Ask Don't Guess
The ECHC Youth Group’s new ‘Ask Don’t Guess’ campaign celebrates & encourages inclusive practice among professionals who work with young people.
Getting it right
At ECHC, we alway ask our experts! ‘Ask Don’t Guess’ has been created by our hospital Youth Group to raise awareness of the importance of not making assumptions when working with young people and to encourage best practice for those who do.
The Youth Group want to spread the message that if you don’t know something for sure, you should always – ASK DON’T GUESS!
Whether it’s assuming a young person’s gender, pronouns or sexuality; their family structure or support system; religious beliefs; abilities or aspirations, making assumptions can have a negative, harmful impact.
Throughout life, we're always making assumptions and that's essentially part of being human. But as long as we're challenging those assumptions and we're open to being challenged on them, we can't go far wrong.
- Alice, Children's Wellbeing Officer, ECHC
Adults are often scared to get things wrong and may avoid speaking to young people at all. This can be even worse than assuming.
If you’re unsure – ASK, DON’T GUESS!
Getting it right as a professional has hugely positive effects on the way a young person feels. It builds trust and encourages them to open up and engage. These same positive impacts can be felt by the young person’s family/ carers too.
At ECHC, we always ask; we don’t guess, and we celebrate others who do the same!
As part of our ongoing commitment to inclusion and diversity, we are embarking on our LGBT Charter (Silver Award) journey this year. The ‘Ask Don’t Guess’ campaign is part of this process.
Watch our video here: