The Challenging Behaviour Foundation is excited to share details about our new project which is just getting underway. ‘What Matters to Me’ will bring together the experiences, preferences and views of young people with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities through relationship building and the use of creative engagement methods. From this, a multi-media manifesto will be developed to evidence the findings, ensuring that these young people who may not use conventional methods of communication are consulted and included in things that impact upon their lives. We will use this impactful manifesto to influence policy with key stakeholders.
The project will be run with young people aged 16-25 years across various settings in the Southeast of England. We have partnered with two local organistions; a local children’s hospice/respite care, and a post-16 educational provision to work in partnership with their expert staff and use their facilities to carry out the project engagement. The CBF project officer will also be working with individuals within their own homes. The first phase of this project will involve building relationships with young people, gathering information about their communication needs and learning from those who know them best.
Phase two will involve carrying out a range of various engagement activities; following on from previous work with the Seldom Heard Voices project and using the methodology developed by the leading academics at the Tizard Centre.
The project will focus on transition and the evidence obtained from our engagement work will be documented and become an instrumental tool in being able to demonstrate that this group of young people who are often not consulted, can and should be. We hope that the findings from this project will provide invaluable learning and positive changes in relation to transition from childhood to adulthood for young people with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities.
What Matters to Me is a 3-year funded project and we are very grateful to the Blagrave Trust and Children in Need for funding this vital piece of work.
If you would like to find out any more about the project, then why not sign up to our network list? As part of this project, we will be providing updates and sharing other good practice work and learning from our network members. Please follow the link on our webpage to sign up: ‘What Matters to Me’ Project - Challenging Behaviour Foundation
If you have any questions about the project or wish to speak to the project officer, please contact us on whatmatterstome@thecbf.org.uk
Taylor - Project Officer at the CBF