A new report published today by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC), and based on research conducted by User Voice, highlights young people’s experience of restraint in secure juvenile settings. The report says international standards must be used as a benchmark for the safe use of restraint in the secure juvenile estate when required... Read More

User Voice has today launched a new microsite dedicated to the Excluded Youth project. This nationwide engagement project reached nearly 600 young people in 6 months ending in a final event with senior policy makers in Parliament. There was too much information gathered to include in the final report, including videos, music, pictures and case... Read More

Today User Voice submitted the response to the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) Green Paper, Breaking the Cycle, from two focus groups held with young people and adults with personal experience of the criminal justice system. The consultations were sponsored by The Ministry of Justice, who recognised the importance of consulting with people with personal experience... Read More

In new research and action plan launched today, the Youth Justice Board (YJB) has made a series of commitments to improve the safeguarding practice of their service providers. The YJB and Office of the Children’s Commission (OCC) commissioned User Voice to consult gather the views of children and young people in Young Offender Institutions, Secure... Read More

On 8 February staff and prisoners had the opportunity to vote for one of the 4 parties in their new Prison Council. After months of training for prospective Council members and canvassing staff and prisoners, including the party spokesmen delivering speeches to the full staff meeting, it all came down to election day. During the... Read More

What’s Your Story We have engaged around 1000 excluded young people about the reality of their experiences. Over 600 have completed in-depth questionnaires with over 300 taking part in 22 discussion focus groups. 30 were voted in by their peers to speak to senior policy makers, politicians, business leaders and funders at an event on... Read More

On Wednesday 26th May in Portcullis House, Westminster and hosted by Keith Vaz MP and Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, User Voice held its official launch event! In the last year User Voice has concentrated on piloting a number of innovative projects and so the aim of the event was to explain the work... Read More

The New Economics Foundation and Nesta published today their report on co-production, Public Services Inside Out. It provides examples that represent a radical new approach to public services. They embody what has come to be known as ‘co-production’: public services that rest on an equal and reciprocal relationship between professionals, people using services, their families... Read More

The Home Affairs Committee, chaired by Keith Vaz MP, took evidence from seven young offenders through User Voice. Their contribution was highly valued and referred to around 20 times in their report assessing, and furthering, the policy development of government crime prevention strategies since Labour came to office in 1997. Why User Voice?User Voice was... Read More

The Role of Third Sector Innovation: Personalisation of health and social care and services to reduce re-offending By Cabinet Office Advisor on Third Sector Innovation, Rt. Hon. Anne McGuire MP The Cabinet Office Advisor on Third Sector Innovation was appointed in November 2008 to advise the Prime Minister and Cabinet Office Ministers on the third... Read More