the charity for children and young people with a lived experience of care in Northern Ireland.
As the cost-of-living has crisis deepened it has exacerbated many of the challenges faced by children and young people in care. However, it has not deterred our young people from immersing themselves in innovative projects with the desire to drive positive change on behalf of their peers.
This includes participation in the European PANDA project promoting the involvement of young children in welfare decision-making, publication of “A-Z of Care in Our Words” to
change the language of care, and involvement in the Experts by Experience Reference Group to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services.
Despite the bleak economic outlook VOYPIC as an organisation, and the young people we work with to create change, can look forward with justified confidence based on our achievements this year.
- Peter McClenaghan, Chair
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Message from the Chief Executive
Welcome to VOYPIC’s Annual Report for 2022-23. I am proud to present an overview of the great work delivered by the staff, volunteers, children and young people of VOYPIC this past year. The circumstances in which we have operated have been challenging.
The ongoing impact of the Covid Pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis, and rising energy prices, have had a significant impact on children and families. The political vacuum and precarious financial and funding situation has harmed the voluntary and community sector and exacerbated workforce issues across statutory Children’s Services.
The VOYPIC team has worked hard to protect the individual rights of young people, widen peer support networks, and build the capacity of children and young people to engage directly with decision makers.
This report sets out our achievements this year; the scope of our advocacy work, social action projects, campaigns, and the many ways in which we brought care experienced children and young people together to connect and support each other.
Thank you to the incredible team of staff and volunteers for your hard work, dedication and creativity throughout the year!
- Alicia Toal, Chief Executive
VOYPIC’s participation and independent advocacy services supported 544 children and young people.
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234 309
Male Female
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children and young people received 353 advocacy support
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30
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young people took part in peer support groups
children and young 114 people took part in participation forums
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27
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young care experienced adults received advocacy support
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64
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61
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children and young people took part in social action programmes
children and young people used our independent advocacy service at Beechcroft
18
13
young people took part in our youth leadership programme and Young Reps Forum
children and young people received oneto-one support and coaching
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40
168
86
66
184
11 years old 16 - 17 21 years
or under 12 - 15 years old 18 - 20 old or over
years old years old
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21%
26%
20%
32
13%
20%
12
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children and young
147
people lived with foster
families
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11
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100
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5
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children and young people lived in children’s’ homes
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75
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children and young people were living with extended family
4
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65
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2
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young people were in a hospital setting
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40
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1
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were living at home with a parent
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Where do
they live?
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young people lived in supported accommodation
young people were in Lakewood Secure Care Centre
young people were homeless
young people were living independently
young people were in Woodlands Centre
young people were in Hydebank Wood
young person was living outside Northern Ireland
Who else did we
reach?
26 children and young people were members of the Experts by Experience Reference Group, supporting the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services
34 children and young people attended activity days
127 children and young people were members of MyVOYPIC
100 children and young people took part in policy consultations
300 children and young people attended our CARE DAY fun day events
We coordinated and submitted nine responses to policy consultations:
UK Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (Children’s Law Centre) SBNI Strategic Plan (Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland)
Protocol for HSCTs/PSNI Interface (PSNI/HSCB)
Publication of RQIA Inspection Reports on Children’s Homes (RQIA)
Custodial Arrangements for Children (DoJ)
Raising the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (DoJ)
Amendments to Independent Guardian Service (DoH)
Support for Care Leavers (DoH)
Foster Placement and Foster Agency Regulations (DoH)
Independent Advocacy
Support
VOYPIC provides independent advocacy services for a range of children and young people. These services support children and young people living in care or receiving leaving and after care services; care experienced young people aged 16+ who no longer receive help from social services; and children and young people placed in Beechcroft.
353 children and young people
For children and young people living in care or receiving leaving and after care services
396 advocacy cases 654 support needs. 312 visiting advocacy sessions.
24 activity days with 235 children and young people
22 advocacy workshops with 282 young people
The top three reasons for referrals
Advocacy Support for Living Arrangements
152 children and young people sought support about their living arrangements.
