The Brief
Having recognised the importance of integrating youth engagement when informing the future of healthcare, the North Central London Integrated Care Board (NCL ICB) were faced with a critical challenge: how could they incorporate the voices and opinions of young people when informing the decisions that would shape the future of healthcare and the services that these young people use?
In 2023, the NCL ICB engaged Participation People in launching a reverse mentoring programme, with the primary goal of bridging the gap between young people and decision-makers. In doing so, the future of healthcare could be moulded to suit the evolving needs of young people, allowing their voices to be heard when creating decisions that would directly affect them.
By bringing youth engagement directly to healthcare leaders, the reverse mentoring programme set out to achieve:
- Fostering a mutual understanding
- Healthcare services across North Central London would meet the needs of young people
- Providing young people with both leadership skills and insights into healthcare decision-making processes
Our Approach
We introduced our reverse mentoring programme by partnering with a range of local schools and youth organisations to select a group of 30 young people aged 14 to 21, from diverse backgrounds across North-Central London. The recruitment process prioritised inclusivity, promoting the participation of young people from different ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds and London boroughs. Having been recruited, this group of young people were then trained and supported so they were equipped to mentor senior NCL ICB leaders.
Throughout this reverse mentoring process, our central challenge was the accommodation of the diverse range of youth engagement needs, as well as the busy schedules of the senior healthcare professionals. As a solution, we approached the project with three distinct delivery methods, to allow for maximum impact during our mentoring sessions.
- In person mentoring sessions
We facilitated face to face mentoring sessions in Central London which provided a space for in-depth conversations, building rapport and trust between both the youth engagement participants and healthcare leaders. This resulted in genuine relationships and a safe space for our young people to express their insights more freely.
- Online mentoring sessions
As we understood that in person meetings were not always feasible, we introduced online mentoring sessions to aid with continued engagement. The flexibility of online mentoring provided higher participation rates, allowing for people to comfortably interact from their own homes, which proved especially helpful for the young people across the five boroughs of Central London.
- Hybrid youth summits
We also created hybrid youth engagement summits, which provided a dynamic and interactive format for the young mentors to present their findings and ideas to the healthcare leaders. These summits consisted of various workshops, focus groups and presentations, which all encouraged collaboration and co-production. Serving as the project wrap up, the summits allowed the participants to reflect on their insights and how the skills gained from this reverse mentoring process could be applied when improving the future of healthcare services.
Each of the youth engagement participants underwent extensive training prior to the project’s launch, covering essential skills such as communication, leadership and knowledge of current healthcare systems. Not only did this training prepare them for the mentoring of senior healthcare leaders, but also equipped them with the tools to present their views and concerns with confidence.
Once trained, the young people were matched with senior leaders from NCL ICB to set in motion the reverse mentoring process. Each planned session was crafted to serve as a two way street; young people shared their own experiences of the healthcare issues that are affecting their generation, while senior healthcare leaders provided key insights into the challenges faced when managing healthcare systems. This reciprocal learning approach fostered a deeper understanding of how healthcare decisions directly impact young people.
Results
Over the duration of six months, this reverse mentoring programme saw resounding success, which included:
- 100% of participating healthcare leaders stated that the sessions had influenced their thinking in regards to youth-related healthcare services.
- Increase youth representation in healthcare related decision making processes. Young people’s feedback directly informed NCL ICB’s strategies around services, including paediatric surgery, mental health services, as well as digital health solutions.
- 30 young people from a range of diverse backgrounds were both trained and supported to mentor senior NCL ICB leaders.
The programme had a significant impact on the group of young mentors, providing tangible benefits and life skills; many expressed increased confidence, improved leadership skills and a deeper understanding of healthcare systems. One youth participant shared “this experience made me realise that my voice can make a real difference. I feel empowered to take action and be part of the change I want to see in healthcare.”
The reverse mentoring programme also had far-reaching implications for healthcare across North-Central London. By prioritising the voices of young people in strategic healthcare decisions, NCL ICB demonstrated a commitment to inclusivity and innovation, which can be seen across:
- Youth informed healthcare policies
NCL ICB have since incorporated feedback from the mentoring sessions into their long-term healthcare strategies, particularly in paediatric surgery and mental health services.
- Well defined connections between youth and healthcare decision makers
The relationships that were established during the reverse mentoring sessions have continued to create a lasting impact, ensuring that young people are to be consulted on critical healthcare issues.
- Ongoing youth engagement
NCL ICB has also committed to maintaining regular youth summits and focus groups to keep the conversation going.
Conclusion
This project stands as a testament to the extensive power of youth engagement, and the value of co-production when shaping the future of healthcare and other public services. We took a unique and innovative approach, creating a seat at the table for young people to foster meaningful dialogue with senior healthcare leaders. This project paved the way for a future of more inclusive, responsive and youth-friendly healthcare services for our client at NCL ICB.
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