What is Participation?

Participation is about children and young people being included as much as possible in decision making about the environment they live in and the services they need. Current local and national policy is driving inclusive and participative work with children and young people. Nationally, by signing up to the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child in 1991, the U.K agreed to treat children and young people as individual citizens in their own right, including having the right to express their views, be heard and taken seriously and to have an influence on all matters affecting them. More recently, the Every Child Matters outcomes framework, in particular outcome 4, ‘make a positive contribution’ details how organisations must ensure children and young people have good opportunities to be heard and make a real difference.

For information about how we can help you develop your participative work, please click here.

‘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.’

UNCRC article 12 –UNICEF little book of children’s rights and responsibilities