Post by Sarah Nardone

One of the things I talk about most as a Director of Children’s Services is the importance of seeing, meeting and hearing directly from our children and young people. It isn’t an add-on to the job, it is the best part of it. Today I dropped in to meet the amazing young people from the United Abilities Group for the first time, and what I thought would be a quick introduction absolutely filled up my cup. Within minutes, C asked if she could be “the boss” and R quickly pointed out that this would be a brilliant idea because she’d “put rainbows on everything!” 🌈 I can’t wait to welcome C to spend some time with me soon and let her be “the boss” for the day. I have a feeling I’ll learn far more from her than she’ll learn from me. The conversation was vibrant, funny and thought-provoking. I even learned something completely new about an Australian politician – proof once again that the knowledge, interests and perspectives of our young people never cease to amaze me. And, of course, we had the obligatory football discussion! ⚽ I’m also really looking forward to seeing the group’s new logo, designed by the talented young artists in the room. Thankfully, I think we’ve managed to steer it away from football emblems… although I’m not making any promises! Thank you to everyone in the United Abilities Group for such a warm welcome. Days like today are a reminder of why listening to and learning from children and young people must always be at the heart of what we do. Sarah Wright Paula Bexon Linda Woodings Sulcan Mahmood Lisa DeSouza #UnitedAbilities #NottinghamCityCiuncil #YouthVoice #Participation #ChildrenAndYoungPeople #Inclusion #Leadership #ListeningMatters #Nottingham #ChildrenServices #ChangingLivesChangingFutures