15 Steps Challenge @ Kingston Hospital

"During February 2019, me and several others in Youth Out Loud! spent a morning at Kingston Hospital completing the 15 steps challenge. The 15 steps challenge involved us going into the paediatric day unit and the paediatric emergency unit. We evaluated these areas on four sections, welcoming, safe, well organised and caring and involving. We evaluated each area as well as the main hospital for how we felt it was for children and noted down any improvements, which we later fed back to the hospital. I can definitely say that I enjoyed the day and I believe everyone else did too. Thank you to Kingston Hospital for the day." 

YOL! made a real difference!



5 young people from YOL! visited the Paediatric Emergency Department (PED) and the Day Surgery Ward (DSU).

Observations made by the group were discussed in a feedback session and resulted in changes to both areas.

Outcomes included:

• The provision of more detailed and visible patient information, reading material for older children and a change to the lighting.
• Refreshment of the artwork in the DSU
• A welcoming entrance for the PED.

This project was subsequently showcased at the Youth Out Loud! launch event in April and certificates were awarded to the group members for their participation, invaluable feedback and support.

"It is beneficial for young people to take back these experiences into their community/school/college to raise awareness of both the challenge and the hospital’s priority aim of involving the wider community in everything we do."

-Kingston Hospital

The young people said...   

"Participating in the 15 steps challenge was eye-opening for me as I learned much more about the running of a few hospital wards. I learnt alot about the many things the hospital does to make children feel welcome--e.g tooth fairy money. I also felt that my advice and evaluation was truly taken on board. I would love to participate again."       

"The 15 steps challenge was a great opportunity for Youth Out Loud! to share their experiences of being in waiting rooms and more. We can all guess what someone might like to see but you will never truly know until you ask. We have done quite a few different things as a group and this was definitely one of our favourite days!"

"I had the opportunity to give feedback and I used my memories from a previous bad experience at another hospital waiting room to make suggestions that would ensure other young people don’t have the same negative experience that I had."