The CYCJ Stakeholder Survey is a biennial exercise designed to gather the views of key stakeholder groups: practitioners; children and young people; parents and carers; and communities (via community councils). The purpose is to help shape what we do by informing the content of the CYCJ annual work plan, and how we do it, by gathering views on our delivery modes. Mindful of the fact that our Strategic Plan is due to be refreshed in 2025, we also aimed to consult with our stakeholders on what our strategic priorities should be for the next five years.
For practical reasons, we decided to issue the survey online to our key stakeholder groups, with four separate surveys linked by a single access point. The purpose was to capture a breadth and diversity of views rather than in-depth consultation with a smaller group of stakeholders. The surveys were designed to be appealing and accessible to their target audience, although we are mindful that an online approach is not ideal for everyone.
The survey was distributed via our social media channels, e-bulletin and practitioner networks between November 20 and December 21, 2023. In total 387 responses were received, but when these were cleaned, to only include surveys where the respondent had completed at least one substantive answer, a total of 258 responses were retained. For children and young people, paper surveys were also provided in person at CYCJ’s existing participation groups and networks, with support provided for completion if needed.