OYC Meeting Minutes – 29/11/2023

GREATER MANCHESTER MENTAL HEALTH (BETH)

Beth, a research assistant at Greater Manchester Mental Health, joined our meeting to discuss their ongoing mental health research. She began by emphasizing that she could not provide medical advice but was here solely to share insights into their research.

The focal point of her presentation was the youth cognitive research project. In its initial phase, the team assessed the feasibility of the study. They delved into understanding why people experience certain thoughts, how young individuals cope with challenging thoughts, without delving into the specifics of the thoughts themselves. The overarching goal was to transform individuals’ relationships with their thoughts based on the findings.

The feasibility study aimed to determine if the research could be scaled to a larger population, evaluating the effectiveness of Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) used in the study. Successful outcomes would pave the way for potential application within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS). The research involved individuals selected randomly from both existing CAHMS programs and those on waiting lists.

Beth highlighted the importance of gathering feedback from participants through questionnaires, which she shared with the youth councillors. She expressed concern about the low return rate for the forms, despite offering a £10 gift card upon completion. Feedback received revealed that the formal language and consolidated format of the questions were discouraging. Recommendations included breaking down the questions into sections and simplifying the language.

Youth councillors also commented on the grid-like structure of the forms, suggesting a shift to lines and increased spacing for improved readability. To enhance participant engagement, Beth mentioned the inclusion of a “thank you” card in the envelopes. Some respondents indicated a preference for larger cards with handwritten text variations, emphasizing the need for a more personal touch. Youth councillors suggested framing the reasons to participate in a way that directly benefits the young person, steering away from a corporate tone. Additionally, there were requests to include hand-drawn elements like hearts and stars on the cards to make them more visually appealing and relatable to the participants.

VIDEO PRODUCTION (ZAYNAB)

This discussion ran concurrently with the “Long List” section, where participants relocated to a different part of the Civic Centre to film an introductory video.

LONG LIST (CHRIS)

In the previous meeting, a compilation of potential local issues for inclusion in Make Your MarkA Nationwide campaign, run by UK Youth parliament, that gathers information on what is important to the youth of the United Kingdom. More was generated. Youth councillors subsequently divided into smaller groups to articulate concise descriptors that encapsulate the essence of each issue. These issues had been initially identified in the preceding meeting.

EVENTS AND TRIPS (CHRIS)

• Sat 02 Dec – “Strike” a performance by the Oldham Theatre Workshop, 2pm to 4:30pm
• Sat 02 Dec – YouthForiaAn organisation in which youth councillors from the North West meet up and work on campaigns and training. More – Liverpool Hope University
• Tue 19 Dec – Cross Party Climate Change Meeting, 6pm to 7:30pm

AOB (CHAIRThe Youth Councillor who runs the meeting, heads up the organisation and has the casting vote. Or something to sit on but probably the first one on our site :-) More)

Chris: In preparation for February half term, Chris asked what activities, hosted by the youth service, people would like to do

Chris: Today (29 Nov 2023) morning, there was an event called “Me, Myself and I” regarding domestic abuse, with a symbol for it being a white ribbon. Therefore, Chris asked if youth councillors could take a group photo holding the white ribbon flag.