Listening and Learning Loop
Our Listening and Learning Loop is a tool developed by the Children and Families Participation Network to help embed Our Nottinghamshire Approach to Participation.
Participation means children, young people, families and carers with experience of using Nottinghamshire services taking part in decisions that affect their lives. It is about people being listened to, respected and valued.
The tool is designed to "close the loop" and make sure that feedback from children, young people and their families informs decision-making and service improvements. The tool has been adapted with kind permission from Salford City Council.
Who should use the Loop and when?
The Listening and Learning Loop is an easy-to-use tool for anyone working with children, young people, parents and carers.
The Loop can be used when the focus of the participation activity is on improving the quality of a service for a particular group of people, or all children and families across Nottinghamshire.
The tool helps us:
- think about what we are doing and learning at each stage of the activity.
- hear about views and experiences of individual children, young people, parents and carers through their day-to-day work with families.
- notice common themes, ideas and experiences shared by multiple people about the support and services they are receiving.
- reflect and learn collectively with children, young people, families and each other including in supervision or team meetings.
- make sure the right people are hearing about experiences so they have an impact and make a difference.
- show how you've listened and responded to children and families such as in annual reports, newsletters or at events.
- provide feedback to children, families and other audiences, highlighting changes which have resulted from their involvement.
How to use the Loop?
As the Loop is intended to be a quick read, there is a limit to the text you can input in each section.
Follow these steps when completing the Loop:
- Download the Listening and Learning Loop template and complete each section using the guidance below.
- Outline the reasons and goals for the participation activity.
- Share your plans and/or describe the participation activities with children and families, along with what they told you.
- Summarise the key messages, themes, and learning from the feedback.
- Outline the next steps to try and make sure key findings are used to make improvements and inform change.
- Share a summary of any changes made in response to the activity and their impact. For example, for an individual, a group, to practice, policy, strategy and/or the whole system.
- Explain how participants will be informed about changes and how the impact of any changes will be reviewed.
What should I do with the Listening and Learning Loop?
- Share your completed Loop(s) with people who are involved and interested in learning from the activity.
- Make any changes you have identified as needed through doing the activity.
- Incorporate the learning into any reports or communications to highlight and evidence the impact of the listening and learning.
- Email your completed Loop to the Strengths-based Practice Team so the activity informs wider learning and improvement: cfsstrengthsbasedpractice@nottscc.gov.uk
