Well-being

Director: Sue Owen

This department is home for a number of programmes of work, and individual projects, which address children and young people’s well-being; the need to be safe and loved, free from harm, to have a happy and healthy childhood, and the chance to fulfil their potential.

But well-being needs are different for everybody, so we need to include in all our work basic principles, which help us to understand and work with these differences. These include active participation of children and young people, children and young people to be seen as whole, rich human beings and not defined by their deficits, an understanding of issues of equality and difference, and an understanding of the importance of living in and contributing to sustainable communities. We work through three, linked processes: policy, evidence and practice, and most of our projects involve all three.

Our work is delivered through three interconnected strands of work:

Health, Well-being and Environment
Well-being, Learning and Education
Early Childhood

We also host five specialist bodies. These are:

And we facilitate the following networks:

Our cross-cutting principle of participation means that we actively involve children and young people in all our work through a range of creative participation techniques, including focus groups, and advisory groups. These include the Young Children’s Voices Networks in local authorities, the Young Anti-Bullying Alliance, the My Money Young Advisers and others. We have also undertaken a range of on-line surveys and provide young people with a platform to speak and contribute at key events.

Current projects include: