1. Participation Darryl Sheppard Development Youth Worker – Participation
Hampshire County Youth Service

2. hear by right - LGA ‘Built in’ not ‘Bolt on’
Diversity of young people recognised
Young people are valued
Involvement underpinned by adequate resources, expertise, time and money
Systems and process for reviewing, evaluating and continuously improving young people’s involvement

3. UN Convention on Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
“Young people have the right to say what they think about anything that affects them. What they say must be listened to carefully. When decisions are made which affect young people, by official bodies, they must listen to what the young people want and feel”

4. UNCRC - Participation
Article 12 - Children have the right to say what they think should happen, when adults are making decisions that affect them, and to have their opinions taken into account. Adults should take these opinions seriously

5. UNCRC -Participation
Article 13 - Children have the right to get and share information, as long as it is not damaging to them or others.
They have the right to say what they think through speaking, writing drawing etc, unless it breaks the rights of others

6. UNCRC - Participation
Article 14 - Children have the right to think and believe what they want
Article 15 - Children have the right to meet together and to join groups and organisations, as long as this does not stop other people from enjoying their rights

7. UNCRC - Participation
Article 16 - All children have the right to privacy
Article 17 -All children have the right to reliable information from the mass media. These media should provide information that children can understand and not promote materials that could harm them

8. UNCRC - Participation
Article 42 – The Government should make the Convention known to parents and children

9. National Perspective Standard: evidence of listening
Does it evidence how children and young people have been listened to?
Standard: evidence of involvement in planning
Does it evidence how young people have been involved in the whole process and how that involvement will be sustained?

10. National Perspective Standard: evidence of responding
Does it evidence how plans have taken into account what the children and young people have said?
Standard: evidence of change
Does it demonstrate what changes have resulted as a result of involving young people?

11. Participation in Practice – Carolyne Willow, Children’s Society
“Creating opportunities for children and young people in influencing decisions that affect them is not optional, it is essential.
The opportunity to participate genuinely in decision making is a right, a civil right, a human right and a right of citizenship”
It is important to note that yp’s participation in youth work activities are obviously voluntary

12. Everyday Participation – Felicity Shenton, UK Youth
“Participation is a process of dialogue through which joint decisions are made by adults and young people working together – and change occurs as a result. It is not to be confused with ‘consultation’ or ‘involvement’”
Everyone needs to be clear about the term participation and should be a shared understanding.
Participation is a dialogue between adults and yp as equal partners in a process where decision making occurs and change happens.
Culture of participation -
Participation is a two way process.
Participation is actively engaging in a process

13. Participation Spice it up! -Save the Children
“The process of involving children and young people in decision making. The outcome of any successful participation process will be empowered children and young people”
All Together Now
Different levels of participation –
Refer to handout ladder of participation
“Children and young people thinking for themselves, expressing their own views effectively and interacting in a positive way with other people”

14. Young People’s Charter of Participation – The Children’s Society
Participation is a process and is ensured by adults and young people learning and developing skills. It involves taking responsibility, education and skills development and effective communication
Save the children point out that participation is sometimes confused with empowerment they separate it out…
They also point out that any informed participation of children and yp will contribute towards their development as citizens.
They challenge us by saying ‘make participation a reality for all children and young people so that they are empowered to make a contribution to decisions that effect them at a local and national level’