Oberstown’s values highlight the organisation’s commitment to “listen to young people, acknowledging and respecting their right to participate and influence decisions that affect them”. Active participation in rights-based advocacy processes ensures that young people have their say in all aspects of life on Campus.

Oberstown’s Advocacy Officer acts as the link between young people, Campus management and the Board. Young people know they can raise concerns or suggestions with the Advocacy Officer and they will be taken seriously. The Board closely monitors this key aspect of Oberstown’s rights-based approach both through monthly reports by the Advocacy Officer and through the work of the Board Young People Committee, which regularly meets with young people on Campus.

Complaints are a key component in the advocacy process. There is a formal procedure for recording complaints; all complaints are investigated and each young person signs a copy of their complaint, feedback is provided on each complaint and the young person registers their satisfaction level with the outcome.

The Advocacy Officer oversees the Campus complaints procedure for all matters that do not have a child protection element. Child protection matters are taken to the Designated Liaison Person for Child Protection. 

Campus Council

Young people have their voice heard through the Campus Council, a formal structure with elected representatives from each of the residential units. It meets regularly during the year to discuss matters of interest to the young people. Recent examples include providing input to the Oberstown Strategy 2022-2026 and contributing to focus groups on a review of the Oberstown Participation Strategy. The Campus Council has also had a key influence on improvements to daily life on the residential units, resulting in changes to the food options on offer, basketball hoops being installed in unit yards and changes to the equipment available in young people's bedrooms.

In the Oberstown Campus School, a Student Voice Committee performs a similar role to the Campus Council in bringing forward student-led ideas for positive changes.

12 Campus Rules

Rule 7 of the 12 Campus Rules under the Children's Rights Policy Framework states: Young people shall be supported to access information and effective complaints mechanisms, and to have their voices heard and to participate in decisions made about them.

For the young person, this means:

• Your voice will be heard and you will have the opportunity to participate in decisions about you through placement planning, Student Council, Campus Council and Unit meetings
• You will have access to the Advocacy Officer who can support you to make a complaint about your care in Oberstown, or who will make the complaint for you.