Blog & News
Read the latest insights and topics related to child and young person-centred communication. Have ideas for a future article? Write for us!
Can conflict be a good thing?
28th September 2018
Disagreements aren’t just common, they’re part and parcel of everyday life. In health and social care those involved can have completely different agendas and priorities. Avoiding disagreements in conversation obviously doesn’t resolve them but maybe sometimes it becomes the favoured option. Addressing disagreements can be difficult because it can feel effortful to find the right…
Transition blog
31st July 2018
Transition is currently a big priority in health and social care. While the definition of transition is “the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another,” (Oxford Dictionary 2018), within healthcare it specifically refers to the process of moving from children’s to adult services, including planning, transfer and support throughout…
How I used what I have learnt from a Me first masterclass on my nursing placement
2nd May 2018
#Hellomynameis Maddy and I am a second year Children’s Nursing student. I attended the Me first course last year and always try to use the different techniques when I am on placement. The Me first programme really helped me think about the ways in which we communicate with young people as well as my personal…
How to write a Blog, Blog.
20th March 2018
Unlike a published article in the academic journals, a blog holds an authentic voice – yours – and it is conversational in tone, much like the opinion column of your daily newspaper. Blogs should be captivating, topical and original; they can inspire debate, create conversation and encourage discussion. Have you ever thought about blog-writing? If…
What to do when a parent wants to withhold information from a child or young person (CYP) about their health or care
10th January 2018
This complex topic often comes up in our Me first masterclasses as an issue that health and social care professionals find challenging so we chose it as the topic for our December Twitter Chat. By coincidence the topic came up as a key theme discussed and acted out in a scenario at one of our masterclasses…
Me first at R.A.D.A
27th November 2017
The Me first team strive to improve the quality of training that it delivers, to develop as individuals and to further solidify the bond within our team. Having had recently been awarded money from Health Education England, to be used for professional development, the Me first team headed to St. Andrew’s at Holborn (a 13th century…
Me first attends #NHSCYPMeetup
22nd November 2017
On 15th October, Kate Martin, Me first Project Lead (Common Room), and James William Reid, Me first Project Developer, facilitated a session at the inaugural NHS Youth Forum Big Meetup – hosted by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust. The event bought together youth forums from across the country, all under one roof, to…
Using the 3×3 technique to help young people struggling with anxiety
11th September 2017
A part of my role within CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) is to meet with young people to discuss their care and to work with them to make treatment plans. I am there for them to think through their worries and often act as an advocate for the young person in meetings. I…
Patient Experience Network National Awards 2016
31st August 2017
Having been the overall winner at the 2015 Patient Experience Network National Awards (PENNA) as well as winning the Personalisation of Care category and coming runner up in the Communicating Effectively category, Me first were invited to give the Key Note address at the 2016 awards. I would like to share our experience of the…
Me first: CYP Centred conversations about safeguarding concerns
28th June 2017
Me first is being funded by NHS England to develop a new set of resources to support health and care professionals to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to communicate with children and young people when they have concerns about safeguarding, child sexual exploitation or other issues that may be affecting their safety, welfare or…