Where to start? One step @ a time...

One step @ a time....I have had numerous conversations with youth practitioners who have expressed frustration about the resistance and lack of interest from colleagues/local authority. Other professionals have expressed interest but feel overwhelmed about how and/or what level of ‘online engagement’ to start with and where to aim towards.

During the last two years I have been working with my supervisor, work colleagues and young people to explore how and what level of ‘online engagement’ to adopt within my youth work practice in Devon County Council. Initially I had to spend a great deal of time considering safeguarding issues and responses. Once this was resolved I was able to consult with young people to gain their views on how they wanted to engage with youth practitioner online. In Devon we adopted the approach of ‘one step @ a time’. This followed the following steps:

Step 1: We invited a small number of young people to join the ‘Geturvoiceheard’ online social profile. We still only invite young people to join the profile through face-to-face invites and with the young person’s written consent. We document the name of young person, linked provision (school, youth centre, connexions) and link the youth practitioner/teacher.

Step 2: We set up small online groups; uploaded photos (media consent gained), minutes from meetings and reports on what change if any took place since the event/meeting/activity.

Step 3: We used the social media profile as an interactive notice/advertising space to promote local events/meetings/activities for young people to get their views heard about local issues.

Step 4: We uploaded documents/film clips/images and invited young people to express their views on the material. These were then edited to reflect their views before being uploaded again.

“Ok, that’s all good, but what I can do in my local youth provision that will not scare the ‘heevy geebies’ out of my supervisor/local senior councilor member?”

One possible ‘safe/neutral’ topic to use social media within a youth provision setting to promote your local PAYP opportunities. PAYP is a national Government program for young people aged 8-19. It offers arts, sports, cultural and educational activities for young people who are at risk. The activities can be delivered by various orgainsation/agencies within a local authority.

A social media platform could be used simply as an interactive promotional notice board on upcoming local PAYP. Young people can choose/be invited to become friends of the social network profile to find out what is happening in their local area. The main message board function (on the main page) could be used to upload a photo of youth workers who are delivering the activity with a short blurb about the activity (with their consent) plus contact details. Web links to organisational web home pages could also be uploaded (reducing the need to replicate).

One idea might be to grab a mobile phone with a camera and shoot a 2 mins film clip promoting the upcoming activity - invite young people who’ve attend previously (media consent gained) to share their experience/view. Upload to youtube, then link to the social media profile. If you have the time (30 mins with a cuppa) add some annotations to the film clip: time of event, location, contact number etc. to liven it up!

The event function can be used on the main page of the social media profile, so all members can view the event. There is the message board function to allow information of the event to be included. Location function section and time & date function section. Or, all the relevant information of the event; details, location, time/date etc could be inputted in the message board section. Then a photo or film clip attached. This has the added advantage of being more appealing due to the visuals. Or, simply write a message about the upcoming event(s) and input the relevant link to ‘home’ webpage which has all the information of the local PAYP

I have found the event calender a really useful tool when used within an ‘online group’. Young people can click to confirm if they are attending or not which helps enable me to plan for the ‘attending’ group size - plus not buy too much food (Jaffa cakes always come home with me!). Also it helps encourage ‘friends’ of members to ask questions and request to join the group and subsequently attend some local activities/meetings.

Another online application is to create an ‘online group’ to promote local PAYP on the social media profile. There are settings to enable more control about who and what information is uploaded. Organisations/groups can choose to be an open group - anyone can join or be a closed group - invitation only. Young people can request to become a member but need to be accepted by group administrator.

The settings of the group can be customised to:

Allow all group members to write messages, upload photos & film clips. Or only administrator can write messages, upload photos & film clips.

Young people can be invited to join the online group directly if they are already ‘friends’ of the organisational profile or be invited directly via e-mail.

In Devon we have chosen to customise the online group settings:
All members can write comments on the message board. Only administrator (staff members/trained young people) can upload approved photos/film clips (media consent has been granted by parent/career). This is to reduce the risk of young people’s images being upload without their prior consent.

We have found the online group enables young people to keep up to date of new activities or be notified about changes. Members can forward relevant information to their peer group to extend invitations to attend a local activities. It’s easier for young people (parent/career) to send an e-mail to request further information if required. Members can be invited to evaluate the activity, share their views on what they gained from attending, what they would change etc.

A social media profile enables a dynamic information sharing space. A leaflet may have all the relevant information but it can’t answer questions a young person may have; Who else is attending? What does the venue look like? Which bus do I need to catch? Are there photos from previous events I can check out?

There is the added advantage of social media platforms being more cost efficient, less time consuming, possibly reaching a wider and more diverse audience and more environmental friendly than traditional promotional communication tools. However, I am not advocating the replacement of face-to-face engagement, it's imperative to maintain and sustain the youth work relationship with young people in your local area. Social media can engage young people in a communication medium that is familiar to their everyday environment.

There is no obligation to jump in the deep end and set up an online social media profile to start doing online interventions with young people. Consider your competencies, identify gaps, read and ask around, talk to young people and take one step @ a time. Social media is growing exponentially and evolving continually which can be very overwhelming. My motto is:

Keep it local & simple