The RCPCH &Us network is for children, young people, parents and carers; created to seek and share your views in order to influence and help shape health policy and practice. Our approach uses a mixed methods model, from micro-volunteering in clinic chats (5-10 minutes involvement) where children and young people can share their experiences, through to one-off taster sessions (2-3 hours) or via regular projects that meet frequently through the course of the year.

Our work includes projects, events, activities and sharing news to educate, collaborate, engage and change services for the better. The RCPCH &Us Network includes:

•&Us News through our social media channels and eNewsletter

•&Us Roadshows across the UK to find out what children and young people from all ages and backgrounds think about child health topics

•&Us Challenges bringing together groups of children, young people and/or parents and carers for the day to work together on a topic, review the Roadshow information and come up with ideas and solutions

•&Us Projects where children, young people and families get involved over a longer time to work on turning ideas into products and developing new solutions to challenges

Since we began in April 2015, more than 16,000 children, young people and family members have volunteered 1000’s of hours on projects and activities looking at experiences with long term conditions such as epilepsy and asthma, health policy areas like indoor air quality, and reviewing evidence and offering recommendation and responses on topics like Covid-19.

If you’re reading this as a worker in another health organisation and have partnership or youth volunteering opportunities to share – get in touch on [email protected] .