Power to Change Conference

Power to Change Conference

A day to show how businesses, communities and the public sector can collaborate to create real change for the lives of young people in Leicester and Leicestershire.

Connection I Partnership I Creativity I Change

The Power to Change Conference is hosted by Leicestershire Cares, an award-winning local charity that brokers partnerships and creates opportunities across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. These initiatives enable the business sector to understand community needs, contribute to the growth of inclusive, safe communities, and support and inspire children and young people in their transition to the workplace.

The conference is aimed at:

· senior managers and those responsible for recruitment or social values in the business sector

· existing and potential Business Members of the charity

· public sector and local authority workers whose focus is on young people (health, youth justice, social care, mental health or SEND)

· education workers such as careers and pastoral leads in secondary, further education mainstream and SEND schools

· representatives of grassroots local community groups and VCSE organisations

· anyone interested in adopting Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives to drive growth for young people in our community.

The goal of the conference is to bring the business, public, education and VCSE sectors together to harness the power of working together for change.

This event is part of the Leicester Business Festival

The day kicks off with breakfast and networking at our Changemakers Marketplace where you will have the chance to engage with grassroots community groups who make a real difference in their neighbourhoods. You will then hear from up to four keynotes speakers who will lead the conversation and call to action for better collaboration across the sectors.

The rest of the day will consist of a range of workshops from which you can choose those best suited to your working or knowledge areas.

Arrive from 10am for registration, breakfast, networking and Change Makers Marketplace,

Last registration 10:45am for prompt 11am start

Morning workshops:

All you need is love, a village and a washing machine!

Workshop Lead: Kieran Breen CEO Leicestershire Cares

Participants will be encouraged to:

• Consider how working in creative and agile partnerships, across business, community and public sector can lead to a better understanding of overlapping complex issues and lead to more effective outcomes.

• Think about how we can all improve our ability to work without “ego, silo or logo”.

Capturing Outcomes through Media

Workshop Lead: Aaron Todd, Leicestershire Cares and John Coster, Doc Media Centre.

There will be a live podcast demonstration delivered by a young person and participants will be able to take part. Q&A session with John Coster from Doc Media Centre.

Learn about how to capture content through phones and how to use photo, video and audio recordings to capture soft, hard and unplanned outcomes.

"What You Say?" Building Bridges Between Young People and the Public Sector

Workshop Lead: Jacob Bown, Children, Young People and Families Engagement Officer. NHS Integrated Care Board

Participants will be encouraged to:

• Consider the benefit and the challenges of bringing the voices of young people into the public sector to shape services and understand the role the community and business can play.

• Think about how we can create pipelines of information flow between young people and the public sector to improve the young people’s services

Afternoon workshops:

The benefits of supported Internships for SEND young people

Workshop Lead: Ross Cox, Leicestershire Cares and Jo Dawson, Project Manager for NHS Long Term Workforce Plan

The workshop will focus on the benefits of giving SEND young people the opportunity to gain real workplace experience whilst receiving the appropriate level of support. We will hear firsthand about the experiences of SEND young people who have undertaken Supported Internships in Leicester and the staff who have supported them, highlighting the successes and learning from these internships. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions to the panel and find out how businesses can get involved in providing these opportunities.

Link at Connexions and speaker from VOCO, young people Q&A activity.

The Lifelong Impact of a Criminal Record

Workshop Lead: Dr. Nicola Collett, Lecturer in Community and Criminal Justice - De Montfort University

In this workshop, Nicola will be examining the importance of constructing and maintaining a non-criminal identity, exploring research on the ongoing impact of criminal records and the need for reform, reviewing case studies of those who have been affected by their criminal records. This will be followed by a reflective exercise and an opportunity for feedback and action points for change.

Care experience as a protected characteristic: what are the next steps that we want to see?

Workshop lead: Terry Galloway, Care Leaver Advocate and Director at Norman Galloway Homes

Terry works across the nation campaigning for care experience to be a protected characteristic, elevating the voices of young people who have been in care and pushing for policy change to improve the lives and futures of young people. A great number of councils across the country have now recognised experience of the care system a protected characteristic. In this workshop Mr. Galloway will discuss the next steps.

Host or Publisher Leicestershire Cares