Listen Up - Social Welfare Portal

listenup!22 | Chapter 3What young peoplewant from servicesNo matter what my progresswas… I could take two steps forwardand four steps back and theywould say ‘OK, so let’s try a differentapproach this time and see whatworks’… I wasn’t made to feel bad.Young personFrom the ‘wish list’ young people drew up during thefirst phase of the project, Youth Crisis I (see Appendix1), and from interviews conducted with youngpeople as part of the second phase of the project,Listen Up, four main key themes of what they wantedfrom a service emerged. These related to serviceenvironment; support to be free of discrimination; theneed for a range of opportunities for engagementand personal development; and the need for servicesto practise holistically and offer a diverse range ofsupport to meet young people’s mental health,emotional wellbeing and practical needs.Service EnvironmentFriendlyThe young people we spoke to said they valuedservices that encouraged a welcoming, relaxedand informal culture combined with a homelyenvironment. They all thought that the attitude andapproach of staff were very important in creatingthis atmosphere, and in achieving successful serviceprovision and delivery.“I felt really comfortable when I came here… it wassuch a happy place to be.”Young personYoung people commented that something assimple as being offered a cup of tea and biscuitsby a member of staff might seem a small gesture,but that it was typical of these services’ approach; itcreates a sense of a ‘personal touch’ and encouragesengagement with staff.“I was apprehensive at first, but once you come it’ssuch a nice atmosphere it makes you want tocome back.”Young personA friendly approach from staff can help tobreak down the initial barriers to young peoplecommunicating openly with staff when they first