YExLS: The Simulation Story Continues…
Throughout EYHC’s history, the partnerships we’ve built through international collaboration have been key to our development as a campaign. Learning from international colleagues’ experiences, whilst championing progress from Wales, has been critical to furthering our understanding of youth homelessness. We’ve gained an understanding of particular schemes, projects or approaches that have proven to be effective in either preventing or tackling youth homelessness. This international learning is evident in our adoption of Upstream Cymru and Housing First for Youth. These schemes, now well established in Wales, were initially developed abroad, in Australia and America respectively.
This collaborative approach and the international culture of learning and sharing was of absolute importance in our initial awareness of the ‘Youth Justice Simulation’ (YExLS) and in our hosting of Europe’s first Simulation event. This culture was embodied when Angela and Brian, of Baker McKenzie and the Youth Law Center, entrusted us in Wales to be the first country in the world to run the simulation independently. They returned to Wales not only to run the simulation for a second time, but to put on a week’s training for a team recruited and coordinated by EYHC, with the help of Katie Dalton of Cymorth Cymru and Dr Peter Mackie. This gave us the understanding and the confidence to run the simulation ourselves. You can learn more about this, and the simulation itself, in our previous blog.
Our wonderful team of facilitators.
So, just over a year later, after a few personnel changes within EYHC and some funding difficulties, we got the ball rolling and committed to run the simulation at Cardiff University on 15th March. Katie, Pete and I had a few initial meetings, going over everything that we had learnt, trying to process and remember all of the knowledge that had been shared. The day before the event, we pulled together our fantastic team of facilitators for a ‘run through’, to remind everyone of their roles and importantly, what we were trying to achieve through the simulation. We reiterated the importance of staying true to the young people whose experiences had helped shape the simulation that we were privileged to deliver. The commitment of our facilitators, and the ease with which they effortlessly picked back up from where we left off was brilliant to see, and certainly helped ease Katie, Pete and I’s collective nerves. As we finished for the day however, the significance of tomorrow’s event to be the first ever YExLS simulation run independently of our American partners, certainly began to hit home.
Despite the nerves, we were delighted to welcome over 50 attendees to Cardiff University’s Glamorgan Building, from a mixture of Local Authorities, third sector organisations, academics, and health boards for the half-day session. After completing the simulation and providing the attendees with some refreshments, we hosted a ‘solutions-focused workshop’ in which we asked the attendees, in groups, to explore the following questions;
What did the simulation tell you about how systems are currently set up?
What are the current problems in the system?
Were there any examples of successes?
What would a working system look like?
What would you like to see change?
Participants felt that the simulation taught them about how systems are currently set up, and identified problems that arise within our current ways of working and services. A common theme was the lack of a person-centred approach that is tailored to each individual’s needs. The lack of communication was also deemed to be a real barrier for young people to access the help they need and knowing where to turn. When participants interacted with the system within the simulation, many found the help they received was not consistent with others, which was acknowledged as the reality that young people face in their real lives when navigating support systems.
Participants also reflected on the lack of choice and agency they felt in the Simulation, often being ‘pushed along the queue’ rather than supported. Similarly, many commented that within the current system, young people who don't fit the criteria fall through the net and become lost in the system, or have to manipulate the system in order to tick the boxes, in effect masking their true selves. Even when there was slight hope of help from certain people, there was no trust due to previous encounters, making it difficult to fully accept the help given. Many felt the system was tiresome and difficult to navigate, which participants felt explained why so many young people stop engaging with the system altogether.
When participants envisaged what a working system would look like, responses focused on the importance of;
Communication and Collaboration
The system being person-centred, trauma-informed, and strengths based
Education, prevention, and early intervention
Staff capacity, wellbeing, and training
Resourcing support services
Improving transitions
Clear pathways and advocates
We also asked participants to make a pledge based on their experiences within the simulation and what they would take from the day; a collection of which can be seen below;
I pledge to take the time to get to know my young people, uplift them and promote their skils and strengths
Promote the voices of young people- their experiences, their wishes, their thoughts and ideas
Challenge the systems that promote inequality + call out complacency + complicity
I pledge to remember the emotions I felt today and keep them at the forefront of my mind when I’m engaging with young people.
Commit to delve deeper to find small solutions to the “gaps” in the system, ones that I can influence or solve. Incorporate supporting young people who need support into my influencing work.
I pledge to engage with young people as individuals who need to be supported through a very complex and disjointed system. I pledge to acknowledge and celebrate young people’s brilliance, resilience and humour and admire them for still standing, smiling and keeping trying.
As the YExLS Wales Team, we are passionate about the simulation, the message it conveys, and what we know it can achieve: the furthering of our collective understanding of young people’s experiences of trying to navigate the ‘system’. The feedback we’ve had from all three simulations has made all of the hard work worthwhile, and it's been brilliant to see how well it has resonated with participants from all over Wales from a number of different organisations and sectors. We are planning on running the next Simulation event in North Wales in early Autumn 2024, before running one more in early 2025. Keep an eye out for those and please do get in touch for any more information.