The Department for Child Protection is working hard to improve outcomes for children and young people in residential care. This includes a greater focus on creating positive and home-like environments and involving young people in decisions that affect their lives.
Earlier this year 4 young people aged between 12 and 16 came together to help design a new residential care property. They met face-to-face with the property architects and provided strong and constructive feedback about bathrooms, aesthetics and acoustics in the house.
All 4 young people shared important contributions from their experiences living in residential care, including smaller houses and larger units. One of the young people brought additional knowledge to the table, having recently moved from residential care to independent living.
Their insights reiterated the important role that a young person’s physical environment can play in their wellbeing and overall care experience, including their interactions with other residents and staff.
To make it more fun, they were able to stock-up on drinks and snacks before the session, and helped to set up the room.
Thank-you to the child and youth workers who organised the session, and the HYPA Specialised Residential Care program for kindly providing a venue and welcoming the young people.
