As the Year of Young People 2018 has drawn to a close it’s good to remember that young people’s voices have been at the heart of the Year, since planning started in 2015. We are absolutely delighted to be able to continue that tradition as the use of Mind Of My Own apps is spreading across Scotland

Voice of the child

Back in September we held our inaugural Voice of the Child seminar, kindly hosted by Edinburgh Council, with representation from eight different Scottish local authorities. Jacquie Pepper, Deputy Director for Perth and Kinross talked about her vision for the future of children’s participation as well as how Mind Of My Own has enhanced the work they do around the voice of the child (read more about them here). Mandy Morrison from Quarriers spoke about how Mind Of My Own helped them to support looked after children placed at home in Glasgow. Midlothian Children’s Services revealed the ways that Express has raised the voice of younger children and those with additional support needs.

It was such a special day not only due to the enthusiasm from the speakers but also the great conversations amongst the attendees. The seminar was the perfect way to have meaningful conversations surrounding the children’s participation. The Scottish commitment to a child-centred and GIRFEC-led approach to service provision could not have been more pronounced that day.

Introducing and implementing Mind Of My Own

During the second half of 2018 Alex and Scarlett introduced Mind Of My Own to South Ayrshire and East Dunbartonshire councils. The enthusiasm and commitment they experienced from the professionals at those meetings was brilliant. Hunter will be a frequent visitor to Scotland in the new year, leading on some exciting kick-off meetings as well as workshops with existing customers.

Work with young carers

Our Mind Of My Own community in Scotland is continuing to grow. The organisations and local authorities that have most recently joined are Aberdeen City and South Lanarkshire. We are also excited to be working in Perth and Kinross with PKAVS, an organisation providing assistance to unpaid and young carers. The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 was implemented in April 2018 and PKAVS helps Perth and Kinross ensure that all carers have access to the support they require. This is the first time Mind Of My Own has been used to directly support young carers and we are excited to see PKAVS utilise our apps to ensure that all young voices are heard.

Here’s to an amazing 2019 for Mind Of My Own in Scotland!