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Labour, Lib Dems and Conservatives put youth wellbeing on the agenda at their Party Conferences
We were thrilled to see youth wellbeing on the agenda at all three major political party conferences. Following the Labour Party’s manifesto pledge which highlighted a number of key commitments to address and improve the wellbeing of children and young people, and the announcement of the forthcoming Children’s Wellbeing Bill, we’re hopeful that debates at the recent party conferences will help drive forward action on this important issue.
At the Labour Party Conference, sharing the impact of #BeeWell, and calling for a national wellbeing measurement programme that learns from our approach!
Our National Director James Robertson was really pleased to speak in the #YouthZone alongside guests Kate Green (Greater Manchester Combined Authority Deputy Mayor), Luciana Berger and young representatives of #ForPlanet and Youth Focus North West (YFNW) at a panel discussion about youth health and wellbeing.
Here’s what the panel said:
James shared the worrying picture of youth wellbeing in the UK compared to international peers, and what #BeeWell is doing with our co-created survey and programme to help drive change in our two locations. He explained how at #BeeWell we are demonstrating the power of listening to young people at scale, and driving responses to the data – working closely with many partners in local government, health, schools and charities. James gave loads of examples of the kinds of responses we are seeing. And he shared that we are calling on the new government to commit to a national programme of wellbeing measurement – to listen to young people right across the country and lift youth wellbeing in the UK!
Kate Green shared that she and Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, really value their local #BeeWell data for decision-making in Greater Manchester. They find it important for shaping services, targeting support and investment, and listening to all experiences – including minority groups like LGBTQ+ young people to ensure their wellbeing is enhanced and inequalities are tackled.
Luciana Berger told us how important youth mental health and prevention is for the Labour Government. She shared that she recently visited Greater Manchester and heard first-hand about the importance of #BeeWell survey data for decision making and saw the power of listening to young people.
Amy from #ForPlanet shared the app that her team are creating to tackle the huge problem of climate anxiety that young people are facing. Showing young people are problem solvers and how vital it is to listen to young people and put the data back into their hands, and to enable them to drive change.
A powerful event! Huge thanks to the Your Zone for having us!
At the Liberal Democrats Party Conference, discussing geographic inequalities in wellbeing at the Liberal Democrats Party Conference
Meanwhile, at the Liberal Democrats Party Conference, Professor Neil Humphrey, our academic lead at #BeeWell, joined a panel on ‘Shaping young people’s lives: tackling geographic inequalities at the neighbourhood level’ hosted by the Education Policy Institute with Local Trust. The panel was chaired by Natalie Perera, EPI’s Chief Executive, and also featured Tanya Vice, Heart of Sidley Big Local, Dr Tim Leunig, former advisor to the PM on Education, and Baroness Pinnock.
Evidence from #BeeWell shows that where a young person grows up makes a difference to their wellbeing and life satisfaction, while EPI’s annual report found that the disadvantage gap is widening.
The panel debated what is driving these geographical disparities in outcomes for young people, and ways to tackle these gaps and ensure all young people have the opportunities they deserve.
“We’ve found that place matters for young people’s wellbeing. The more granular you go, the more variation you find,” said Neil Humphrey. “By measuring young people’s wellbeing and their thoughts and feelings about their local neighbourhood, we know that when they feel supported in their communities, they report higher levels of wellbeing. Young people want to feel a sense of connection and belonging to the area they live in. They want access to good places to spend their free time. At the heart of this, we need to look at what our offer is to young people, and what is available for them to do when they’re not in school.”
At the Conservative Party Conference, debating the role of education policy to support children’s wellbeing
Our colleague and #BeeWell friend, Dr Charlotte Bagnall, was also discussing how education policy can support the rapidly growing number of children and young people with poor mental wellbeing at the Conservative Party Conference on a panel organised by Policy@Manchester with the Social Market Foundation. Other panellists included Aveek Bhattacharya, Research Director at the Social Market Foundation, Dame Rachel De Souza, The Children’s Commissioner, Damian Hinds MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Member of Parliament for East Hampshire, and Professor Lade Smith, President at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Watch the video of the Policy@Manchester panel event:
“Through consistent and regular monitoring of young people’s wellbeing using robust and reliable instruments, we can notice any trends and warning signs as they begin to emerge and take the necessary action to address them” said Dr Charlotte Bagnall. “We know that primary-secondary school transition is a critical period that poses heightened risk for the development of poor emotional wellbeing, which can persist into secondary school if early-intervention preventative support is not provided. To do this it is vital that we measure young people’s wellbeing across this critical period, and keep monitoring it throughout secondary school. Armed with this information, it’s possible to intervene early and provide the best provision for children and young people.”
Dr Bagnall’s P-S WELLS research project has developed and are now validating a novel scale, which measures young people’s wellbeing across the transition period from primary school to secondary school. Like #BeeWell, P-S WELLS takes a preventative, early-intervention approach in supporting young people’s emotional wellbeing, through regular monitoring.
