To receive a presentation from Giovanni Ferri on activities including Slough Youth Parliament and Young Inspectors, and how they can be applied to the Royal Borough.

Giovanni Ferri introduced himself and explained his role within Slough Borough Council, and stated that he was looking to see if similar projects to those he was working on could be implemented within the Royal Borough.

Giovanni Ferri started by explaining that Slough Borough Council had set up a Youth Parliament in 2014, following a suggestion at the Children and Young People’s Partnership Board. The idea of this was to give youngsters a voice and involve them with the Council’s decision-making process. More than 100 youngsters from 12 schools nominated themselves at the 2015 election, with more than 6,000 votes being cast. The successful candidates were invited to serve a two-year term. The second election took place in January 2017, with 9,000 students from 17 schools voting. Giovanni Ferri explained that youngsters came up with their own manifestos, with ideas from the most recent election including improving the school curriculum with regards to mental health issues and healthy relationships. The Youth Parliament had been campaigning for all schools in the Borough to teach PSHE; this had been agreed and implemented by the schools, with a networking group which meets four times a year being set up as a result. Giovanni Ferri said that as a result of the success of this scheme, headteachers from other Boroughs had approached Slough’s schools for more details on how it could work.

Giovanni Ferri informed members that the Slough Youth Awards – which it was hoped would become an annual event - and a regular Question Time-style event had been spawned by youngsters’ interest in the Youth Parliament and youngsters’ involvement on various Boards at Slough Borough Council.

Giovanni Ferri said Slough’s youngsters, as did those in the Royal Borough, had taken part in the national Make Your Mark consultation each year since 2014. He explained that each year ten trends would be selected and youngsters from each area would rank the five that were the most important to them. Giovanni Ferri explained that Make Your Mark was led by the nationwide UK Youth Parliament. The main event led by the UK Youth Parliament each year is held at the House of Commons. Giovanni Ferri said that representatives from Slough had spoken at each of the last three events; at the most recent one the Slough representative was recorded speaking for a piece on Channel 4.

Giovanni Ferri went on to talk about another scheme that had been implemented by Slough Borough Council, relating to Young Inspectors. The Young Inspectors visit various venues and test them to see how user friendly they are to young people, and to report back with their findings. The new library and cultural centre in Slough was the most recent venue to be inspected. Giovanni Ferri explained that the venues would ask for the Young Inspectors to look at certain aspects that the venue thought it would be useful to receive feedback on, and that they would be aware of any visits.

Elaine Keating stated that a Youth Parliament had been in operation in the Royal Borough, but had fallen flat since the previous lead officer left the Council. Elaine Keating explained that she this was now in the process of looking into how this could be rejuvenated, and it was hoped that link-up meetings with counterparts at Slough could be arranged in order to establish the best way forward.

Cllr Rayner suggested there were similar youth-led services available in the Royal Borough that were perhaps not well publicised, and requested there be an agenda item on it at the next meeting in order to raise awareness. She stated that the Council’s Cabinet meetings frequently met at different schools around the Royal Borough. On the occasions when the meetings were held in schools, pupils would be invited to ask questions of the Cabinet members. Cllr Rayner also said that the Council had taken part in the recent Children’s Takeover Day, when 37 children had visited the Town Hall.