The Youth Issues Unit (YIU) is part of the Community and Support Services within Dumfries and Galloway Council.

Its purpose is to encourage and support young people's involvement in policy development and service planning and delivery across all agencies that impact on the lives of young people – in other words to work alongside young people and service providers to make a difference to young people in Dumfries and Galloway. The work of the unit also contributes to a number of initiatives at both local and national level.

The YIU is made up of the Youth Strategy Coordinator, Youth Issues Worker and four Youth Issues Support Workers.

So what does this really mean?

• We work in partnership with young people to influence and improve services 
• We want to make a difference to their lives and bring about change 
• We want to ensure young people feel and are valued 
• That they are encouraged to voice their opinions, and that these are listened to and acted upon 
• We want to see young people actively involved in policy, planning and service developments

Our primary function is to influence and improve services for young people.

Young people are at the heart and soul of what we do - young people are involved in everything from budgets to the full recruitment process. Save the Children met with young people about their experience of this, and the Youth Issues Unit are highlighted as an example of good practice in their national guide to involving young people in staff recruitment.

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• How to get involved
  By this point we're hoping you might be interested in getting involved!
  
• Dumfries and Galloway YouthBank
  The YouthBank is a special bank run by young people to help turn other young people's good ideas into action and is supported by our Council's Youth Issues Unit.
  
• I'm a Councillor get me out of here!
  I'm a Councillor, Get me out of Here! (IAC) is a fun, interactive event where young people and local Councillors get together to discuss issues that affect them.
  
• Inspector8
  As young Inspectors, our aim is to work with service providers in order to influence and improve services. We want to make a difference to our lives and the lives of other young people and bring about change. We want to ensure young people feel and are valued.
  
• LGBT Chartermark
  The youth issues local workers for Dumfries and Galloway all took part in the L.G.B.T. Chartermark process training. The aim of the training is to raise LGBT awareness, challenge homophobia, mainstream equalities and LGBT rights, sexual health and relationship education and including LGBT young people.
  
• Scottish Youth Parliament
  The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) was established in 1999. It was set up to give young people aged 14-25 the opportunity to come together to discuss and debate issues affecting young people across Scotland.
  
• The Vision
  The Youth Issues Unit has consulted over 2000 young people across the region on issues that concern them like Transport, Education, Social Life, Housing, Health etc. This consultation included 1:1 focus groups, postcard analysis and a questionnaire in conjunction with Children in Scotland was carried out in all secondary schools, with over 700 responses received.
  
• Young People's Meetings
  Young people who are involved in projects within the Youth Issues Unit meet once a month throughout the year (usually on a Saturday) to have fun, get to know any new members, socialise and catch up with each other as well as carrying out some serious work on our different projects that they are involved in.
  
• Young Scot
  YoungScot (www.youngscot.org) provides young Scottish people between the ages of 12-26 with information on animals; arts; education and training; the environment; Europe; health; housing; jobs and careers; law; money; relationships; sport and leisure, transport; travel and volunteering.
  
• Youth Achievement Awards (YAA)
  There are various levels of award - bronze, silver, gold and platinum, these are chosen by the workers and relates to the level of responsibility the young person has.
  
• Youth Strategy Executive Group
  The Youth Strategy Executive Group (YSEG) is for people between the ages of 12 and 25 who want a say in what happens to young people in Dumfries and Galloway.