Create for Confidence: How young people make the perfect co-facilitators

Since the new year, four members of our Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG) have been co-facilitators in Create for Confidence, a study run by by Dr Naomi Warne and Dr Liz Jestico at the University of Bristol. We talked to three of them – Shafia, Alice and Elizabeth – to find out what the role entailed and why it’s so important to involve young people in health and care research.

What is Create for Confidence?

Alice: It’s a research project aiming to create an art and wellbeing programme for schools to prevent anxiety and depression in year 7 students.

Elizabeth: We want to make art in schools accessible to everyone whilst also having a positive impact on their mental health. It’s a very exciting project that we have been developing with a group of brilliant young people. We plan to implement in schools from September.

What is a co-facilitator? What did you do?

Shafia: A co-facilitator, to me, is a person who works alongside their peers to lead a workshop.

Alice: Absolutely. We work alongside the researchers to design and run workshops for the participants. In these workshops we discuss the programme we’re aiming to create, try out exciting creative activities and develop ideas.

I’ve been involved in workshop planning and delivery, as well as leading discussions to further ideas and create summary mind maps so nothing is forgotten. I’ve had the chance to lead activities for both adults and young people, from discussions about the content of the programme to fun team-building activities.

Elizabeth: I acted as a bridge between the qualified researchers and the young people who weren’t used to a research setting. I gathered key evidence from the young people during feedback discussions and observations of group work. This enabled us to pick up on issues with the activities and make them more suitable for young people in school to engage in.

I also developed my own public speaking and group work skills. Before this project, I was less confident in my ability to address a group and conduct an effective discussion. Now I can gather data effectively from a group with confidence.

What training and support did you get?

Alice: The training before the workshops involved several days with the researchers. We were told all about the project and our part in it. We moved on to learning and practising the crucial co-facilitator skills.

We learnt about the importance of presenting ourselves as kind, approachable and professional, how to lead discussions using open and closed questions, and how to engage with and respond to answers given during these discussions. We practised summarising information by capturing the key points and had important discussions about boundaries between us and the participants.

Throughout the training and workshops we had a huge amount of support from the researchers, as we tried new things out of our comfort zones and got to grips with being a co-facilitator.

Elizabeth: The training was excellent, as was the support. It truly gave me confidence and reassured me that becoming a co-facilitator was something I wanted to do. We had 3 in person training days as well as online support and the opportunity to email the researchers with questions.

In the first training session, we got to know each other as a research group. We did an escape room as a team bonding activity, which worked great. We also learnt about the importance of confidentiality in the project.

The other two training days further improved our confidence in becoming co facilitators and enabled us to get used to working with the other co-facilitators.

Shafia: We were given immense support during these workshops, which I’m so grateful for. If we ever needed breaks or help, we’d get it, which made my experience enjoyable.

What was it like?

Elizabeth: Very fun, both the training and being a co-facilitator. I’ve loved being involved with this project so far and I can’t wait for what’s coming next.

Shafia: My entire experience has been so rewarding. I gained confidence from public speaking. My collaborative skills have improved from working with fellow co-facilitators and the rest of the team.

Alice: The ongoing support has been one of the best parts about this experience for me. Having the researchers, Eva and Lucy (YPAG’s co-leads) by our side throughout has been so reassuring. I know if I ever get stuck, miss something out, don’t know what to say next or just need a break there will always be someone to help. The researchers celebrate our achievements and help us reach our full potential.

Why is it important to co-produce research with young people?

Elizabeth: It’s incredibly important for young people to co-produce a projects about them, as it enhances the quality of both the project and its results. Without young people in Create for Confidence, our workshops wouldn’t have been as successful. We were a support and friendly face to the young people involved. We also made the workshops more comfortable so they felt less like a school lesson.

Shafia: Co-producing research with young people gives insights into how youth in society would react to the research. It gives young people a voice to express their concerns.

Alice: We need the voices of young people to be represented so that research done for them or about them is correct and truly represents what they need.

What have you learnt from the experience?

Shafia: I have learnt the significance of a team and the difference it makes to have a team that support you. I’m incredibly grateful to have taken part. It has developed my confidence and skills which will help me in school and after education.

Elizabeth: I’ve learnt the importance of improving the art curriculum and how it can help prevent mental health issues for young people. This project has deepened my understanding of how other people experience art and secondary school itself.

Alice: Create for Confidence has taught me to believe in myself more. At first, the idea of leading a discussion for a whole group was so daunting. But as soon as I got started, I loved it.

I’ve developed confidence and people skills. It’s given me a new perspective on how research works. It’s shown me how important our roles in YPAG are.