Behind the scenes: building our Youth Advisory Panel
We didn't want a panel that just nods. Here's how we built a group of care-experienced young people who actually shape what we do.
We started with a question
"If young people are the experts on their own lives, why are they usually the last to be asked?"
What the panel actually does
Our Youth Advisory Panel reviews courses before they launch. They sit in on coach interviews. They tell us when something doesn't land right — and we listen.
How we built it
We recruited through local authorities and care leaver forums. We paid every panel member for their time. We made sure the meetings were not in an office that felt like a social services building.
What we learned
The first draft of our Confidence course was too long. The panel said so. We cut it by a third, and it's better for it.
That's the point. The panel isn't a box-tick. It's the quality control.