The Lowdown is an organisation that strives to be as accessible as we can be. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture and continuing to provide safe spaces and opportunities for all service users, staff, and volunteers, regardless of background or the characteristics that make them their unique self.
We listen to youth voice and aim to use this to take positive action for those we represent. We acknowledge diversity and the challenges or barriers this may create, whilst having an ongoing commitment to learning in order to continue providing services to support young people with their mental health and wellbeing.
Our Commitment
Using youth voice
We listen and take positive action on any feedback from young people around the development of the organisation and our services. We also actively listen to young people to identify any barriers to accessing support.
Young people identified that a barrier is not knowing what is behind our door. To address this, we share photos of our team and building on social media, YouTube and here on our website. Also our Youth Advisory Board share their views and ideas on our strategy, marketing, service development and lots more.
We are a safe space
We continue to ensure we provide a welcoming, safe and non-judgemental environment for young people in Northampton.
Our building is a large youth space with all our services under one roof. The building is wheelchair friendly with wide corridors, automatic doors and accessible gender neutral toilets. Our waiting area also has space for both wheelchairs and buggys.
Raising awareness
We continue to collaborate and build links with local organisations and community groups to promote what we do and how we support young people.
We attend numerous events, partner with local schools, and engage with young people so they ‘know us before they need us’. In the last financial year we engaged with over 1,200 young people.
Addressing stigma
We want to address the stigma of mental health. Based on feedback from young people and the community, we aim to positively address stigma and remove barriers to getting support from our services.
We actively promote on social media and within the community using feedback from those who have used our services to reduce this stigma and encourage young people to step forward and get support.
Diversity and inclusion
We are committed to showing up for everyone who needs our support by continuously educating ourselves and deepening our understanding of the diverse communities we serve.
To support this, we have Equality, Diversity & Inclusion policies to adhere to. We’ve also implemented sensory-friendly features such as eye-level signage, ear defenders, and comfort items, with ongoing consultation to improve access for all.
We are led by our values
We ensure that we focus on delivering and embedding the values of the organisation throughout all our services and within The Lowdown team.
We have expectations posters written by our Youth Advisory Board in our communal areas ensuring those who use our services follow the same values we do.
These efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to inclusivity and ensuring young
people feel heard, supported, and empowered.
