University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) has successfully launched its first-ever Youth Recruitment Panel, a pioneering pilot project designed to embed the voices of young people into the heart of recruitment processes.

This initiative marks a significant step in UHP’s commitment to inclusivity, innovation, and shaping a future-focused healthcare service.

By involving young people directly in the recruitment of staff, the Trust is not only valuing lived experience but also encouraging future generations to play a meaningful role in how care is delivered.

As part of the pilot, a group of young individuals were invited to take part in staff interview panels.

Every participant reported feeling well-prepared for the process, supported, and respected.

One young panel member said: “It helped me communicate well and build on giving constructive criticism,”

Beyond skill development, participants expressed a strong sense of responsibility and connection to the services being shaped.

Another young person explained: “Young people are very important, as they are the ones being treated by staff and involved in difficult conversations. They need to feel comfortable and trust the staff, I felt as though I can make an impact for children going through a tough experience and help create a trusted, compassionate workforce.”

For managers, the Youth Panel brought a refreshing and insightful perspective. Following the process, both managers stated they would like to see youth panels become a standard part of recruitment at UHP.

Dr George Davis, Clinical Psychologist Children’s Psychological Health and Wellbeing Team Lead at UHP’s Child Development Centre, said: “I have wanted to introduce a youth panel for paediatric recruitment for years to ensure we recruit staff who can build strong relationships with young people and to show candidates how much we value service user voices.

“The creation of the Young Person’s Patient Council gave me the motivation to make it happen. “