Redbridge Council making Redbridge a child friendly borough

Following a year of engagement with over 2,000 children, officers from Redbridge Council spent the last two weeks meeting online with children and young people as part of Redbridge's 'Discovery Fortnight'.

Young people were asked to vote on the priorities they want the council and its partners to focus on for the remainder of the borough’s exciting partnership with the UK Committee for UNICEF’s (UNICEF UK) Child Friendly Cities & Communities programme.

The council is working closely with UNICEF UK to put the voices and rights of children and young people at the heart of decision making in Redbridge. This three-to-five-year programme has brought the council together with its partners and local children and young people to work towards recognition as a UNICEF UK Child Friendly Community. 

Discovery Fortnight marked the end of the Child Friendly Cities & Communities 'Discovery Phase', during which the council engaged with different groups of children and young people to find out what life is like for them living in Redbridge. This included children from schools, colleges, and youth groups, who told us what they loved about Redbridge and what they wanted to see change.

Discovery Fortnight was kicked off by the Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) Youth Forum, who were the first people in the borough to cast their votes. This was followed by discussions with the Child Friendly Redbridge Ambassadors, Redbridge Youth Council, and the Children in Care Council, who also voted on what they thought mattered most to young people.

The council met with partner organisations from across the borough who work closely with children and young people and sought their views on which priority areas they think are most important.

Voting took place at the end of each discussion and the votes and results of previous engagement with children and young people will help to choose three priority areas going forward. 

Councillor Elaine Norman, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said:

“It was great to be part of Discovery Fortnight and cast my vote. It was interesting to hear about everything we have learnt during the Discovery Phase and what the big issues are for children and young people in Redbridge. I want to thank our partners on the programme and I am looking forward to taking the next step and working together to help make Redbridge a child friendly borough.”

Raul Andrei Tinca Deputy Member of Youth Parliament and CFR Ambassador, said:

“Child Friendly Redbridge is growing and more young people have to be involved. The only way to become a child friendly borough is with the help of young people.”  

Now that we know what young people want us to focus on, the next steps will be to start the ‘Development Phase’. This is where the council, partner organisations and, most importantly, children and young people in Redbridge come together to agree the actions that will create improvements in the areas they voted for. This will take place over the coming weeks. To keep up to date and find out more about Child Friendly Redbridge, please visit www.redbridge.gov.uk/childfriendly/.

The council has already been working to help make Redbridge more child friendly. One project involved the council working with young people to help produce a “Back To School” information leaflet to help students returning to school after the first lockdown. They also produced a Mental Health Asset Map, which makes it easier for young people to access information about mental health services in Redbridge.

Redbridge Council would like to thank its partners in the programme, which include: Vision, the Police, Frenford Clubs, Essex Boys and Girls, Redbridge Safeguarding Children Partnership, Redbridge Council for Voluntary Services, Healthwatch Redbridge, Barnardo’s, Redbridge Adult Institute, NELFT NHS Foundation Trust, Redbridge Carers Support Service, Redbridge CCG, New City College, Mill Grove, Met Safer Transport Team, Space Studios and many of our brilliant schools in the borough.

For more information on the UNICEF UK Child Friendly Cities & Communities programme visit unicef.org.uk/cfc