Currently: Regional Adviser for the West Midlands, Anti-Bullying Alliance, formerly founderand Chief Executive Young Voice
Adrienne is an advisory board member of the Centre for The Study of Safety and Wellbeing, School of Health and Social Studies, University of Warwick, an advisory board member for The ‘Changing Lives’ Advisory Group at Leeds University and an advisory board member of the Partnership Board for the Centre for the Study of Youth, University of Sheffield.
She is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts.
In April 2008 she is setting up ‘youthworks’ a consultancy on policy and practice concerning children and young people.
Experience of working with local authorities and statutory bodies.
I have led a team doing youth participation work for ten years. This has involved negotiating, designing and leading programmes of work for a number of local authorities or agencies. Through this I have gained experience of working at all levels within local authorities/agencies of different sizes, delivering on time and to budget, while conforming to our ethics policy.
Below is a list of some of these programmes of work. A significant number have focused on bullying or safety. All concern young people and involve their participation.
In addition to these projects, I have worked closely with 14 local authorities in the West Midlands where I have held the post of Regional Co-ordinator now Regional Adviser, for the Anti-Bullying Alliance since its inception.
Previous Relevant Commissioned Work Includes:
(Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT) 2008 ongoing
Young People and Health - focus on vulnerable and ‘hard to reach’.
(London Borough of Islington) 2008
Evaluation of a Multi Agency Intensive Programme for Young People
(Greenwich Education Inspectorate and Advisory Service) 2006 and 2007
‘Young Learners in Greenwich – The 14-19 Learner Offer’
A qualitative study of young people’s views of the 14-19 learner entitlement offer undertaken for two consecutive years. This studies bullying and safety alongside their experience of teaching and learning.
Surrey Youth Development Service 2006 and 2007
‘Where is The Love?’ and ‘Just One More’ 2 DVD’s
Powerful social issue filmmaking with young people followed by disseminating and evaluating these in schools.
(Changemakers and Youth Rising SRB programme, Waltham Forest) 2005
‘I want to be known as an achiever: Young people from Black and Minority Ethnic populations discuss achievement.’
The project explored why these young people had achieved against the odds and negative stereotypes and what positive messages they had for the rest of their communities.
(Coventry Education Service) 2005
'A Strategy for Inclusion and Special Needs; Towards Enhanced provision for Coventry’
A qualitative study with primary school pupils in mainstream schools to assess their views on the new inclusion policy. Interviews were with SEN pupils in mainstream schools, alongside siblings and peers. There was a strong focus on bullying, isolation and inclusion.
(Waltham Forest Children’s Fund) 2004
‘Tackling Bullying: First they Must Find Out’
Working with schools and community groups in Waltham Forest to create resources for children and young people to highlight the problem of bullying and what others can do about it. This project employed a number of innovative approaches to gathering research, including using music, art and drama alongside more traditional methods.
(Camden Children’s Fund) 2004
‘Towards a bully free zone’ partnership with 4Children.
Work with groups of children and young people in Camden schools and community groups across the borough to prevent and reduce bullying.
(Government Office for London) 2004
‘We do make a difference! Youth Involvement in the 5 London Connexions Partnerships. An evaluation of progress.’
Assessing the impact of youth engagement strategies across all 33 boroughs in London.
(Birmingham Children’s Fund) 2003
‘Links for a safer community’
Qualitative research to explore views of children and young people and services of what was needed to tackle bullying more effectively in identified hotspots in Birmingham.
(The North London Connexions Partnership Ltd) 2003
‘Young North London Connects’
Large qualitative assessment of young people’s views of Connexions partnership in Haringey, Waltham Forest and Enfield. This focused on ‘hard to reach’ respondents: NEETS, those excluded from school or in alternative educational provision, homeless young people, those in contact with the Police or YOT and young people with a disability.
(The North London Connexions Partnership Ltd) 2003
‘Young Barnet Connects’.
Qualitative study with ‘hard to reach’ young people in Barnet
(CEA@Islington, Islington Drug and Alcohol Team, Islington Youth Offending Service) 2002
‘Islington and You’
Qualitative and quantitative study with over 2,000 children and young people on living in Islington, covering topics such as: education, bullying, neighbourhood safety, drug and alcohol misuse.
(The Youth Rising SRB programme and Waltham Forest and Redbridge PCT) 2002
‘Wassup?’
Qualitative and quantitative study with over 1,000 young people from Waltham Forest and Redbridge, with a focus on health information and advice, but also looking at wider influences on their lives, such as those in ‘Islington and You.’
(Various local education services nationally - UK) 2000
‘See What You Can Be’ and ‘Thwarted Dreams’ (Bradford) (In association with The Centre for Research into Parenting and Children (Oxford University, Department of Social Policy and Social Work)
A study of 2062 young people nationally and comparing Bradford to the national sample.
(Various local education services nationally - UK) 1999
‘Bullying in Britain – testimonies from teenagers’ (In association with The Centre for Research into Parenting and Children (Oxford University, Department of Social Policy and Social Work) 1999
A large study using quantitative and qualitative methods which examines factors in the lives of young people who are bullied and the bullies across four domains, self, family, school and wider world. 7000 young people were surveyed.
