What is Amplified?

Funded and supported by NHS England and led by YoungMinds and NEL Commissioning Support Unit,

Amplified is a programme to support and build participation in every part of the children and young

people’s mental health system. The Amplified team is a mix of staff from different backgrounds, young

people and parents.

Amplified’s goals are to: 1)Build the knowledge, confidence and skills of professionals across the mental

health system around participation and 2) Increase the participation of young people and their families in

the children and young people’s mental health system – at individual, organisational, local and national

levels by helping more settings embed participation in what they do.

What are Amplified Participation Trailblazers?

Settings across the mental health system face many of the same challenges with participation and

addressing them in partnership with one another and with children, young people and parents and carers

is one of the best ways to develop new participation practice and knowledge.

Amplified Participation Trailblazers are a group of 12 organisations from across the children and young

people’s mental health system who all work around the same participation topic for six months in their

settings- sharing learning as they do so. At the end of the 6 months their joint learning is developed into a

toolkit and learning resources for the whole system to use.

What is the topic for the 2018 Amplified Participation Trailblazers?

In 2017 lots of organisations asked for advice and guidance with evaluating their participation so

the Trailblazer topic for 2018 is Evaluating CYP and parent/carer participation in our

organisations.

Evaluation is important for lots of reasons, including:

Helping improve participation by building in routine reflection with everyone involved

Recording and celebrating young people’s contribution and progress

Demonstrating impact to funders

Enabling colleagues to understand the value of participation.

Applications can be made in one of the following themes:

Theme 1: Designing and testing your own participation evaluation framework:

Organisations within this theme will begin with introductory training around evaluating

participation and be provided with tools and guidance to map out an evaluation framework and

tools for the participation activities they deliver. They will then receive 3 days bespoke support

from Amplified in designing and implementing their framework, as well as further peer learning

through webinars.

Theme 2: Establishing parent and carer participation structures & measuring impact:

In 2017 many settings told us they felt their parent and carer participation was less advanced

than their children and young people’s participation so organisations applying within the theme

will begin with introductory around both evaluating participation and parent and carer

participation in mental health. As well as tools and resources to plan their parent participation

strategy and evaluation framework. They will then receive 3 day’s bespoke support from

Amplified in designing and implementing their framework and parent participation, as well as

further peer learning through webinars.

NOTE: Amplified will not be evaluating organisation’s participation for them but focussing on

building the skills and tools that enable organisations to develop and sustain their own evaluation

as part of a reflective organisational culture.

Why become an Amplified Trailblazer? Becoming an Amplified Participation Trailblazer will enable you to:

Become an active part of a peer group of professionals, young people and parents

passionate about participation

Access expert input to support your participation from the Amplified team and national

steering group as well as learning from peers across the system

Access opportunities for the young people and parents and carers you work with to

participate at a national level in developing new resources and practice in participation

What kind of services can apply?

Organisations that can apply are:

NHSE commissioned CYP mental health services

Primary health services undertaking participation with CYP and parent/carers with a mental

health focus

Youth justice settings

CCGs

Local Authorities

Schools

How does the Trailblazer initiative involve young people and parents?

The Youth and Parent Advisors in the Amplified team co-lead every part of the initiative- selecting

applicants, designing the training and tools and providing support.

One thing we always find impossible is finding a perfect day and time that works for professionals, and

young people, and parents to meet! So, we have made the core events on week days so professionals can

more easily attend but have included capacity at these for you to bring a young person and or

parent/carer who is participating in your project if they are able to come. And we’ve got an event in the

summer on a Saturday so that young people and parents from different Trailblazer sites can meet each

other and share learning on a day that may be easier for many of them.

How do we apply to become a Trailblazer?

Applying is simple and quick. There is an application form on the Trailblazer web page (or here)

which will take around 15 minutes to complete. It will require you to confirm a senior member of

your organisation is aware you are applying to the initiative and is happy for you to attend events

and work on implementing your evaluation framework and/or parent participation if you become

a Trailblazer. Applications are selected by the Amplified team, including our Youth and Parent

Advisors.

Every year we have to ensure that amongst the 12 Trailblazers we have representation from all parts of

the country and from a range of services. Taking these two criteria into account determines a lot of the

selection process- and after that we look for a mix of types of organisations and motives for applying to

make for an exciting peer group.

What does being a Trailblazer involve?

Being involved with the Trailblazer initiative will require up to 10 days of time from the lead

representative from your organisation between April and November 2018. We recommend the

lead should be your participation worker or similar.

If you have further questions relating to the Trailblazer application or support process, please email

Richard.wall@youngminds.org.uk . We’ll be hosting a webinar on Thursday 22nd March from 1.30-2pm to

go through some of these.

You can sign up to the webinar by clicking here. www.youngminds.org.uk/amplified

#TeamAmplified

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