A Voice for Young People

We empower vulnerable and disadvantaged young people to have a voice. 

Through our unique multi-media journalism programme children and young people research and produce stories for publication and broadcast about issues that concern them and campaign for change in their communities. Young people from Headliners have had their stories and campaigns told on BBC, SKY and ITV and many local TV and radio stations and online.

Our learning programme improves the educational and employment prospects for young people, brings young people together from different backgrounds and experiences to improve community relations and helps them make good choices in their own lives. Our young people can gain accreditation in a range of digital media skills, journalism and personal progression.

Young people are involved in decision making across the organisation and four of our Trustees are former participants in the Headliners programme.

We work with young people in London, North East England and Northern Ireland.

It's really good that we've had the chance to voice our opinions so that people can hear there is people like us looking for help and when the right help is given we'll take it..

Young person in custody, 2015

Our achievements

Since Headliners started in 1994, we have worked with over 10,000 young people and they have produced more than 6,000 stories on issues important to them.

Last year we worked with 1,012 young people.

643 were involved in social action projects in their community

215 achieved accreditation in journalism and digital media skills

We built 31 new partnerships with other organisations working with young people across England and Northern Ireland

97% of young people on our National Citizen Service programme graduated in 2015 after completing their social action projects and they volunteered 13,610 hours.

91% of young people we worked with said they had better job prospects and were more confident about their future

We have developed a number of priorities for young people in the period 2015-2018 which are outlined in our strategic plan

These include:

• Offering enhanced employability programmes, particularly training and access to digital media opportunities, for vulnerable young people
• Further develop participation/ co-production programmes  ensuring the voice of vulnerable young people is heard in decision-making, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities
• Develop more work with new/under-represented groups of young people including refugees and asylum seekers
• Further develop progression and leadership opportunities available in our centres for young people who have already accessed Headliners programmes

Our plans are also outlined in our latest annual report and accounts

Complaints

Headliners (UK) views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the
future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person or organisation that has
made the complaint.
Our policy is:
• To provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone
wishing to make a complaint
• To publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to
contact us to make a complaint
• To make sure everyone at Headliners (UK) knows what to do if a complaint is
received
• To make sure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely way
• To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships
are repaired
• To gather information which helps us to improve what we do

If you wish to make a complaint please contact us.

Safeguarding statement

Headliners (UK) is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people involved in the organisation.  All staff, trustees and volunteers employed or engaged in this organisation accept and recognise their responsibility to develop awareness of the issues and circumstances which cause children and young people harm and, the need to take all reasonable steps to protect children and young people from neglect, physical, sexual or emotional harm.  The organisation and all those who are engaged in delivering its services will, at all times, show respect and understanding for the rights, safety and welfare of everyone engaged in the programme and will conduct themselves in a way that reflects this.

Headliners endeavours to achieve this by:

• Providing a safe environment for all children and young people who are engaged in any aspect of the Headliners programme.  By this we mean to provide an environment where unnecessary risks are recognised and prevented.  We also recognise that some risks are inevitable and such cases we intend for those risks to be carefully managed;
• Adopting a child/young person centred risk assessment approach so that the views and experience of children and young people are central to the development and implementation of policy;
• Ensuring that all staff, trustees, volunteers and contractors are carefully selected, trained and supervised as appropriate to their role;
• Sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people and their parents or carers appropriately;
• Being aware of the possible effects of exposure to material we use to research stories, and to the people with whom our members come into contact;
• Ensuring children, young people, their parents/carers and others involved with the organisation know how to voice concerns or complaints about anything they may not be happy with and;
• Informing children, young people, their parents/carers and others involved with the organisation about what we do, what can be expected from us and our expectations of them towards others.

 

Headliners implements the following policies to ensure the above statement is a reality: Safeguarding and Child Protection; health and safety; staff recruitment; training and development; staff and member’s code of conduct; ‘whistleblowing’; equal opportunities, complaints and disciplinary. It is also committed to reviewing all policies and practice annually and to involving staff and children and young people in this process.

Fiona Wyton, Director, Headliners (UK)