This website has moved and is now part of www.oxme.info

You will be redirected to the rights section of our new website in a few seconds, but if you are not, please use this link: http://oxcentric.oxme.info/cms/oxcentric/rights

| skip to main content | skip to contact information | skip to main navigation |

Oxfordshire’s Disability Forum: OYE! Oxfordshire Youth Enablers

BigVoice hears from OYE! Oxfordshire Youth Enablers

What has your group been created for?

OYE! started in October 2008. Disabled children and young people wanted to have their own group (as well as carrying on with other Participation and Involvement projects). OYE! has exciting opportunities to make sure disabled children and young peoples views are heard. OYE! has been hearing views on things like activities, short breaks, money matters and transition (growing up and being an adult). As well as free bus passes, transport, speech and language therapy, physio and occupational therapy.

How has it made a difference?

Successes so far:

Young Inspectors checked out short break providers in Oxfordshire, after OYE! set out what a good short break (pdf, 127KB) should be like.
'Changing Places': the first five fully accessible toilets in Oxfordshire, making it easier for disabled CYP to get out and about 24/7. These toilets were made after feedback at a PMLD Conference (People with Profound and Multiple Disabilities). The first to open was in the Westgate Centre in Oxford!

Consultations:

Transitions (from school to adulthood) by OYE! Involve Us Consultations. Read the reports for Oxford Cherwell Valley College (.pdf, 1.23MB) Wolvercote Aspergers Group (.pdf, 216KB), Friends of the Young Deaf (.pdf, 207KB) and Listen Guideposts (.pdf, 203KB).
The Big Debate (.pdf, 397KB), asking disabled children and young people's views on activities and what they value
Improving speech and language and pyhsio therapies - read the report (.pdf, 596KB)
Short Breaks (.pdf, 368KB), report on the findings of inspections by disabled Young Reporters into the quality of short breaks.
“Listening Posts” - consultation groups set up
We were part of national conference ‘Right on the Money’ (.pdf, 1.38MB), where disabled children and young people's views were heard by MPs and senior civil servants.
The Listening Lounge, an inflatable, mobile consultation unit! Find out how to book it (.pdf, 85KB)

What do you do in your group?

We work with young people to establish networks of disabled children and young people to influence local and national government.

How do you make sure that every child or young person is heard?

We have set up Listening Posts in special needs schools and projects:

Frankwise School
John Watson
Bardwell School
Guidepost Trust
Parasol Project
Wolvercote Aspergers Group
Woodeaton Manor School
John Watson School

We are providing accredited training for OYE! members to learn how to go out and meet other disabled children and young people, collect their views, and pass them on to the decision makers in the Council. We will be having regular meetings, sending out regular communications, and are always happy for new people to get involved.

Contact Zoe Elford (Children and Young People's Disability Forum Coordinator) by emailing zoe.elford@oxfordshire.gov.uk, and join our Facebook group.

Gallery

Click on an image to enlarge.

Image used in OYE report on transitions	Making a questionnaire for the Short Breaks Inspection	OYE aims to impact government policy
Oxfordshire created 3 fully accessible toilets with Changing Places	Running a POD consultation	Tommy setting up part of the criteria for judging Short Breaks