Children and Young People's Participation Strategy
The Children and Young People's Participation Strategy incorporates a vision and framework for the participation of children and young people in decision making.
The strategy enhances opportunities for a child or young person to overcome barriers and have a voice, as involvement in decisions that affect their lives is a fundamental right for all children.
The strategy was developed with input from external stakeholder, including consultation with young people selected by the CREATE Foundation and young people involved with the Out Loud group in Townsville.
Listening, hearing and acting
Approaches to the participation of children and young people in decision making - a review of the literature
In May 2006, the department commissioned a review of relevant work of other Australian jurisdictions, literature and research to identify models of engagement and participation that have been demonstrated to be successful in relation to:
- case planning and ongoing intervention
- provision of feedback on service delivery
- engagement in service planning processes
- engagement in the development of policy and procedures
- collecting data about participation for evaluation and service review processes
- models of peer to peer research and facilitation.
The commissioning brief highlighted the requirement to identify where models are appropriate or specific to particular age groups or subsets of children and young people within the service system including those who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, those from culturally diverse backgrounds and those with disabilities.
This paper, Listening, hearing and acting, reports on the outcomes of the literature review.
Below are a list of the useful websites and tool kits identified in the review.
Websites
- NSW Commission for Children and Young People - taking participation seriously - a range of resources to promote and support the participation of children and young people.
- Carnegie Trust - Young People Initiative (United Kingdom) - aims to increase the influence that children and young people have over decisions that affect them.
- Children's and Young People's Participation Network (United Kingdom) - seeks to stimulate thinking, policy and practice concerning the participation of children and young people.
- Every Child Matters (United Kingdom) - UK Government website promoting the well being of children.
- National Youth Agency - Hear By Right (United Kingdom) - offers standards for participation and related resource materials for statutory and voluntary organisations.
- Participation works (United Kingdom) - an online gateway to improve the way practitioners, organisations, policy maker and young people access and share information about involving children and young people in decision making.
- Children's Research Centre (United Kingdom) - seeks to empower children and young people to become researchers.
- 1-stop youth participation shop (Canada) - range of resources supporting young participation strategy.
Tool kits
NSW Commission for Children and Young People
- Meeting together - deciding together (2003) - resources for involving children and young people in case planning. Available for download.
Ministry of Social Development (New Zealand)
- Involving children: a guide to engaging children in decision-making (2003) - policy and service development. Available for download.
- Aotearoa youth voices toolkit (undated) - a series of action guides to help young people get their voices heard. Available for download.
Barnardos (United Kingdom)
- Say it your own way: children's participation in assessment (2006) - a printed guide and CD-ROM of practical resources to give children a voice in assessment processes. Must be purchased.
- Taking part toolkit: promoting the real participation of children and young people (2002) - a range of reports, resources and tools. Must be purchased.
Children's Rights Alliance for England
- Ready steady change (2005) - a comprehensive set of training and tools to increase children's and young people's participation in decision-making. Consists of two training handbooks one to increase the skills knowledge and confidence of children and young people (aged 17 and under) and the other to increase the skills knowledge and confidence of those working with children and young people. Must be purchased.
National Youth Council of Ireland
- Hearing young voices (2003) - guidelines for consulting with children and young people in relation to developing public policy and services. Available for download.
Save the Children (United Kingdom)
- So you want to consult with children? (2003) - how to get started, organize a consultation and provide feedback. Available for download.
Children's Rights Officers and Advocates (United Kingdom)
- Total respect 2 (2000) - training resource for introducing listening, hearing and participation into an organisation. It is designed to be delivered by young people and adults to a mix of front-line workers and managers. A train the trainer resource is also available that prepares young people and adults for co-training. Must be purchased.
- Training young people for active participation - training resource designed to give young people the confidence and skills to be active co-workers in service development and delivery. Must be purchased.
- Last updated
- 20 July 2009
