CHS’s new Experts by Experience young advisers took to the stage at the Rise Up conference in Glasgow this month, showcasing their work and their ambition to improve the Children’s Hearings System.

Two Experts by Experience, G and Ibrasheel, delivered a powerful presentation at the conference, which was hosted by Our Hearings, Our Voice (OHOV), the independent board of children and young people who have experience of the hearings system.

Addressing the audience of more than 120 from across the care sector, G and Ibrasheel introduced the Experts by Experience group, its purpose, their work to date and their ambitions. 

Launched in March this year, Experts by Experience are young people, aged 14 to 25, with lived experience of hearings, based all over Scotland, who regularly come together to influence the work of CHS. They are supported by the Participation team at CHS to take part in opportunities to drive improvements in practice and standards across the organisation.

Experts by Experience at Rise Up

Poem turns perceptions on their head

G and Ibrasheel ended their well-received presentation with a moving short video, voiced by Ibrasheel, that illustrates the power of turning preconceptions on their head. As the poem is read line by line, it initially projects a pessimistic and self-critical perspective, but then at the halfway point the lines are read in reverse order, transforming their meaning into an uplifting, empowering standpoint.

'What young people wish adults knew' guide

A key purpose of the one-day Rise Up conference was the launch by OHOV of a new resource, Seeing Beyond the Surface: What children and young people wish all adults knew. The guide is a rich set of multimedia resources, organised by six themes: 

• Children's relationships with key adults

• Support

• Language

• Seeing children's potential without judgement

• Children's stories and personal information

• Children's participation and voice

Real-life examples of good and bad experiences, recounted first hand by young people through video, audio and text, feature throughout the guide. 

The guide is for all adults who work with children and young people who have care and Children’s Hearings experience, or are/have been on the edge of care. It is aimed at teachers, healthcare workers, care providers, police, social workers, and more, to help them listen to, learn from, and act on the voices of children and young people from across Scotland. 

Visit the Seeing Beyond the Surface guide.

Minister answers young people's questions

At the beginning of the event, the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, Natlie Don-Innes MSP, was interviewed by Andrew James and Abbie Gillies, from OHOV. Asked about her own motivation in carrying out her government role, she referenced her own lived experience of care during childhood and said she wanted to ‘build a Scotland where all children and young people have a happy life and where families can thrive’. 

Answering her final question, ‘What do you think of our new guide?’, Ms Don-Innes replied:

‘It’s perfect. “What adults need to know” is a powerful message. It’s great to have a guide that is pretty direct and what you say is spot on: we are changing the hearings system but we also need attitudes to change.'

The rest of the conference included interactive sessions for delegates, some of which were physical and fun and all of which were thought-provoking and informative. CHS National Convener Elliot Jackson was one of six senior leaders from across the sector who took part in the final Q&A session at the conference.

The Minister answering questions

Elliot Jackson addressing the conference