- “I am happy living with my foster carer and this is now my forever home.”
1. Where they live (placement)
2. Rights and entitlements
3. Family Time (contact)
-
“I am back living with my mummy. I get to see my daddy and my
-
grandparents.”
-
“I did not want to be in a children’s home and wanted to live with my mummy.
-
I have got to move home with her and my brother. I am also going to school.”
-
“I wanted to live with my granny and felt no one was listening to me. I
-
attended my meetings and it was agreed my granny would be assessed for me
-
to move in with her.”
Advocacy Support and Rights and Entitlements
118 children and young people sought support to secure their statutory rights and entitlements.
-
“I’m now able to have my friend over that I wasn’t allowed before.”
-
“Swimming Lessons being found, maths tutor being sorted, Family Holiday being looked in to with my passport issues being resolved, and got a laptop from the Trust.”
-
“I have a social worker now, I didn't use to have one.”
-
“After speaking with my advocate I learnt what I was entitled to at university and I was able to get
-
£1000 bursary and get a laptop.”
Independent Advocacy Support
Advocacy Support for Family Time
152 children and young people sought support about their living arrangements.
-
“I feel everything went ok, I feel people listened to me and I see my Mummy more.”
-
“I get to be with Granny and Granda for Christmas. I chose how many times I see mummy.”
-
“I was able to say who I didn’t want to see in my family.”
-
“I am now able to have more contact with mum”.
Advocacy Support in Lakewood Regional Secure Centre
VOYPIC Advocates support young people being presented at the Regional Multi Agency Panel for Admission to secure care. 66 young people were supported to represent their views to the Regional Multi Agency Panel for Admission to Secure Care. people sought support to secure their statutory rights and entitlements.
- “I didn’t want to go to secure and I wanted someone to speak to my social worker
and attend a meeting to discuss if I still met criteria to go or not. VOYPIC attended the meeting and explained how I was feeling, I did join in on zoom as well and was able to say how I felt.”
For care experienced young adults
27 young adults aged 21-25 supported with
Accommodation
Rights and entitlements Training and employment Access to support services
Access to files
Attending case conferences
61 young people supported by an INDEPENDENT Advocate in BEECHCROFT Child and Adolescent Mental Health Hospital
For young people in Beechcroft Child and Adolescent Mental Health Hospital
Independent Advocacy Support
Young people’s views on Advocacy Support
71% said they got the help and support they needed from their advocate
69% said they were satisfied with the support provided by VOYPIC
79% said they would use the VOYPIC Advocacy Service again
6% reported their case was unresolved
13% reported their case was partially resolved
81% reported their case was fully resolved, an increase of 4% from last year
Young People’s Views on Resolution
-
“I decided after 2 meetings I didn’t want support anymore, as I’ve too much going on in my life… I know that VOYPIC is there for me whenever I need it.”
-
“I wanted contact with my son but was not in a place to progress the case.”
-
“I didn’t get into the school I wanted but I know why.”
50% of young people influenced decision making
Advocacy Outcomes & Impact
41% of young people challenged a decision
28% supported to access information
77% of young people reported their rights were protected
44% said they have a better quality of life
23% said they have more access to their social worker or other support
VOYPIC’s Participation Services
234 children and young people took part in our participation programmes, through:
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Regional and local participation forums
Peer support groups
Social Action Projects
Building Better
Coping with Stress
Relationships
Young People’s 72% 46%
Skills
Development Decision
Listening
Making
69%
50%
Keeping Calm
Leadership Speaking Up
42%
42% 64%
Understanding Problem Solving
Motivation
Thing Better 34%
39%
58%
“Very helpful, taught me a lot about the care system and I made friends.”
“It helped me meet more people and learn more stuff about care”
“Loved Stormont and talking to the MLA's”
“I get lots of opportunities to speak to decision makers”
Peer support groups in Belfast, Derry, and Ballymena supported 64 young people
aged 16-25 years. These groups provide a safe place to connect with peers and
Peer
discuss matters important to them.