(Various local education services nationally - UK) 1998
‘Leading Lads’ (In association with The Centre for Research into Parenting and Children (Oxford University, Department of Social Policy and Social Work)
A study of 1,400 boys and young men across England
(Various local education services nationally - UK) 1998
‘Can-do Girls’ (In association with The Centre for Research into Parenting and Children (Oxford University, Department of Social Policy and Social Work)
A study of 3000 girls and young women across the UK.
Background, relevant professional skills; knowledge and experience.
Adrienne Katz founded Young Voice, a national charity making young people’s views heard. Young Voice pioneered ways of listening to young people about their concerns and what works. The charity produces research, books, artwork and films expressing young people’s views. Bullying and victimisation have been continuous themes for ten years.
Prior to this Adrienne wrote eight books for parents and worked as a journalist covering social issues such as the UN International Year of the Family, and the Sheffield experiment on bullying, before turning to social research in association with academic partners at Oxford University in 1996.
Working as an associate with the team at the Centre for Research into Parenting and Children in the Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of Oxford, she wrote ‘Bullying In Britain – Testimonies of Teenagers’ supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. In 2001 it was considered a groundbreaking piece of work with a large sample of teenagers. Analysis showed links to bullying with certain factors in parenting style and experience of violence. Depression and school disaffection were also analysed.
Other studies with this team are listed in the booklist supplied with this application. Questions on bullying were then routinely included in future surveys and we were able to develop large samples to study different aspects of bullying.
Among the titles Adrienne has edited and published, are: ‘Bullying: from reaction to prevention’, ‘Hope and the Bullies’ and the pack: ‘Bullying: You Can help Your Child’. She has written and delivered a training course which has been submitted for accreditation.
Adrienne has led a range of participatory projects with young people and written/edited the reports. Issues such as: gangs, weapons, drugs, alcohol, offending, aspirations, health, racism and bullying have been covered. The findings are delivered to agencies and decision makers in accessible formats.
Demonstrable experience and knowledge of a variety of bullying prevention
techniques:
I have over twelve years experience of the field of bullying, the latter ten years working on the ground with schools, youth and play services, Children’s Fund groups and local authorities. Much of this work was face to face with children and young people delivering bullying prevention programmes. I have led numerous programmes on bullying. Team members have been researchers from the fields of children’s rights, sociology or psychology. A strong aspect of this work has been to consult children and young people on what works. I have promoted the ABA effective approaches for the past four years and trained teachers, learning mentors and Safeguarding Board members, as well as Safer Schools police teams and Community Safety teams. Currently work is focused on the effectiveness of interventions with children who have Special Needs or Disabilities.
Safety and ethics: I hold an enhanced CRB disclosure. I am perfectly willing to apply for another if required. I have always worked to ethical guidelines when working with children and our team has observed the BPS guidelines along with our own protocols. We have always observed an Equal Opportunities policy.
Some Publications
Editor: Young Voice Matters – a series of research papers.
Editor: Young Voice publications. See www.young-voice.org
Editor:www.whenparentspart.org.uk/
Young People: Prison to Parenthood. Toolkit for services (2007) Adrienne Katz and David Stockdale. Young Voice. Supported by: The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and Camelot.
Bullying: You Can Help Your Child (2006) Adrienne Katz. Young Voice
I Want to be an Achiever: Young Black and Minority Ethnic pupils talk about achievement (2005) Adrienne Katz, David Stockdale and Lisa Brook. Young Voice. Supported by: Changemakers
Stress: tackling it with teenagers (2003) Adrienne Katz, Young Voice. For the Work/life Foundation.
Wassup? (2002)David Stockdale and Adrienne Katz, Young Voice, for Youth Rising, Waltham Forest. (includes bullying and emotional health, neighbourhood safety).
The Drugwise and the Drug Daredevils (2002) Adrienne Katz, David Stockdale and Alexander Dabbous. Young Voice (includes bullying and links with drug misuse).
Fitting in or Fighting Back (2002) Adrienne Katz, David Stockdale and Alexander Dabbous. Young Voice. (includes bullying, gang membership, neighbourhood safety).
Parenting Under Pressure: Prison (2002) Adrienne Katz, Young Voice supported by Home Office and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
Thwarted Dreams (2002) Adrienne Katz and Ann Buchanan (In association with the Centre for Research into Parenting and Childhood, University of Oxford.)
Bullying in Britain (2000) Adrienne Katz, Ann Buchanan and Victoria Bream (In association with the Centre for Research into Parenting and Childhood, University of Oxford.) Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Young Men Speak Out (2000) Adrienne Katz, Ann Buchanan and Joanne Ten Brink (In association with the Centre for Research into Parenting and Childhood, University of Oxford.) for The Samaritans. (includes Bullying).
What Sons Say (1999) Adrienne Katz Young Voice (HSBC Bank Plc)
Leading Lads (1999) Adrienne Katz, Ann Buchanan and Ann McCoy (In association with the Centre for Research into Parenting and Childhood, University of Oxford.) Contains data on bullying
Can- Do Girls (1998) Adrienne Katz, Ann Buchanan and Joanne Ten Brink
(In association with the Centre for Research into Parenting and Childhood, University of Oxford.) Contains data on bullying
On Play
Naturewatch Piatkus London, UK and USA 1987 winner Audubon Society award
Cooped Up Kids Piatkus London UK and USA 1989
A world in your kitchen, New England Library, London 1980
Your Space or Mine? 2003 For The Play Council and The Children’s Society
Contact details
Mobile 07956834288
adrienne@young-voice.org