How young people shaped the Year 11 Health Screening Questionnaire
Today we're highlighting the co-production work happening across our 0-19 services, particularly the development of a Year 11 Health Screening Questionnaire designed with and for young people.
The purpose of the questionnaire
The West Northamptonshire 0-19 Service and Thriving in Life North Northamptonshire 11-19 Service are working together to help identify the needs of young people and understand whether they require additional support. They also want to understand how aware young people are of the services and resources available to them.
The results will give us a valuable snapshot of young people's health, wellbeing and understanding. This insight helps school nursing and youth work teams to provide timely, targeted support where it can make the greatest difference.
How co-production shaped the tool
The questionnaire was co-produced to ensure that it was relevant, accessible, and easy to understand for young people. A series of workshops with young people, led by NHFT's Participation and Co-production team, alongside colleagues from West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire Council's teams helped shape content, language and tone.
The valuable insight gained from the workshops meant the final tool was more meaningful, engaging and supportive of young people so that they could clearly express their needs and better understand where to access support when they need it.
Why co-production works
When everyone's voice is heard equally, the result is a tool that reflects real needs and encourages honest, confident responses.
A young person that was part of one the workshops said:
"Involving us in the design is a really good way to make it friendly for young people."
Georgie Lomas, Participation and Co-production Lead at NHFT, said:
"From the very beginning of this work, young people have been central to shaping the questionnaire. Their insight has helped us refine the language and ensure the tool is relevant and meaningful for the population it serves. It is a clear example of co-production making a tangible difference to service design and delivery."
Grace Allwork, 0-19 School Nurse and Practice Educator at NHFT, said:
"Co-production has been vital in developing the Year 11 digital health questionnaire, as it ensures the questions truly reflect young people's lived experiences; making the survey more relevant, inclusive, and effective in capturing what matters most to them. We are incredibly grateful to the young people who have contributed their time, insights, and honesty."
The questionnaire will begin its pilot phase in selected Northamptonshire schools at the end of September.
When young people help shape the tools that affect their wellbeing, the result is greater trust, better engagement, and more accurate insight into what they need. Their voices aren't just being heard, they're actively shaping the support they receive.
Get involved
If you would like to get involved in co-production, either as a service user, carer, family member or a member of team NHFT, please contact:
- For adults: www.nhft.nhs.uk/involvement
- For children: www.nhft.nhs.uk/participation
By working together, we can shape care that feels calmer, kinder and truly built around the people who use it.