Support
“Like being with other people who have also been in care and are now living on
their own.” Groups
“We meet up and talk about what is going on for us.”
“You get to meet more people in similar situations as you, so you feel less alone.”
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VOYPIC’s participative programmes were supported by the National Lottery Community Fund, Community Foundation NI, and the Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG).
Empowering 1 Children and Young People
This year, 64 young people at VOYPIC completed nine Social Action Projects. The young people worked together, to explore issues around them, and develop actions to make a difference.
Safety Key Chains
Young women in Belfast designed and made personal safety kits, to give out to young women with experience of care. The kits, accompanied by safety advice, were advertised on VOYPIC’s social media channels. The group was were really excited to pass these on to other young women, hopefully helping them to feel safer when out and about!
Its Christmas Time, think Article 9 Campaign
Young people from the Ballymena area launched a region NI wide campaign calling for all Christmas Family Time visits to be arranged by mid-December.
As young people in care, we have the right (UNCRC, Art 9) to see our families, so long as that's what we want, and it's safe for us to be there. It's important that we know in advance where we will be spending Christmas, who we will be spending it with, how we will get there, and how long we will be there for.
Care to Swap
In December a group of young people organised a clothes swap shopCare to Swap- bringing together their peers in an attempt to de-stigmatise the use of pre-loved clothing. Money raised from the event was then used to purchase backpacks from Ten Foundations, a charity supporting vulnerable children, families and communities in the Philippines, which were then donated to young people in care. The group hopes they can be used to transport personal items, when a young person moves home.
Empowering Children and Young People
Good Relations Award
In February, the Belfast group behind ‘Care to Swap’ was named as Runner-Up in the Youth Award category at the Good Relations Awards, organised by the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council (NICRC). The award recognised the young people’s project supporting a diverse community of care experienced young people from across the greater Belfast area. www.voypic.org/goodrelationsaward/
Moving On Up Bursary and Befriending Scheme
We distributed £18,000 in bursaries to 37 young care leavers this year on behalf of the Hobson Fund and Community Foundation NI. Thirteen young people also received mentoring support through the scheme.
Help for Young People New To Northern Ireland
We helped design a guide to living in Northern Ireland for young people who might arrive here to seek asylum. The guide provides young people with information on their rights whilst claiming asylum and their rights and entitlements in care.
2 Innovating Through Participation and Co-Producation
VOYPIC Young Reps
Young Reps are the youth leaders of VOYPIC and advise the Board and leadership team on the implementation of our Strategic Plan. They represent and advocate on behalf of young people living in and leaving care.
Young Reps were appointed in December at the VOYPIC AGM. Some of the group came together in March to plan their first Residential together this Easter.
PANDA Panda Project: Promoting the voice of young children in child protection decision making
Working with colleagues from across Europe, this exciting project aims to promote the participation of young children (aged 12 years and under) in decision making in child protection and welfare services.
With our colleagues in Queen’s University Belfast, we welcomed the project partners to Belfast for a study visit in October.
The visit provided participants with an overview of social work in the context of Northern Ireland, including hearing about social work in contested spaces. Young people from VOYPIC, and Catherin O’Kane from SEHSCT gave an overview of young people’s involvement in service and policy development. During a visit to Stormont, Colm Gildernew MLA, former Chair of the Health Committee, provided an input on user involvement in policy and legislative development and Judge McCaffery provided an overview of court processes. The study visit also included a session a presentation on participative practice in early years, and a session with Laura Lundy (QUB) on her model of participation.
The Reach website hosts all information about the outputs and products from the PANDA project, https://reacch.eu/
Innovating Through Participation and Co-Producation
Experts by Experience (EBE) Reference Group to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services
The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services commenced in early 2022. VOYPIC was tasked with supporting the Review to hear the voice of children and young people with lived experience of the services being considered.
