Channel 4 Learning


Channel 4 Programme Notes
Citizenship - Citizens of the World
Citizen UK
Programme 2
Jenna's getting heard

Aims:
To raise awareness of:



Synopsis:

00.00-04.30
Youth Councillors deal with issues affecting young people. Expected to do something. Jenna, 16, explains how system works in Barnsley. Describes recent history of area, her home life, importance of young people having voice.

04.31-07.16
Problem of access to skate park - Jenna feels not doing her job. Finds approaching lads in park daunting. Young people complain older youths trash play areas. Others say accused of things they haven't done.

07.17-13.29
Jenna gets GCSE results. Talks to youth worker. Plans 'speakout' with youth worker and police. Aiming high. Organises publicity. Nervous about: lack of interest, abuse, brawls.

13.30-17.09
Countdown - police and local councillors involved, venue negotiated, newspapers alerted. Jenna's mum shares thoughts. Jenna explains youth councillor role to college friends. Motivated by helping young people; not the council.

17.10-24.00
'Speakout' - young people participate. Event provides useful insights for local councillors and police. Jenna reports to Youth Council. Police want regular consultation.



Curriculum Relevance:

Major Citizenship and PSHE focus.

England & Wales Key Stage 4

Citizenship

PSHE

Northern Ireland

Learning For Life and Work Area 14-18:

Local and Global Citizenship Strand

Personal Development Strand (Including PSHE and Home Economics):

Scotland

Scottish Executive Guidance: Citizenship, PSD - middle to upper secondary stages.

Background Information:

Voices not heard
Towards the end of the twentieth century, research in the UK into young people's perception of themselves as participants in society revealed a growing sense of alienation and mistrust of professionals, politicians, and adults in general. The message coming across was that young people often felt they were neither heard nor respected, and that they had little influence and control over decisions that affected their lives. This in turn raised political concerns about institutions not being able to command trust, legitimacy and ownership on the part of young people. The result has been a renewed focus on consulting young people and involving them in decisions that affect their lives.

Youth councils and forums
Youth councils and forums are an obvious vehicle for young people's views and actions and are becoming more widespread. However, most tend to be structured to reflect the needs of adult decision makers. Youth councils may be shadows of full councils and take a responsibility for reporting on young people's issues. Some have less direct links and are more informal. Some set up consultation events on single issues, others have regular evenings on specific local issues. These processes can happen in rural areas through a virtual forum on the internet.

Other forms of consultation
While youth councils and forums can offer young people a voice and policy makers insights that wouldn't be captured elsewhere, they often attract the articulate and influential and therefore may not be representative of young people within communities. Young people need to feel comfortable and relaxed with the methods used. A wide range of processes for consulting with young people are now in use:

Surveys and research - postal surveys, opinion polls, customer satisfaction surveys, academic research, young people's own research.

Discussion - seminars, weekend residentials, conferences and workshops, focus groups, question panels, participative appraisal, speakouts.

Media / events - magazine tie-in, talkback on local radio, electronic bulletin boards, video diary / production, photo stories, collages, poetry, drama, mobile outreach campaigns, performance music events, issue based events.

Practical involvement - eg being on interview panels for appointments of people who will have a key role in relation to them.

Voices still not heard
While the ball has been set rolling many feel there is a need to improve the quantity and quality of youth consultation and participation at present considered patchy. There is also criticism of too many one-off consultations, tokenism, and a failure to reach disadvantaged young people. While the evidence base is building there is still a lack of information on what works best in different contexts.

Pointers to success
Key messages from research and evaluation reveal the need both for adult champions of young people and grass-roots activity on the part of young people themselves. The following are also important: recognising differences in time perception between adults and young people; maintaining interest over time; being truly inclusive; increasing competencies of adults in working with young people; and clearly communicating results, follow-up activity and closure.



Activities:

Before viewing

Depending on context, teachers may wish to use the list below to focus viewing and guide class or group discussion afterwards. See outline for timings.

  1. Giving young people a voice - youth councillor scheme in Barnsley.
  2. Realities of meeting with, and involving, young people in the community.
  3. Organising a 'speakout' event - what's involved, what it feels like, usefulness.

After viewing

Activities - for class or small groups.

  1. Outline how the youth councillor scheme operates in Barnsley. What are students' views on it? What's good about it? What are the negative aspects? How could it be improved?
  2. Produce a checklist of the different things that Kyle had to do in setting up and running the campaign. Why are they necessary? What skills did he need? How did he get these skills? How do students feel about the way he runs the campaign? What are the things that motivate him?
  3. Identify the different problems Jenna encounters working as youth councillor. How does she feel about these? How does she try to resolve them? What are the risks she faces in working as a youth councillor? How can she reduce each of the risks to herself? Can you account for her mother's thoughts?
  4. Chart:

    What is involved in organising a speak out;
    What sort of emotions Jenna experiences organising the event;
    Ways in which young people communicated at the 'speakout'.

Key questions

  1. How might those present have benefited from participating in the 'speakout'?
  2. How will Jenna herself have benefited?
  3. How has the police service benefited?
  4. How might other services in Barnsley benefit?
  5. What are the potential benefits to the community?

Follow-up

  1. Brainstorm on the different ways in which young people could be involved in consultation, and the pros and cons of each. (See background)
  2. Map mechanisms currently in place that allow for consultation with students in school, college and elsewhere in their community?
  3. What do students think about these? Could they be improved in any way?



Links:

This web page contains links to other websites that are not under the control of and are not maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.

http://www.csv.org.uk
Community Service Volunteers is the UK's largest volunteering and training organisation. Comprehensive site providing information on all aspects of volunteering.

http://www.crime-reduction.gov.uk
Comprehensive resource for reducing crime in the community. Crime prevention strategies. Wide ranging advice - mobile phones, personal safety. Opportunities for discussion.



Credits:

With thanks to:

Ordnance Survey
Duffield printers (programme 2)

Narrator: SIMON AMSTELL
Production Co-ordinator: SALLY-ANN ROBINSON
Production Manager: ROSIE PUTTEN
Title Music: BENT EAR
Sound: KEVIN WALSH
Research: JACQUI MELLOR
Dubbing Mixer: MARK WILLETT
On-line Editor: CHRIS TIMSON
Assistant Producer: NIKKI COHEN
Executive Producer: SIMON SCHOFIELD
Series directed and filmed by: CY CHADWICK
Webnotes: IAIN RAMSAY

 Produced by REAL LIFE for 4 Ventures Limited