Elizabeth Collins, Systems Programme Manager for the Lead Provider Collaborative

Gateway Conversations with Elizabeth Collins.pngI was delighted to join colleagues from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) on 10 July 2024, to hear the Gateway evaluation report presented at the inaugural Integrated Care Symposium, which brought together key stakeholders in the region to drive forward further research and improve care.

In addition to providing a super opportunity to share the fascinating outcomes and learning that resulted from implementation of Gateway across Cheshire and Merseyside (read more about the evaluation report here), the symposium was also a chance to launch an animation, designed with and narrated by young people.

The animation is freely available online as a resource for young people, families, carers, and professionals, who are seeking to quickly understand or share information concerning Gateway. It describes the framework in an accessible, visual way, to help professionals describe the model to the young people and carers they work with.

Elizabeth Collins and Young Person.jpegIt has been a great privilege to have worked with talented young people to develop this resource, which has been designed to complement our existing online written and recorded resources concerning Gateway. Animation is an accessible means of communication, which reaches beyond what text and video might convey.

Many people enjoy cartoons more than written material or taught information and, at just over 3 minutes in length, it can be revisited many times. This is especially important for young people, who may have many competing calls on their time, attention, and energy, so prefer to find out fast and have opportunities to return on multiple occasions when required. I hope the voices of our lovely, local young people narrating the animation will make those watching it feel comfortable and at home, as if they are with their own school, family and friendship groups’

The young people who helped develop the animation were also invited to the symposium, to witness the impact of their work on professionals.

One of the young people who narrated the animation said: "It was fun to work on a professional recording with a script and proper sound equipment. I liked the way our different voices came together to tell a story.

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"I hope that if young people are feeling unhappy or stressed or nervous about what is happening, the cartoon might be able to help explain how grown ups will work together for them in their jobs."

The animation was funded by Beyond Children and Young People’s Transformation Programme for Cheshire and Merseyside and was led by Elizabeth Collins, Gateway Programme Manager, supported by young people Amy, Erin, Nancy and Fox.