Youth Voice in Practice – Social Media Training for NHS Participation Staff

Youth Leads UK was invited to design and deliver two sessions that respond directly to staff requests for more confidence, creativity, and clarity around using social media to amplify youth voice within CAMHS services.

They partnered with NHS Trusts across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, and Cheshire to strengthen youth engagement by supporting staff to create digital content with confidence and clarity.

Through two interactive virtual sessions, Youth Leads UK equipped NHS youth participation and engagement teams with the skills to produce impactful, accessible, and authentic content that resonates with young audiences.

SKILLS

While participants already had a basic understanding of social media, Youth Leads UK helped them take their skills further – exploring what young people find engaging online and how to translate that insight into action. The sessions focused on tone, clarity, and accessibility, with practical guidance on how to make posts stand out and drive meaningful engagement.

Staff then used Canva to put their learning into practice, each creating their own piece of content that reflected their new skills and understanding.

Staff co-designed a sample Instagram post using live input from the group, guided by Youth Leads UK’s content framework.

Workshops Delivered

NHS Trusts

Content Plans Created

25+

Attendees

Content

Building on the foundation of social media skills, NHS staff learned how to create meaningful content even when faced with constraints – such as not having direct access to organisational accounts. They explored how to align with brand guidelines, tailor content to each platform, and navigate internal approval processes.

Youth Leads UK also supported staff to run “youth voice” workshops, ensuring young people’s ideas and perspectives were central to their communications. Participants worked in teams to design content packs and co-create a live draft post, leaving the session with tangible tools and shared enthusiasm for amplifying youth voice.

100% of attendees

rated the training as useful or extremely useful

IMPACT

This partnership empowered NHS staff to communicate more effectively and authentically with young people. They left with stronger technical skills, and a deeper understanding of how their communications can amplify young voices across health services.

Participants described feeling “confident”, “inspired”, and “equipped to make a difference”. The sessions sparked a network of youth engagement professionals ready to champion young people’s perspectives through impactful digital storytelling.

This has made me think about how we can still capture youth voice even without running the accounts ourselves.