A Guide to The Effective Involvement of Children and …

1 A Guide to the Effective Involvement of Children and Young PeopleGo to ChapterA Guide to The Effective Involvement of Children and Young PeopleResource PackA Guide to the Effective Involvement of Children and Young People2Go to ChapterEvery child, young person or parent/carer is a member of society. Organisations provide services for people living in that community or society so it s important that they are consulted and involved in the provision of services. Services need to be inclusive, relevant, cost Effective , meet their users needs, improve things, and be accessible. You will be able to check all these things by involving Children and young people & their families. Althought reference is made to parent and carers views and Involvement , this Guide is primarily concerned about the Effective Involvement of Children and young the passing of the Children Act in 2004, there has been a growing emphasis on services actively involving Children , young people and parents/carers in the commissioning, development and evaluation of Central and Local Government is interested in measuring outcomes rather than focussing on performance measures.

2 They want to know about users perceptions of the services they receive and their views on how things can be improved. Particular attention will be given to how services are implementing the five Every Child Matters outcomes: Being Healthy Staying Safe Enjoying and Achieving Making a Positive Contribution Achieving Economic Well BeingWhy are we asking Children and young people their views?NEXTA Guide to the Effective Involvement of Children and Young People3Go to ChapterParental participationParents, carers and families play a vital part in the development and delivery of services. This will ensure that a service is developed reflecting local needs and hopes and supports families to access the service.

3 Parents and carers are the experts and their child s primary Nations Convention on the Rights of the convention contains 52 standards that set out the Rights of a Child. Most countries including the United Kingdom have signed up to the convention. Many countries use the standards wholly or in part to promote Children and young people s Involvement . The standards of most relevance to the participation of service users are:Article 12: Children and young people 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 13: Children and young people have the right to get and to share information, as long as the information is not damaging to them or 17: Children and young people have the right to receive, seek and give 23: Disabled Children and young people have the right to active participation in their 2.

4 Requires all of the rights in the convention on the Rights of the Child to be implemented for every child, without Guide to the Effective Involvement of Children and Young People4Go to ChapterBenefits to participationThe benefits of participation can be seen from two aspects: Benefits for Children and young people and parents Success of projects and initiatives develop sustainability. Improved skills and knowledge ranging from practical skills such as presenting ideas, speaking in and to groups, writing and preparing reports, newsletters, letters, posters, negotiation and public speaking. Improved confidence, in feeling valued, being of some worth to friends and peers, and feeling successful (not all young people can be academically successful, arty or sporty).

5 Developing relationships with other Children and young people and parents/carers. A feeling of ownership over the services they access. Greater awareness of Children and young people s rights. Greater awareness of participation and decision making Benefits for projects, organisations and management boards. Improved, better targeted and more Effective services for Children and young people, and their families. It supports and complements service planning, development and evaluation. Meets user s needs more effectively. Improved partnership working. Best use of financial resources. Meets government objectives and inspection Guide to the Effective Involvement of Children and Young People5Go to ChapterBarriers to Participation Involving Children and young people and parents/carers in decision-making makes good sense but can become difficult for a variety of different reasons.

6 These may include: Children and young people and parents/carers not wanting to get involved. Lack of staff, resources, motivation or time within your organisation or project to involve Children and young people and parents/carers Communication barriers such as language and cultural differences. Lack of skills to listen, and work with Children and young people and parents/carers. Lack of knowledge on safeguarding and concerns over ethical constraints of involving Children and young people and parents/carers. Working flexibly with Children and young people and parents/carers. Some issues are: access, time, venues etc. Lack of confidence in knowing how to involve Children and young people and parents/carers meaningfully.

7 Lack of awareness of the benefits to be gained. Over enthusiasm by workers who believe they know what is needed and how it should be delivered due to their experience. NEXTA Guide to the Effective Involvement of Children and Young People6Go to ChapterThe Council need to identify and to be clear exactly what they want to involve Children and young people in and the required Be clear about what you want as a Council, and be open with Children and young people as to the level of influence that they can expect to have in the services that are provided for Once you have set your objectives, consider and experiment with a range of options and Use information to raise awareness and encourage support - do not do anything without publicity within the organisation, and externally if possible4.

8 Try to involve everybody but do not assume that Children and young people are a homogenous group5. Consider what resources your organisation has to offer and how other organisations may be able to support you in terms of staffing, transport, equipment Ask young people where and when they want to meet - ask them to advise YOU7. Remember that Children and young people have busy lives and develop new interests. They can become disillusioned by the time wasted on process and lose interest. 9. Take into account Children and young people s previous and current relationships with your organisation10. Be prepared for mistakes, acknowledge you are learning and accept criticism11.

9 Acknowledge that initiatives and projects can be established by Children and young people themselves12. Feedback to the Children or young people you are working with how their information has impacted. If you don t they will be less willing to get involved in the do we want to find out from Children and young people?NEXTA Guide to the Effective Involvement of Children and Young People7Go to ChapterThe tables below provide a helpful Guide and and young people could be involved in a wide range of decisions, for example setting and reviewing policy, recruitment, budget, the environment, local planning etc. Addressing the following questions will help to ensure that both the process and outcomes are positive.

10 This list is not exhaustive but only a start as there are likely to be other considerations linked to the circumstances of the Local Authority, its demographic and social background affecting Children and young are we consulting about?It is important to be clear about the objectives and the identifying the benefits that you are primarily interested in achieving through Children s and young people s participation you will be able to set clear objectives and success criteria on which to base and evaluate their Children and young people in important recreational facilities in the community? Sports and leisure opportunities? Places to go and things to do? Improving community cohesion and anti-social behaviour?