26 young people participated in the EBE Reference Group
Over the year, this group met regularly to consider key questions posed by the Review Chair, Prof Ray Jones, and the Advisory Panel. Two members of the group represented their peers at meetings of the Advisory Panel, and the whole group met regularly with Prof Jones and the panel to discuss key issues, concerns and potential solutions.
World Social Work Day
An VOYPIC Expert by Experience delivered a presentation to an event organised by BASW at Stormont, sharing her experiences and insights as a young people engaging in a co-production activity. She highlighted the need for young people’s voices to be at the centre of such projects, and encouraged attendees to explore more how they deliver true coproduction.
3
Creating Change
Changing The Language of Care
The Language of Care resource was published to coincide with World Book Day, 2 March 2023. This resource aims to change the way we talk to, and about, children and young people with lived experience of care. The resource, designed by young people, takes readers on a journey of the language young people hear from the professionals in their lives, and refocuses discussions to put the young person at the centre of the conversation. For example, young people no longer want to be referred to as a LAC child, as this has very negative connotations.
The resource also sets examples of alternative words and phrases and the young people’s rationale for these new terms. www.voypic.org/languageofcare/
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My
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MyVOYPIC - Membership Scheme
We continued to grow the membership of MyVOYPIC, open to any young person in Northern Ireland up to 25 years of age with a lived experience of care. The scheme provides a safe space for young people to connect and share their experiences, access information, influence decision-making, and hear about opportunities offered by VOYPIC and our partners across the sector.
To become a member of MyVOYPIC and find out more about the membership scheme, go to www.myvoypic.org
Independent Review of Children’s Social Care - Workshops
Creating Change
We coordinated a series of workshops for young people to share their experiences, views and ideas on the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services.
In July, Prof. Jones and Marie Roulston met with a group of younger care experienced children (under 14), to hear about their experiences of children’s social care.
In August, VOYPIC ran a full day of workshops with Prof Jones, including sessions with Care Experienced Young Parents, Care Experienced Young People (14+) and Care Experienced Adults (26+).
These workshops provided the wider care experienced community to share their thoughts on the Review, and highlight issues that the panel should consider.
In partnership with Action for Children and Barnardo’s, we held a workshop for young carers who provide care for a family member, to talk about the unique ways they experience children’s social care services, what challenges they face, and how this can be improved.
United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child: Meeting the Committee
Following the submission of NGO reports to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, VOYPIC along with the Childrens Law Centre (CLC) and Include Youth were invited to give evidence at the Committee hearing in Geneva.
Abbie and Brandan worked with young people from Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England to prepare an input for the Committee, as part of their periodic review of the UNCRC in the UK. The group had lots of preparation meetings, both locally and online with other nations, before travelling to the UN in Geneva in February.
This was an amazing experience for Abbie, Brandan and all the young people who took part in the session. The Committee will consider the evidence and present their concluding observations in May.
Creating Change
Candidate Conversations with the Care Experienced Community
In the run-up to the Northern Ireland Assembly Elections in May, young people met with candidates from the main parties at events in Belfast, Ballymena and Derry-Londonderry.
These events- ‘Candidate Conversations with the Care Experienced Community’- provided an opportunity for young people to meet with candidates, learn more about their stance on issues, and set out their priorities for action should the candidate be elected.
Midsummer Tea Party Meet & Greet at Stormont
On 21 June, young people hosted the ‘Midsummer Tea Party Meet & Greet’. This event brought together young people with experience of care from across Northern Ireland, to informally meet with new and returning MLAs, to discuss issues important to them, and call for action in the new Assembly. The event was attended by ten MLAs, as well as party staff representatives, from across the five main parties, including the Health Minister, the Justice Minister and the former Chair and Deputy Chair of the Health Committee. Young people from across Northern Ireland took part in the event, hosting informal roundtable discussion sessions with the politicians, as well as showcasing key areas of VOYPIC’s work.
All the young people attending (100%) said they felt listened to by the politicians during this event, and 94.4% said they felt more informed about the politicians and their policies.
