Co-producing SCPHN School Nursing programmes: Engaging children and young people

The importance of co-production in SCPHN education

Co-production in higher education involves collaborating with various stakeholders to co-design, co-manage, co-deliver and co-evaluate educational programmes (Brown Wilson et al, 2022). For NMC (2023) programmes inclusive of SCPHN School Nursing curricula, this means working closely with professional bodies, health and social care practice learning and employer partners, other higher education and industry experts and most importantly, the families, we serve. Engaging children and young people in the co-production process ensures that the SCPHN School Nursing programmes are relevant, effective, and truly refl ective of their needs and experiences.

Co-production is crucial for several reasons:

Challenges and strategies for engagement

Engaging children and young people in curriculum development is not without its challenges. Historically, children and young people have been marginalised, isolated or ignored in health and social policy debates (Pincock and Jones, 2020). Consequently, there is a need for the voices of children and young people to be more evident in planning, designing, and delivering higher education to influence children's services.

Every nation in the UK has agreed to adopt the principles of the United Nations (1989) Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Article 12 of the UNCRC states that children have a right to express their views and that they should be considered concerning matters that affect them. The UN Committee is clear that participation must be ongoing and consistent must try to gather representative views, and not be tokenistic (Tisdall and Cuevas-Parra, 2022).

To effectively engage children and young people, we must create inclusive and supportive environments where they feel empowered to share their experiences and perspectives. This involves (Save the Children, 2009; Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2022):

One straightforward but useful resource is the 7 Golden Rules for Participation (Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland, 2016). These guidelines provide a framework for ensuring that children's and young people's voices are heard and respected. By adopting the framework's principles, SCPHN School Nursing academics can better ensure their needs and rights are reflected within curricula and ultimately positively contribute to their overall health and development. Additionally, integrating these principles into the curriculum to be taught to SCPHN School Nursing students emphasises the importance of listening to and respecting children's voices, aligning with best practices in child-centred care and meeting NMC (2022) Standards of Proficiency for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses such as C.8, F.SN3, and F.SN8. This approach fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, prepares students for professional practice, and instils a culture of empowerment and respect for young people.

Co-producing child rights-based pedagogical materials: A good practice example

One such example of involving children and young people in curriculum development is the Imagineers Project (Allan and Luders, 2021). This project aimed to embed children's rights in the development, design and delivery of higher education programmes, ensuring that educational content meets academic standards while promoting the rights and wellbeing of children and young people. This approach aligns with the broader goals of SCPHN education, emphasising holistic care, cultural competence and advocacy.

The Scottish Government led a transformative movement to enhance children's rights through policy and advocacy, aiming for all children and young people to be aware of their rights. Recognising the need for greater public involvement, including the voices of children and young people, they launched a campaign encouraging Higher Education Institutions to become defenders of children's rights. In 2018, a group of children aged 9–13 from Aberdeen City schools, known as The Imagineers, invited Allan (2022) to become an Imagineer Champion. This role involved actively listening to and advocating for children's ideas, particularly concerning mental health and welbeing. In collaboration with Robert Gordon University (RGU) colleagues, Aberdeen City School Nurses, and Aberdeen City Council, workshops were facilitated by The Children's Parliament to incorporate children's and young people's perspectives into the MSc Advancing Nursing Practice module for SCPHN School Nursing programme at RGU.

The Imagineers used visual representations to express their emotions and perceptions of school nurses. These visual cues helped capture the diversity of their feelings and facilitated continuous emotional engagement between the Imagineers, the RGU champion, and the school nurses. This process highlights the crucial role children and young people can play in influencing and enriching educational experiences for school nursing students, but also health services, schools, communities and families.

The artwork and outcomes of this work influenced programme delivery within RGU through the co-production and development of a video training resource included in the school nurse module. This resource highlights and strengthens student school nurses' knowledge of children and young people's rights, which can be applied to practice and service delivery. Supporting mental health and wellbeing was identified as particularly important to the Imagineers and is also included in the RGU school nurse module, emphasising a holistic approach to mental health.

Discussion

The model used in this work (Allan and Luders, 2021) can be useful for gathering children's and young people's perceptions of what should be included in school nurse higher education programmes and how services can be improved. Children and young people have rights and responsibilities that adults can support by ensuring they are listened to and heard regarding all aspects of life that affect them. Their sense of wellbeing is key in signalling difficulties in their lives that can be long-term indicators of future health outcomes.

It is evident in this project that children and young people have clear opinions and views when consulted in an inclusive, age-appropriate way through rights-based participation. Listening and being fully aware and understanding of children's voices should become the norm in influencing higher education, allowing children and young people to have a direct influence on improving children's and young people's services and the education of those who work in them.

Conclusions

The co-production of SCPHN School Nursing programmes with children and young people is essential for creating relevant and effective educational experiences. By involving them in the design and delivery of these programmes, we ensure that their voices are heard, and their needs are met, leading to better health outcomes and more empowered young people.

Engaging children and young people in curriculum development presents challenges, but these can be overcome by building trust, actively listening and being flexible in our approaches. The project outlined by Allan and Luders (2021) exemplifies how integrating child rights principles into educational content can promote child wellbeing and align with the broader goals of SCPHN education. It is a fantastic example of a co-designed model with children and young people at its heart and could be replicated across higher education establishments, wider health services, and multiple agencies to support the genuine translation of policy into practice. To paraphrase the Imagineers, it is up to us all, as advocates, to change people's thoughts on children and young people and make sure everyone pays attention to and upholds their rights.

The National Association of School Nurse Academics (NASNA) is committed to supporting this collaborative approach, ensuring that our programmes not only meet the new NMC standards (NMC, 2022; 2024) but also reflect the voices and rights of the children and young people we serve.