Join the Youth Empowerment Squad
The Youth Empowerment Squad (YES) is the Barts Health youth forum.
It's made up of a group of young people who have extensive experience and knowledge of healthcare.
They have been meeting once a month since October 2015. Their mission is to get all Barts Health young people sharing their views in their care, sharing good practice and making and influencing decisions.
YES is here to tackle issues that are important to them and improving patient experience for all young people who engage with Barts Health. They have been involved in numerous projects so far including organising a half day for professionals and young people to discuss transitioning, advice to clinicians to make materials more young person friendly, helping with the design of adolescent rooms across the trust and they have sat on staff interview panels. In 2016 they were awarded Runners-Up prize at The Barts Trust Innovation Award Ceremony alongside the Adolescent Steering Group.
The team is ever growing and thinking of new ways they can support young people across Barts Health and have their voices heard!
About YES
- YES aims to recruit new members from across Barts Health between the ages of 11-25
- YES meets once a month, usually at the weekend and between 1 and 3pm
- The group meets to discuss issues teenagers face within the hospital and ways to effectively improve them
- At the moment, the focus is on improving access to wifi and the transitioning process
Projects YES gets involved with
- Speaking at Barts Health conferences
- Being on interview panels for NHS staff
- The design of the Whipps Cross, Newham and The Royal London adolescent room 'The Zone'
- Designing posters and leaflets which are appropriate for adolescents
- Offering advice and opinions to NHS staff
- Being involved with the development of the children's hospital website