Creating Change
TRIUMPH - Youth Advisory Group
We supported three young people to participate in the Youth Advisory Group of a UK-wide project exploring approaches to improving young people’s mental health. TRIUMPH – the Transdisciplinary Research for the Improvement of Youth Mental Public Health – brings together young people and experts in the field, working together to find new ways to improve mental health and wellbeing.
The project culminated in a conference in Edinburgh in October, which was co-designed by the Youth Advisory Group. The event was delivered by the young people, and attracted interest from academics, policy makers and practitioners from across the UK.
In addition to the YAG members, we supported five young people to travel to Edinburgh for the conference.
Administrative Data Research Group
Six young people from VOYPIC have been working with colleagues in Queen’s University and Ulster University, as part of our partnership with the Administrative Data Research Centre (ADRC). They participated in a series of workshops, working with researchers to explore high level data about the mental health outcomes for care experienced people. Together, the team are using the data to find out what risks young people face leaving care, and how they can be better supported.
Care Leavers, Covid-19 and Transition from Care (CCTC) Conference
Martha and Paul attended the Care Leavers, Covid-19 and Transition from Care (CCTC) Conference in Luton in May. They spent the day talking with over 100 colleagues from across the UK and Ireland who support young people in and leaving care, exploring how we support care leavers to transition into adulthood in the postCovid world.
Creating Change
10 Reasons Why Ten Is Too Young : Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility Conference
In November 2022, VOYPIC, alongside the Children’s Law Centre, Queen’s University Belfast, Centre for Children’s Rights, Include Youth, and NIACRO jointly called on support for raising the age of criminal responsibility in Northern Ireland to 16 years of age.
At the jointly hosted event ‘Stop Criminalising Our Children’, in Riddle Hall, Belfast, attendees heard from a range of experts on the issues and received a briefing paper, with evidence and best practice on youth justice issues, to guide potential respondents to the Department of Justice consultation on whether the age of criminal responsibility should be raised in Northern Ireland.
Care Day 23
Care Day 23 took place on Friday 17 February. Following two years of scaled back Care Day activities, necessary because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Care Day 23 saw a return to a large scale, regional event. Over the course of the day, we host two Fun Day events in Belfast, with participants coming from all over Northern Ireland. The Fun Day events attracted almost 300 participants.
Creating Change
We also resumed our annual ‘Care Day Breakfast with the Mayor’ activities. Young people from the South Eastern, Western and Northern areas met with the Mayors of Ards and North Down (Cllr Karen Douglas), Derry City and Strabane (Cllr Sandra Duffy) and the Deputy Mayor of Mid and East Antrim (Ald Beth Adger) respectively. And Belfast City Hall was illuminated in Care Day colours!
On social media we asked people to put their ‘Hands Up For Care Day’. The VOYPIC channels across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram were flooded with images of politicians, policy makers, senior civil servants, partner organisations, member of the public, and care experienced young people taking part in the activity
Our friends at the play, REMOVED, got in on the action, despite being on a European tour. They helped spread the Care Day message in Paris and The Hague!
Back in Belfast, young people were joined by Instagram stars ‘Inside Number Sixteen’, ‘Bored of Lunch’ and ‘Belfast Undercover Chef’ for a CARE DAY Cookery Class in 100GPS! They prepared a delicious meal to share in celebration of Care Day. And the guys even left some new cookware as a housewarming gift!
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Growth and Stability
Our New Home -
Redevelopment of 100 Great Patrick Street
Construction work on our new Head Quarters in Belfast completed in October 2022. Alongside our friends in Include Youth and VIable Corporate Services, we moved into our new home in November 2022. After many years of planning and hard work, we have transformed the former warehouse at 100 Great Patrick Street into a bespoke youth, community, and administrative hub for the three organisations.
In October we welcomed Robin Swann MLA (Minister for Health), Deirdre Hargey MLA (Minister for Communities) and Gordon Lyons MLA (Minister for the Economy) to the building.
