One of the workshops was delivered by Adoption UK and the Welsh National Adoption Service, offering practical insights for professionals who want to develop youth voice initiatives in their own regions.
On 30th October 2024, Adoption England held its first-ever Youth Voice in Adoption event in Leeds. The event brought together over 100 delegates, including young people from adoption groups and their group coordinators. The aim was to give young people a platform to share their views, highlight the importance of youth voice, and encourage other regions to create similar opportunities.
This event was a key step in achieving one of the main goals of the Adoption England strategy — to strengthen youth voice opportunities across all Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs).
Showcasing the power of youth voice
The morning session featured presentations from seven youth groups:
- Voices of Adoption (Adoption East Midlands)
- Adopteens PAC-UK (commissioned by One Adoption West and Adoption North Yorkshire and Humberside)
- Adopt Bats (Adoption Tees Valley)
- Adoptables (Adoption Partnership South East)
- Adoptables (Adopt London South)
- The Bridge Project (Adoption UK)
- Collabor8 (Family Adoption Lincs)
Each group gave a presentation about their work and shared their experiences of being part of a youth group. They spoke about the value these groups bring to their lives and how they have helped shape adoption practice in their regions. Presentations were supported by short films or PowerPoint slides, which brought their messages to life.
The session also featured Anthony Lynch, a guest speaker, who gave a powerful presentation called “A Journey Through Youth Voice.” Anthony shared his personal journey of involvement in youth voice work, including his current role at Coram and his exhibition about identity, “In Between Lines.” His story offered valuable insight into how young people's voices can shape change in adoption.
Know more about his interaction on LinkedIn.
Workshops to share knowledge and best practice
The afternoon session gave delegates the opportunity to take part in interactive workshops. These workshops showcased national projects working with adopted young people and provided a chance for attendees to learn from best practices happening across the country.
Visual storytelling through live illustration
To make the event more engaging, two live illustrators captured the key moments and themes from the day:
- James Baylay created a large-scale visual story of the event as it unfolded.
- Beci Ward produced a series of illustrations that highlighted key themes and messages from the workshops and presentations.
These live illustrations made it easier for participants to reflect on the day's messages, capturing the energy and ideas of the event in a visual format.
Illustration by James Baylay
Shaped by young people, for young people
A unique aspect of this event was that it was co-designed by members of the Adoption England Youth Forum. They played an active role in planning the agenda, including designing four drop-in consultation activities that ran alongside the main event. These optional activities gave young people the chance to share their views and ideas, with each participant receiving a raffle ticket for every activity they completed.
A lasting impact
The Youth Voice in Adoption event was an opportunity to showcase good practice, highlight the power of youth voice, and inspire others to do the same. The event highlighted the potential for more youth-led initiatives and set the stage for future collaboration. By listening to and amplifying the voices of young people, Adoption England is driving positive change in adoption services across the country.