DECIPHER believes that:
- children and young people have a right to be involved in decisions and processes (including research) that has the potential to affect them
- children and young people are experts in their lives, with experience, knowledge, insights and capacities that differ to those of adult researchers
- involving the children and young people in the research process will enrich the process and lead to better outcomes.
In developing and evaluating innovative projects to improve public health, DECIPHer is committed to involving the public, particularly children and young people, in the strategic development of DECIPHer, in the management of the research process and as a research strategy/ methodology through participatory action research.
To achieve this, DECIPHer has brought together a group of young people to be involved in the research we undertake.
Public Involvement Advisory Group - Advice Leading to Public Health Advancement (ALPHA)
Using national media and practitioner networks, DECIPHer recruited a group of young people to act as an advisory group. Twenty five young people are currently registered to the group. Following a residential team building session, the members adopted the name ALPHA, Advice Leading to Public Health Advancement.
The young people are aged 14-19 and travel in from across South Wales. The group meets monthly and sessions attract on average 12 members. Between sessions, there is communication via email and letter.
The young people voice a range of reasons for wishing to be involved, including the wish to learn more about research, develop experience for their CVs/ UCAS forms, learn new skills and meet new people.
Training
The young people have undergone training relevant to the work they are asked to pursue. This has included sessions outlining public health, the research cycle, ethics procedures and reviewing materials, as well as developing knowledge of a range of quantitative and qualitative methods including focus groups/ interviews, systematic reviews, questionnaires and randomised control trials. The sessions are supported by two qualified youth workers (male and female) who between them have 20 years experience of facilitating youth groups.
Impact on research
The young people have to date been involved to in a range of projects with researchers from Cardiff, Bristol, and Swansea universities and the University of East London. These projects have covered topics such as the take up of free school meals, methods for teaching young people Personal and Sexual Education (PSE), youth homelessness, young people’s well being and interventions to support self- esteem. Within these projects, young people have piloted materials, tested questionnaires and interview schedules, developed research ideas, and suggested themes for analysis of data
Wider impact
In addition to direct input on individual projects, the young people of the ALPHA group have produced guidance for researchers on producing young person appropriate materials and represented the centre at a national conference. Members of the group have written about their involvement on national youth websites and youth television programming, as well as produced films on public health issues that have been uploaded on Youtube and covered by the BBC and Guardian and the EU youth health website.
Accessing the group
For researchers:
If you wish to access the group, or would like to discuss your ideas for developing children and young people’s involvement in your research project, please contact Hayley Reed.
For young people:
Are you a young person interested in research on young people’s health? This is an opportunity to get involved, be heard and learn new skills.
Timetable of ALPHA meetings 2012
Public Involvement Strategy
A number of materials have been produced with the ALPHA group to assist DECIPHer researchers think about research with children and young people:
Tips for producing young people appropriate materials
Information about logic models
DECIPHer logic model for researchers
Advice for involving young people
Costing ALPHA's time Please contact us directly for further information.