How Can I Set Up and Run a Youth Panel?

What is this advice about?

This advice is for any heritage organisation looking to set up a youth panel. It outlines why a youth panel might be a valuable way of engaging young people in your work and advises on how to devise, recruit and run a panel.

What are the key points?

What is a youth panel and why set one up?

A youth panel works within an organisation to provide advice and insight. They often advise on matters relating to youth engagement, but their remit may be much more varied. Some panels work on specific projects, while others have an organisation-wide remit. Rather than simply being a programme of activities for young people, youth panels should be a tool for institutional change.

Youth panels can bring fresh thinking and new perspectives to your organisation. They can help you understand your audiences and yourselves. They should also provide development and social opportunities for the young people themselves.

What can youth panels do?

There is no limit to the sort of projects and issues youth panels can potentially work on, but existing panels across the sector have previously worked on the following:

• Advising on access and inclusion
• Helping to decide where funding goes
• Advising on youth engagement
• Creating content
• Putting on events
• Creating exhibitions or creative interventions
• Writing interpretation
• Speaking at conferences and events
• Sitting on boards
• Working as a part of a wider project team
• Sitting on an interview panel

Is my organisation ready for a youth panel?

All successful youth panels have a genuine impact on the organisations or projects that they are connected with.

Before starting, ask yourself:

• Will you and your organisation genuinely and actively listen to what your youth panel have to say?
• Do you have the authority and resources to follow through with some of their suggestions?

If your answer to either of these questions is ‘no’, you may not be ready yet.

Young people will be able to identify inauthenticity very quickly, so always be transparent about the power they will hold and the things they can influence.

What do I need in place when working with under 18s?

If you’re working with under 18s, you will need:

• To carry out risk assessments for all your activities
• Ensure all relevant members of staff have had appropriate DBS checks (note: this does not necessarily mean all members of staff that they meet). Read DBS guidance
• Ensure anyone working with your panel is signed up to relevant codes of conduct
• An up-to-date safeguarding policy. Read detailed advice on safeguarding young people
• Relevant permissions from parents and guardians

How do I recruit a youth panel?

Finding young people to sit on your panel can be challenging. Simply posting online or handing out flyers rarely works.

Here are a few ideas to help you do more in-depth recruitment:

• Decide on an age bracket relevant to the changes you want to make. While anyone aged 13 to 26 might be considered a ‘young person’, 26-year-olds have very different needs to 13-year-olds, so narrow it down
• Partner with local youth organisations who work with this age group. Visit them, chat with the young people there and drum up some interest. Build trust with the group leaders so they feel safe sending young people your way. Start to understand what barriers they may face in working with you
• Contact young people you’ve already worked with on other projects or have an established relationship with
• Write a short blurb about your panel, including a link to a simple online application. Email this to youth organisations in your area and ask them to share it with their networks
• Be patient. You may not succeed on the first attempt and may need to try multiple methods. Work with any young people you have successfully recruited to develop new ways of enlisting others

How can I ensure my panel is diverse?

Many organisations find it challenging to recruit a truly diverse youth panel that represents their local community.

Here are a few tips:

• Payment can have a huge impact on diversity. Not only does it remove financial barriers, but it shows that you truly value the young peoples’ expertise. If a young person is from a community whose lived expertise is often ignored, exploited, or misrepresented, payment can provide a real sign that you genuinely care about what they have to say, and that their time and knowledge are valued
• Work with local community groups who work with underrepresented young people. Spend time building trust with the group’s leaders and the young people they work with
• Gain an understanding of what stories and themes may appeal to young people from the communities you’re targeting. Don’t assume that young people of African Caribbean heritage will automatically want to talk about Transatlantic slavery, for instance, or that young people of South Asian heritage will be desperate to see your collection of Indian ceramics. Work with them to understand where their passions intersect with what you can offer
• Work with local disability groups to ensure you are not putting any unnecessary barriers to access. Read our advice about removing barriers for disabled people
• Ensure your programme offers transferable skills. While many people who are underrepresented in the sector feel heritage is ‘not for them’ – and though it is important to try and change this – they may still be keen to explore an opportunity that adds something tangible to their CV

When and where should my youth panel take place?

Here are a few things to consider when thinking about when and where your panel should take place:

• Some panels take place online, while others will be on-site. While both can be effective, don't assume young people will prefer a digital space. Many young people today are specifically looking for in-person opportunities that help them connect with other people in physical places
• Make sure you provide refreshments and a comfortable space. People may be arriving from a long day studying or working
• If you have a beautiful heritage space you can use, do it there rather than in an uninspiring side room
• Give as much behind-the-scenes access as you can. Young people will love seeing what's usually hidden away, and it will help give them further insight into what it's like to work in the sector
• Work with your young people to find the most suitable time. Around twilight (5pm to 8pm) usually works well as it gives people time to get from school, college or work
• Bear in mind that young people may feel vulnerable if leaving in the dark, so make sure you make suitable arrangements

How should I communicate with my youth panel?

Once you have enlisted your panel, you should always discuss how they would like to communicate. Whatever tools you use, ensure you gather all relevant permissions and adhere to GDPR.

Here are a few tips:

• Most young people still use email. They won't necessarily be checking it as regularly as you, so there may be speedier ways to communicate
• WhatsApp is a quick, easy and relatively accessible way of keeping in touch with your panel. It also now features polling functions for quick decisions on issues or dates
• Ask your young people how they communicate with each other, as there may be a new platform that they prefer
• Think about what you're going to call your youth panel. While the sector regularly uses the word 'youth', young people themselves rarely use it. 'Panel' can also sound quite dull and institutional. Some organisations have opted for phrases like 'young collective', 'young creators', and 'young advisers'. Ask some young people you're working with to see what would appeal to them
• It's also important to consider what tone you should use. Whilst it's not advisable to openly badmouth your organisation, reflecting on improving it and being open to challenge can help build trust and togetherness. Taking a position that is slightly 'outside' of your organisation can be helpful – for example, 'I'm on the inside, but I need your help to change things for the better'