Child Friendly Warwickshire

Warwickshire County Council Cabinet has approved a new Children and Young People Strategy which outlines the council’s commitment to ensuring children and young people have a voice and are supported to be the best they can be.

The strategy’s goals and ambitions were shaped by feedback from a survey completed by over a thousand young people across Warwickshire and will be the council’s approach to working with partners, families and communities between now and 2030 to help youngsters reach their potential.

The strategy reflects the exciting new Child Friendly Warwickshire programme which is bringing the county together in a collective effort to ensure our children and young people are heard, safe, happy, healthy and equipped with the skills to lead the best lives they can. 

The council-led child friendly programme will help to deliver the strategy, ensuring a whole council approach and bringing partners and communities on board to help make Warwickshire the best place for children to grow up and learn.

The priorities of the strategy and Child Friendly Warwickshire have been chosen as critical measures for success as these are the things young people said were most important to them. In early 2021, over one thousand young people took part in the Child Friendly Warwickshire survey and their feedback highlighted the things that would make them feel that they live in a child friendly county. These are:

• Be heard – have a voice to shape where they live 
• Be safe – have secure, safe and stable home lives 
• Be healthy - have access to the health services they need  
• Be skilled - have the opportunity to enjoy the learning they need - leading to the achievements and employment they want 
• Be happy – enjoy access to activities and entertainment with safe, secure, green and clean areas in which to play.

Warwickshire County Councillor Jeff Morgan, Portfolio Holder for Children and Families and Education, said: “Warwickshire is already a place where growing up is full of fun, safe and healthy experiences, but we can always do more for children and young people. I am very proud to be launching this new strategy that emphasises the importance of working with communities across Warwickshire to ensure our county remains, and is even more, child friendly.

“The county council believes that by working together, and understanding what young people need to flourish, we can shape our county in a way that leads to better outcomes for the youngsters of Warwickshire.

‘The launch of the first children and young people strategy is only the first step in a long-term vision that will evolve as we learn. I am delighted to be launching it now, though, as we take the first steps in not only making Warwickshire the best it can be for our children and young people, but also helping our children and young people be the best they can be for Warwickshire.”

A full copy of the strategy can be downloaded here.

To find out more about Child Friendly Warwickshire and to get involved visit www.childfriendlywarwickshire.co.uk.