MCYPC

We are the Medway Children in Care Council, but like to be known as the MCYPC - Medway Children and Young People Council. Welcome to our pages...

What is the MCYPC?

MCYPC stands for Medway Children and Young People Council.  We decided on changing our name to drop the ‘label’ of being known as ‘children in care’. But officially you may know us as the Medway Children in Care Council.

MCYPC is the voice for all looked after young people and care leavers in Medway – we want to help improve the lives of young people.

What Do We Do?

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We Aim To Improve Your Lives...

  • MCYPC is a forum where young people in Medway’s care can come together
  • We meet with the Director of Children’s Services and other senior managers at Medway Council for formal meetings
  • We discuss issues and concerns about the care system
  • We suggest changes and help with future developments
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We Encourage and Support You...

  • Share your views, stories and ideas about being in care or how it can be improved
  • Communicate regularly with you so you stay up to date with information
  • Invite you to activity groups and events so we can have some fun and make new friends!
  • We also help to improve your own personal skills too!

Our Goals And Challenges

We like a challenge, so we set ourselves goals for improvements to the care system. We take our challenges to Medway Council and discuss how we can reach these goals together. Currently we are tackling the following:

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Driving Lessons

Making it easy, accessible and affordable for us to have driving lessons

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Council Tax Reductions

Lobbying with Medway to get Council Tax reductions for care leavers

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Improving Relationships

Breaking down barriers and improving relationships with social care workers through sports and activities

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Raising Awareness

Continuing to raise awareness of MCYPC and its importance in improving the care system

Raise a Challenge Card!

Want your ideas listened to and raised at the next MCYPC meeting?

Set a goal or challenge using our Challenge Cards!

Head here for more info!

The Medway Pledge

The Medway Pledge is a set of promises to young people in and leaving the care of Medway’s Children Services.

It is based directly on young people’s wishes, feelings, experiences and feedback, and all professionals have a duty to ensure that the Medway Pledge is achieved.

This Pledge is monitored and reviewed quarterly by your MCYPC.

Scroll across to read more….!

Medway pledge to:

  • send you Birthday and Christmas cards
  • remember special dates that are important to you and offer support to celebrate achievements and  help you through difficult times
  • make sure we make enough time for you so you aren’t rushed during visits with your worker and that you meet your worker at a time and location that you are happy with

Medway pledge to:

  • let you know as soon as we possibly can if you will have a change of worker and the reasons why
  • ensure that workers  understand the impact unplanned changes may have on you and work with you to help you during this time
  • ensure you know how to access Social Work Pods so you are familiar with other workers if you need help and your worker is away

Medway pledge to:

  • explore the best ways of communicating with young people, including Mind of My Own Apps and ‘Mind Of My Own express’
  • include young people’s input in the creation and review of forms and surveys for young people, so they are easy to understand and use for all ages

Medway pledge to:

  • share in advance what your accommodation options are likely to be,so you feel prepared when the time comes
  • include young people’s views when choosing the accommodation Children’s Services use for Care Leavers
  • make sure accommodation moves (unless in an emergency) are well planned with

Medway pledge to:

  • regularly review the the leaving care offer based directly on the needs, wishes and views of young people in Medway

Medway pledge to:

  • include the MCYPC Top 10 Professional Standards in Medway job descriptions so all new professionals understand what qualities are required to work with young people in Medway
  • ask the opinions of young people about the performance of their workers against the Top 10 Professional Standards

Medway pledge to:

  • ensure all young people are given the opportunity to access leisure facilitie
  • provide Leisure Passes for free access to selected Medway Leisure Centres
  • ensure young people are provided the opportunities to be able to learn to swim
  • provide Leaving Care Mentors for any young person needing support in the transition to adulthood

Also Not To Be Missed...

Our Blog

We have launched a Blog! Head over and check it out!

IMO Hub

Visit the IMO hub for all things care related from rights to life hacks!

Leaving Care Offer

View your Leaving Care Offer (downloadable doc)

Newsletter

Please view our most recent newsletter here

Interviews

Contact us to get involved with the training or interviewing of Medway professionals

Our Top 10

Qualities that are important to us – this now features in social worker job descriptions!

Our People

This is Nikki, our Participation Coordinator at YLF.

Nikki leads our MCYPC meetings and events, and ensures young people are engaged and active as part of the MCYPC and YLF.

Working With Medway Council

The MCYPC continue to support Medway’s Looked After Children (LAC) strategy.

Our main objectives are:

  • Additional and ongoing support for parents/families when children remain living or return to living with them
  • A commitment to young people being kept in the same school to reduce disruption to their education
  • Help young people access social and leisure opportunities and to ensure these are affordable
  • Standard of social workers must improve and they must be motivated and trained to an acceptable standard
  • There must be a certain standard that social workers are measured against and young people should be involved in spot checks and appraisals

The MCYPC are committed to monitoring the progress of this strategy and are keen to be proactively involved in future opportunities to do so.

Our Top 10 Professional Standards

After a consultation with MCYPC young people and Medway’s Participation & Engagement Project, it was found that the job descriptions for social workers were inconsistent and vague. So MCYPC young people came up with these Top 10 Professional Standards for social workers that were important to them. After this, our Top 10 Professional Standards created by MCYPC now features in the Job Descriptions of Social Worker positions in Medway!

What People Say

“I feel like I can speak up and everyone is listened to.” – MCYPC member

“Being a part of the Council gives me a focus. I have not had the best experiences of being in care and I am determined to help change the system so that others will not experience what I have.” – MCYPC member

“The meetings are useful to get our point across, plus its always good to see eachother and share pizza!” – MCYPC member

What Next?

Join the MCYPC

Be a part of our Council and start making a difference

Activity Groups

Check out our Legends programme just for YOU!

Contact Us

Head here to contact us or send us your ideas or complaints