In November we were delighted to welcome Pudsey Bear and the team from Children in Need, who used ‘The Lounge’ space in 100GPS as their studio for the Northern Ireland highlights programme of the annual televised appeal.
In December we hosted a special Christmas mince pie morning for over 100 of our friends and colleagues across the sector, giving them a sneak peek of our fantastic new home. We were delighted to welcome Lord Mayor of Belfast, Cllr Tina Black, to the event.
Young people from VOYPIC and Include Youth are busy preparing for the Grand Opening, scheduled for June.
Growth & Stability
Team VOYPIC
We recognise the importance of stopping to reflect on what we have achieved, and look ahead to what we are going to achieve. In January, the whole VOYPIC team spent two days in the countryside, doing just that.
We spent time reviewing our strategic plan, sharing practice across the organisation, and planning for the year ahead, making sure we are doing what we can to work together with children and young people for a better experience of care and life after care.
Staying Social
VOYPIC continues to use our social media channels to spread positive messages about children and young people with lived experience of care in Northern Ireland.
On Facebook, we had a reach of 41,842 (an increase of 88.3% on last year)
On Instagram, we had a reach of 3,192 (an increase of 64.3% on last year)
On Twitter, we made 218,000 impressions, and gained 288 new followers
Financial
Year
We would like to acknowledge and thank all our funders and donors who have supported VOYPIC throughout this last year. Without this support it would not be possible to deliver such a range of services and support to care experienced children and young people.
Strategic Planning & Performance Group (SPPG)
Belfast Health & Social Care Trust
The National Lottery Community Fund
Children in Need
Community Foundation
Department of Health
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
Erasmus + Programme of the European Union
Belfast City Council
Northern Health & Social Care Trust
Donations received from Amazon Smile, Home Bargains, Community First Initiative, Cohen & Co, The Ancient Order of Hibernians Florida, Everun, and Belfast Boys Model School.
Total Income: £1,146,624
Income
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£22,276 £170,436 £3,377 £20, 214
Other National Lottery Belfast City Unrestricted
Restricted Community Fund Council Income
Funds
£56,999 £41,179 £12,000 £24,197
Belfast Department Esmee Children in
HSCT of Health Fairbairn Need
Total Income
£14,374 £7,832
£8,375
£765,365 £1,146,624
Northern EU Community
SPPG
HSCT Erasmus + Foundation
NI
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£59, 704
£74, 618
£78,205 Corporate
Office Costs £59, 656
Services
Property Youth
Costs
Activities
Expenditure
£48, 829
£863,178
Total
Other
Staff
Costs
Costs
expenditure
£1,184,190
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Staff
List
| Erin McKeavney | |
|---|---|
| Fiona Nolan | |
| Geraldine McGuigan | |
| Alicia Toal | Grace Conroy |
| Angela Adair | Iain Black |
| Alex Cowan | Jennifer Wright |
| Aine Mulholland | Jo Irvine |
| Aoife Clarke | Joleen Kane |
| Brenda Kilpatrick | Karen Stirling |
| Briege O’Connor | Katie Taggart |
| Caoimhe Coyle | Lee Kane |
| Caroline Hunter | Margaret Guy |
| Christina Howarth | Nicola McCreedy |
| Christina Watson | Nyree Mulholland |
| Deirdre McMahon | Paul McCafferty |
| Donna O’Kane | Seamus Kealey |
| Eanna McKnight | Trevor McDaid |
100 Great Patrick Street Belfast BT1 2LU
I learnt that I could talk to anyone, my foster carers, or my social workers and many more. But I think I would prefer to talk to the VOYPIC staff. I have been a VOYPIC member for many years and I have connected with each of the staff differently and they’re all so helpful.
1st Floor 6 Garfield Place Ballymena BT43 6EH
9 Queen Street Derry-Londonderry BT48 7EG
Flat 12 Mount Zion House Edward Street Lurgan BT66 6DB
www.voypic.org
Registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC105019. Company Limited by Guarantee NI30526.