The document discusses the role and responsibilities of the Children's Champion in Coventry, which is an independent role that ensures children and young people have a strategic voice in decision making. It also lists the various organizations that are part of the Coventry Partnership and work together on children and youth issues. Finally, it identifies some of the challenges of involvement strategies and critical success factors, such as having standards, training, and appropriate mechanisms for involvement.

1. Partnership Working Sheila Bates Coventry Children’s Champion

2. Content Coventry Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership Children’s Champion Role Partnership Working in Coventry Coventry User Involvement Strategy Identifications of the challenges Critical success factors

4. Children’s Champion Independent role which ensures children and young people have a strategic voice in decision making Monitor the quality and impact of the involvement strategy Encourage/support partnership working ensuring that children and young people are valued as key stakeholders Be a critical friend to all partners Ensure that children and young people play an active role in the development, monitoring and evaluation of services they use.

5. Organisations working with the Coventry Partnership The Coventry Partnership “Family” Sectors involved in the Coventry partnership Community Safety Partnership Neighbourhood Management Partners Housing Strategy Group Jobs Strategy Group Health of Coventry Group Transport Group Learning & Training Group Equalities & Communities Group Advantage West Midlands Government Office West Midlands Coventry Solihull & Warwickshire Partnership Coventry & Nuneaton Regeneration Zone CV1 (City Centre Company) Swanswell Partnership New Deal for Communities Business Community Higher/Further Education /Public Sector Council/Democratic Voluntary Sector Children’s & Young People’s Strategic Partnership Older People’s Partnership Mental Health Services Partnership Learning Disabilities Partnership Physical & Sensory Impairment Partnership PIE * Group Operations Group Theme Group Leaders Cultural Partnership Environment Group

6. Involvement Strategy Networks-Consultative Forum Involvement Champions Action Plans Monitoring Group Consultation/activity log Standards Financial Policy Children’s Plan HBW quality mark

7. Identification of the Challenges Improving the quality of involvement across the board Working with both service users and professionals from the point they are at Having enough time to consult effectively Getting past the gate keepers Accountability Enough appropriate resources Strategic material being user friendly Representative involvement

8. Critical Success Factors Standards Appropriate training for both users and professionals Appropriate mechanisms of involvement that can be monitored Reward and recognition policy recognised across partners Opportunity for involvement from the top down Less what more how

9. Contact details Sheila Bates: Coventry Children’s Champion [email_address] Telephone: 024 7683 1432