The 12 wishes – Children and Young People's Plan 2025 to 2028 consultation
Consultation closes: Monday 17 February 2025
Consultation opened: Wednesday 18 December 2024
Children and young people have told us what's important to them.
There were 4 main themes that, throughout our engagement, that children and young people, their parents and carers and professionals working with them, told us were important. These were:
- safety
- importance of friends and family
- want things to do/places to go
- be successful/ have a good job
We used these themes to develop ‘12 wishes’ and we are proposing that our 2025 to 2028 Children and Young People’s Plan is based on these.
The 12 wishes are written in the voice of the child because it is essential that children and young people are at the heart of the decisions that affect them. By capturing their voices, we ensure their needs, hopes, and aspirations are central to the plan, helping us create a meaningful and effective strategy.
Each wish is accompanied by three key points that outline the practical steps we will take to support children and young people to reach their full potential and achieve each of the wishes.
The 12 wishes
Wish 1: We know how and where to get support for our mental health and wellbeing
We will achieve this by:
- improving accessibility and awareness of where to get help for mental health and wellbeing
- regularly reviewing referrals and waiting times for access to mental health services
- increasing children and young people reporting an improvement in feeling happy with their lives in the bi-annual SHEU survey
Wish 2: We are helped to make healthy choices, and we have opportunities to exercise regularly
We will achieve this by:
- raising awareness of healthy eating and reducing obesity rates amongst Central Bedfordshire children and young people (school-age reception year and year 6)
- educating our children and young people on the impact of smoking and vaping resulting in a decrease of smoking and vaping reported in the bi-annual SHEU survey
- ensuring open space provision is protected through the Central Bedfordshire Council Local Plan
Wish 3: We have safe places to meet friends, play and have fun
We will achieve this by:
- increasing availability and accessibility of our safe space offer (for example youth clubs, children’s centres, leisure centres)
- reducing crime involving children and young people
- supporting children, young people and their families to stay safe online by increasing awareness
Wish 4: It is easy and safe for us to travel around our local area
We will achieve this by:
- reviewing the delivery of Central Bedfordshire’s new Local Transport Plan for children and young people from spring 2026
- aligning with the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans, aspire for half of all journeys in our towns to be able to be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030
- through the home to school travel review, identify how to improve the number of ‘unsafe routes’ to become safe (for example improving lighting)
Wish 5: We learn in places that understand our needs and we can be happy and comfortable to learn
We will achieve this by:
- working with schools, parents and carers to support children and young people who are missing education, suspended or excluded to be in school more regularly and to feel safe and achieve
- delivering on our Skills for All strategy, specifically focusing on improving attendance of children and young people for whom school is the right place to learn
- effective planning to ensure our children and young people with SEND are accessing the right education in the right place
Wish 6: We share our views which will be valued by adults and help shape the decisions that impact our lives
We will achieve this by:
- increasing the involvement and impact of the child’s voice through children’s centres, youth clubs, schools, SENDIASS and decision-making spaces
- investing in resources to work closely with children and young people to ensure their voices are heard and actions are taken following engagement activities such as the SHEU survey
- being creative in capturing the voices of our most vulnerable children, including our children who are non-verbal
Wish 7: There are lots of things to do and places to go in Central Bedfordshire – we can experience different things such as art, music, sport and film
We will achieve this by:
- creating opportunities to experience different activities in Central Bedfordshire through the Arts and Culture Strategy, for example, the music service
- working together to ensure the Local Plan provides the right infrastructure and services for example, sport and leisure facilities
- delivering a variety of activities through our Holiday Activity Fund and short breaks provision
Wish 8: We have opportunities to do work experience, volunteer or find jobs
We will achieve this by:
- increasing the number of children and young people who are employed, in education, or training including children and young people with SEND who are over 18
- giving children and young people the right support to reach their educational potential
- providing opportunities for employment and work experience through the Local Plan’s development of new and growing businesses
Wish 9: Central Bedfordshire is inclusive, children and young people are accepted and valued for who they are. Differences are celebrated and we do not accept bullying and discrimination
We will achieve this by:
- continuing to provide the right support for our most vulnerable children and young people and celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion
- educating people to reduce discrimination resulting in less children and young people reporting being bullied in the bi-annual SHEU survey
- ensuring that our children with SEND and EHCPs in education settings have the right plans and are supported
Wish 10: My family can get the help we need most so we don’t have to live with the effects of poverty
We will achieve this by:
- providing the right support for our children and young people who access free school meals
- ensuring that children, young people and families have access to the right financial support
- delivering services in an accessible way to reduce digital poverty
Wish 11: In Central Bedfordshire we have the right opportunities to live fulfilling lives, including moving towards adulthood
We will achieve this by:
- ensuring that children and young people have the skills to prepare them for adulthood with the right opportunities to access health, education and social care
- joining up support services to ensure a seamless transition as children and young people move into adulthood
- delivering the right support and offer for our children in care, children in need, children subject to child protection and care leavers
Wish 12: Everyone does more to look after our environment and take action against climate change
We will achieve this by:
- supporting our area's aspiration to become carbon neutral and to achieve this across our operations by 2030
- delivering on our sustainability plan and monitoring progress through the annual report
- encouraging pro-active interest through taking care of the local environment, reducing litter and improving recycling