THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH ISCOMMITTED TO THE SAFE, MEANINGFUL AND ETHICALPARTICIPATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE.

OUR VISIONChildren and Young People:

Influence the training, professionaldevelopment and assessment ofpaediatricians.

Challenge standards of health caredelivered to children and youngpeople.

Advocate with paediatricians andother key stakeholders on healthmatters impacting children and youngpeople in the UK and globally toimprove child health quality, policy andprovision.

(Children and Young People’s Participation

Strategy, RCPCH 2009 -2012)

Our VisionA healthier future for children and young people across the world

Our MissionTo transform child health through knowledge, innovation and expertise

“State Parties recognise the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainablestandard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health.State Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access tosuch health care services.” (Article 24, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child)

OUR COMMITMENT

• Ensure children and young people actively influencethe work of the Royal College of Paediatrics andChild Health.

• Ensure paediatricians and wider health professionalsuphold the child’s right to the highest standard ofhealthcare, listen to children and young people, take on board their perspectives and are influencedby their experiences of the health system, policies and society.

• Ensure the Royal College of Paediatrics and ChildHealth facilitates and promotes the safe, ethical andmeaningful participation of children and youngpeople in health policy design, service delivery,quality of healthcare, advocacy and the training of paediatricians.

SO FAR...

• The permanent establishment of the Children and Young People’s Participation &Advocacy Manager (September 2008)

• The Children and Young People's Participation Strategy 2009-2012 launched by ProfessorTerence Stephenson, President, RCPCH (2009-2012)

• Our Youth Advisory Panel Members have facilitated and presented at high profile policyevents, engaged in child healthconsultations, supported the developmentof training & promotional materials,participated in the recruitment process ofthe RCPCH Chief Executive, informedresearch proposals and influenced childhealth policy design.

• We celebrated the 20th Anniversary of theUnited Nations Convention on the Rightsof the Child in 2009, co-facilitated byYoung People and Paediatricians.

• RCPCH and the Young Peoples HealthSpecial Interest Group (YPHSIG) jointlypublished: Not Just a Phase, a guide to theparticipation of children and young peoplein health services, 2010.

• We hosted a high-profile policy conference in Wales(2011), "My Right to the Highest Standard of Health" -an inspiring event, unfolding knowledge, innovationand expertise bringing together Young People,Paediatricians, Children and Young Peoplesadvocates, all four of the Children's Commissionersfor the UK and Ministerial representatives.

• We continue to provide expert advice on childrenand young people’s participation to variousstakeholders including the Council of Europe ChildFriendly Healthcare Working Group, the EuropeanMedicines Agency (PDCO), General Medical Council,Royal Colleges (UK), NICE, and the UK Government.

• The European Medicines Agency – the PaediatricCommittee (PDCO) have incorporated children andyoung people’s participation within their five yearstrategy, as a result of our work with them.

• We provided expert advice and facilitated themeaningful participation of children and youngpeople in the Department of Health funded projecton developing an Urgent & Emergency Care - PatientReported Experience Measure (PREM) tool forchildren, young people and their parents/ carers.(RCPCH and the Picker Institute 2011)

• Professor Terence Stephenson, President, RCPCH,(2009-2012) addresses the Ministerial delegation onfostering children's participation for child friendlyhealthcare. (9th Council of Europe Conference ofHealth Ministers, Lisbon - Portugal, September 2011)

www.rcpch.ac.uk/participation

“To have the higheststandards of care means tohave an appropriatespecialist see us as soon aspossible - and also have thenecessary time dedicated tous. It is not just about beingtreated, but also about beinggiven the opportunity for usto be listened to asindividuals and have ourviews heard.” Youth Advisory Panel, Royal

College of Paediatrics and Child

Health (2011)

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health received its Royal Charterin 1996 and is responsible for:

• Training and examining paediatricians in the UK

• Setting standards of paediatric medical practice

• Professional and postgraduate medical education

The Royal College ofPaediatrics and ChildHealth is the standardbearer of child healthwithin the medicalprofession, committed toleading the way inpaediatric research andtraining, recognised andrespected authority onchild health, andchampion of the besthealth outcomes forchildren and youngpeople.

The Royal College ofPaediatrics and ChildHealth has over 13,000members in the UK andglobally.

WHAT NEXT 2012+ …

• RCPCH Youth Advisory Panel launches its 2012-2015plans

• RCPCH and YPHSIG host an innovative session on23rd May at our Annual Conference (22-24 May2012): 'Participation & Accountability’ bringingtogether young people, paediatricians and other keystakeholders. www.rcpch.ac.uk/participation

• RCPCH publishes training resources informed byyoung patients, children and people.

• RCPCH & YPHSIG launch a collation of good practiceexamples documenting children and young people’sparticipation in healthcare.

• RCPCH and the European Association for Childrenwith Disabilities (EACD) plan for the Children’s Forumto be held at the EACD 2013 Annual Conference andcelebration of their 25th Anniversary.

• RCPCH, NHS Confederation and the Office of Public Management publish and promote policybriefings influenced by young people to improve the quality of child healthcare and uphold the child’sright to be heard.

• RCPCH establishes a network of ‘participation focalpersons’ across its membership.

• RCPCH continues to provide expert advice to keystakeholders, including the UK Government FutureForum, to ensure the child’s right to be heard isupheld and ensure the safe, meaningful and ethicalparticipation of children and young people.

Contact Details Bharti MepaniChildren and Young People's Participation & Advocacy Managerbharti.mepani@rcpch.ac.ukwww.rcpch.ac.uk/participation

“We do a great injustice tochildren and young peoplewhen, as a society, we fail tolisten to their views, take onboard their perspectives andvalue their contribution inshaping child health services.” Professor Terence Stephenson,

President, Royal College of Paediatrics

and Child Health (2009-2012).

RCPCH continues to lead thedevelopment of educational andhealth promotional resourcesinformed by young patients,children and young peopleincluding e-learning material:Adolescent Healthcare,Maintaining and UpdatingCompetencies – Child Protection(2010); a set of jointly publishedguides with YPHSIG focussingon ‘Consent’, ‘Confidentiality’and ‘Having Your Say’ (2011);Training Manual and DVD:Communicating Effectively withYoung Patients (2012); "MyRight to the Highest Standard ofHealth!” - UNCRC resource forPaediatricians (2012)