Growing Up in the West Midlands Strategic Forum exists to develop the West Midlands as a region that respects and acts upon the needs, interests and aspirations of children and young people, and the voluntary and community organisations that work with them. The Diversity and Outreach Delivery Group carried out this piece of research; their aim was to ensure that GUIWM and other future regional work meets the needs of the diversity of the sector and that there is wider access to information, support and engagement. The Diversity and Outreach Research engaged with 40 organisations that are currently under-represented within regional and local activity. The research established the organisations’ current levels of involvement in regional and local activity, if/ how they worked to Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes and the barriers to access and involvement for them as organisation and the challenges they face. The aim of this research is to work together towards greater inclusion. It is hoped that infrastructure organisations will be able to use it as an advisory resource when developing their roles, as well as acting as a guide for future actions of G:up, infrastructure and community grass roots organisations. G:up Diversity and Outreach Delivery Group commissioned research & findings were compiled into G:up Diversity and Outreach Report. The findings outlined in the Report led to the production of The G:up Outreach and Diversity Action Plan The REPORT & PLAN were then condensed into the Report for Local Infrastructure Organisations The G:up Outreach and Diversity Action Plan was derived from the report and sets out how the findings were applied to G:up as an organisation. It identifies: - Key Issues - Recommendations - Immediate Actions - Long Term Actions - Links The over-arching objective of this Action Plan being… - To promote the inclusion of organisations that are currently under-represented in regional and local activity. - To identify and remove barriers to their involvement - To support them in getting the most out of their involvement - To build working relations between organisations which will be beneficial to both sides - To support infrastructure organisations, G:up and where relevant community grass roots organisations to facilitate the above The G:up Outreach and Diversity Action Plan provides an example and/or template for other organisations to refer to in order to achieve similar ends. The third document the Report for Local Infrastructure Organisations is a condensed version of the Report & Plan and acts a practical tool for Infrastructure Organisations to use to attain the same inclusive objectives. This is especially the case with the resource sections in APPENDIX 3— Possible Framework for Action Plan TOOLKIT FORMS: TOOLKIT FORM 1 - ESTABLISHING A BASELINE, CURRENT LEVELS OF INVOLVEMENT AND EVERY CHILD MATTERS TOOLKIT FORM 2 - BARRIERS TO ACCESS (TO INFRASTRUCTURE ORGANISATIONS/ INFORMATION/ NETWORKS ETC) AND CHALLENGES FACED. TOOLKIT FORM 3 - PERCEPTION AND PREJUDICE TOOLKIT FORM 4 - PRACTICALITIES TOOLKIT FORM 5 - RESOURCES