“Seeing young people lead conversations empowers others to speak up too.”
Maria, Youth Ambassador
Young people living in our supported housing in Horsham are playing an increasingly active role in shaping what their home feels like, how it works, and how we build supportive communities together.
After six weeks of resident‑led activities, we’re building on the connection and energy created by those sessions with a strengthened approach to Youth Voice. Alongside monthly Resident Meetings (with food provided), residents have created a new group of their own: Your Home – a twice‑monthly space where young people explore what helps their housing feel safe, welcoming and truly like home.
The message from Horsham is clear: when young people have space to connect, they feel more confident to get involved. And that involvement leads to positive, practical change.
From involvement to influence
We want young people’s ideas to be heard, valued and acted on. To support this, every Youth Voice activity now follows the same simple and consistent cycle:
promote → plan → meet → assign actions → follow up
This helps ensure conversations turn into clear actions, with updates shared openly so young people can see what’s changing and why.
This improved approach is now being introduced across all our supported accommodation across Sussex and Surrey. Regular monthly resident meetings give young people a reliable, supportive way to shape their environment. Anonymous suggestion boxes in some locations offer quieter ways to contribute.
Emerging themes from young residents so far include:
- guest and visitor policies
- access to affordable food options (including FareShare)
- repairs and maintenance
- clearer, youth‑friendly tenancy information
These ideas are already helping shape everyday practice across our services.
Guided by The Lundy Model
Our approach is rooted in The Lundy Model (Professor Laura Lundy), which brings Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to life in everyday practice.
It ensures young people have:
- Space – safe and inclusive opportunities to share views
- Voice – support to express themselves in ways that work for them
- Audience – people in positions to make decisions who listen
- Influence – visible change based on their feedback.
This helps us move beyond simply listening, towards involving young people meaningfully in decisions that affect them. It’s a partnership approach, building trust, belonging and stronger communities.
Looking ahead
As this approach continues to roll out across Sussex and Surrey, we expect to see:
- stronger community connections
- improved wellbeing
- practical improvements designed with, and by, the young people who live in our services
Coming Soon: Our 2026–2031 Strategy
Launching next month, with Youth Voice as a central priority.
