Transcript Slide 1

CAWT
Outcomes for children project
Developing a children and young
people’s engagement action plan
Thursday 20 January, 2011
Paula Keenan
Strategic & Operational Advisor
Setting the scene
• Children and young people’s engagement
strategy
• Today is about using your expertise and
pooling your experience to develop an
action plan
• A little input – a lot of working together
The Participation ‘Pie’
NICCY
NI Youth Forum
Save the Children
Playboard
Education and Library Board Youth groups
VOYPIC
Include Youth
Youthnet
Early Years
Children Services Planning Forums
Sixth Sense
… supports statutory agencies, local government and
government departments in Northern Ireland to fulfil
their duties to effectively engage children and
young people in public decision making’
Consultancy
‘What we
offer’
Signposting
What is ‘children and young
people’s participation in
public decision making’?
Participation vs
consultation
Consultation: asking children and young
people directly about their views
Participation: children and young
people sharing ideas, thinking for
themselves, expressing their views
effectively, planning, prioritising and
being involved in the decision making
process
Consultation is good ……….but participation is better!
Looking back…
• Try to remember a time from your
childhood when the adults in your life were
making an important decision
• Talk to the person beside you about:
– Were you involved in the decision in any way?
– How did you feel about being involved or not
being involved?
Why engage?
The UNCRC
“that luminous document that enshrines
the rights of every child without exception
to a life of dignity and self-fulfilment”
Nelson Mandela 2000
Article 12
“States Parties shall assure to the child
who is capable of forming his or her own
views the right to express those views
freely in all matters affecting the child, the
views of the child being given due weight
in accordance with the age and maturity of
the child.”
Article 12, United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child
Direct engagement?
“When young people deliver the
message themselves, people pay more
“See young people as helping
attention.”
develop transport rather than see
(Community Project)
them as people who vandalize buses.”
(Department Official)
“If you want young people to be
interested in community and politics,
you have to treat them with equal
regard and respect as adults. To
involve them is to show the
constructive role of politics.”
(MLA)
“The Program for Government talks
about sustainability. The best way to
do that is invest in your children and
young people.”
(MLA)
“As a direct result of the involvement
of young people, there has been a
reduction in age and religious barriers
“We get institutionalized, we work
within our organisation.”
within versus challenge the system.
(District Councillor)
Young people are creative in terms of
how they approach issues.”
(MLA)
The benefits of engagement
Policies and services will be more relevant and more
effective
Because:
• They will be informed by experts – ‘insider information’
• They will address needs identified by those living with the
situation you’re trying to improve
• You will have had a chance to test out ideas, be alerted to
flaws an adults wouldn’t spot, get fresh ideas
You comply with requirements – children and
young people develop citizenship skills, counter feelings of
isolation / lack of belonging
WIN – WIN
ASK FIRST Standards
Appropriate methods
Support
Knowledge
Feedback
Inclusion
Respect
Senior People
Timing
Current engagements
• Public Health Agency
• DoE Road Safety Strategy
• NI Court Service – Translation services
• DEL Committee – Service provision for
those Not in Employment, Education or
Training
Three steps to action
WHO
What categories of children and young people do you need to
engage e.g. age, experience, background etc.
WHAT
What information do you need? e.g. views, opinions, ideas,
experiences etc.
HOW
What methods will you use to get information? e.g. surveys,
new technologies, workshops etc.
Who?
• In your group divide a flip-chart in half
• On one side, record all the categories of
children and young people you
need to engage with
• On the other list where you
can access those children
and young people e.g. local
organisations
What?
• On the flip-chart record what you need to
know from children and young people
• Where possible write specific questions
How?
Bearing in mind…
– Who you need to engage with
– What agencies / organisations might help you access
children and young people
– What you most need to know
List a series of actions that describe how you will
get the information you need
e.g. Host a workshop with young people from XXX group to
explore what they feel are the barriers to them going to
school
Next Steps