Core aim 5: participation in decision making Core aim 5: requires that all children and young people are listened to, treated with respect and have their race and cultural identity recognised. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) articles 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22, 30; Supported by elements 3 and 10 ‘Children have a right to express their views in all matters that affect them, collectively and individually, and their views must be given due weight (Article 12. 1 UNCRC). Poor children and young people are disadvantaged by poverty, have limited life chances, limited access to key services and face multiple barriers to participation as such they are not achieving their “rights to active participation in the community”.
Policy and initiative links NSF Universal Key Actions 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5. The National Standards for Children and Young Peoples Participation Stronger partnerships for better outcomes Tennant participation NTP Community Participation Local Participation strategies 0-25 – Guidance National Standards for the Provision of Children’s Advocacy Services
Role of local government and partners The benefits of assuring the participation of children and young people living in poverty in the planning and delivery of services are better planning, more effective service delivery and improved outcomes for children and young people. Local Government and their partners have a key role in reaching out to the most vulnerable groups in society to ensure that their voices are heard.
The evidence: a brief overview of the impact of child poverty on participation •
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The inclusion of hard to reach children and young people remains a key issue for the development of the participation agenda in Wales. There remains a concern as to whether the structures and process for children and young people’s participation are inclusive for those experiencing poverty. Disabled children and young people and other groups with specific additional needs who are known to be at risk of child poverty are not able to engage easily through the current mainstream structures and processes available for participation. 1 There are still many stigmatising and devaluing assumptions made that can restrict the participation of children and young people experiencing poverty and disadvantage. The most marginalized of children and young people experience particular barriers to using services and participating in their design and delivery. These include: ¾ physical and practical barriers (e.g. isolated rural locations, lack of transport, affordability, lack of accessibility in terms of disability and family friendly services) ¾ social barriers (e.g. cultural institutions and structures that impinge on an individuals capability to engage, language, safety concerns, middle class values) ¾ suspicion and stigma (e.g. labelling, being associated with mainstream organisations such as social services.) 2 Local government sectors not so commonly associated with delivering services and working with children and young people, such as regeneration, land use planning and management, policing and job creation’ often do not have the expertise or confidence to engage with children and young people let alone those that are disadvantaged by poverty. 3 School councils play a key role within the participation agenda. Successful school councils rely on a number of factors, but of particular importance to their success is having a clear rationale, gaining support from teachers, making efforts to include all pupils and ensuring training and support for pupils. 4
1 Stop, look, listen: the road to realising children’s rights in Wales (Wales NGO alternative report) 2007 2 Barriers to inclusion and successful engagement in mainstream services, Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2007 3 (Simpson 1997b, 914-916) 4 Whitty G & Wisby E. (2007) Real decision making? School councils in action @ http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RB001.pdf
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The participation in decision making of children and young people living in poverty has several potentially positive effects to the individual, it can: ¾ enhance confidence, abilities and skills ¾ improve social and political education ¾ engender feelings of empowerment and being valued thus reducing learned helplessness ¾ encourage wider participation in society ¾ the participation in decision making of children and young people living in poverty leads to better decision making which benefits the service provider/organisation and the wider community. Participation of children and young people in decision making leads to more effective results.
Income poverty Current challenges Lack of money
What can be done locally
Where to go for further support and resources
Monetary issues can often act as a barrier to attending participation activity.
Develop good practice in relation to the reward, remuneration and recognition of Children and young people’s participation, ensuring that it takes into account the complexities of the welfare benefits system.
Good Practice Guide www.participationworkerswales.org.uk
Being worse off Children and young people experiencing poverty should not be worse off as a result of their participation.
Fully review the individual costs of participation Good practice guide on payments for participation and ensure that up front costs are minimised.
Service poverty Current challenges Lack of awareness There is limited awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Processes Improving the process of children and young people’s participation and the quality of their experience overall remains a key issue for practitioners.
What can be done locally
Where to go for support and resources
Raise awareness of children and young people’s right to participate under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and Welsh Assembly Government policy e.g. Extending Entitlements.
Useful supporting websites on the UNCRC – list some here. Save the Children Wales UNCRC Monitoring Group and Funky Dragon information on website on UNCRC for children and young people. http://www.sccyp.org.uk/participation/reso urces.php
Use the National Children and Young People’s Participation Standards as a guide. There are seven standards: information, it’s your choice, no discrimination, respect, you get something out of it, feedback and improving how we work. Keeping to these Standards will mean upholding what children and young people have identified as the core components of participation.
Download the National Participation Standards document and the Self Assessment Pack from the website www.participationworkerswales.org.uk which shows how to measure and evidence against the Standards to improve good practice.
Current challenges Lack of resources There are limited practical resources for facilitating the participation of vulnerable children and young people with sensitive issues such as child poverty.
What can be done locally
Where to go for support and resources
Use resources available e.g. Dynamix ‘Spice It Up’ pack for games and activities.
Sign up as a member to the participation e-briefings for the Participation Workers’ Network for Wales and get examples of good practice from across Wales. Download good practice guides on children and young people’s participation from www.participationworkerswales.org.uk
Draw on good practice from other areas / organisations.
Liaise with local participation workers / youth forum workers who have a remit for the participation of children and young people locally. Liaise with local school councils. Liaise with Funky Dragon, the Children and Young People’s Assembly for Wales, which has a national remit for children and young people’s participation.
Current challenges Limited local knowledge There is limited research on the local barriers to participation caused by child poverty.
Workforce development There is a perception that there are skills gaps in relation to the delivery of participation activities relating to child poverty. School Councils The creation of School Councils is a recent legal requirement, practice is varied and knowledge of making the process inclusive is limited.
What can be done locally
Where to go for support and resources
Undertake participatory approaches to explore the barriers to participation of hard to reach children and young people / children and young people living in poverty in particular.
Download the good practice guide on ‘Ensuring Inclusion’ from www.participationworkerswales.org.uk Contact organisations with expertise in reaching hard to reach groups e.g. Black Voluntary Sector Network
Training adults in the participation of children and young people living in poverty so that they can support, encourage and facilitate this process.
The Participation Unit has a list of participation trainers from across Wales. The Unit is also piloting a Train the Trainers in children and young people’s participation which will cascade training across Wales.
Utilise the relevant resources/toolkits available on the following http://www.schoolcouncilswales.org.uk/ websites.
Current challenges What can be done locally Schools participation Wider participation of Explore the web sites and consider possible options for enhancing school participation. pupils in schools can be difficult but it can help raise achievement levels, improve self esteem, and contribute to a better school environment, with better discipline and a culture where learning is a shared responsibility.
Where to go for support and resources
http://www.thegrid.org.uk/learning/citizens hip/voice/ http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/defa ult.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&P ageMode=publications&ProductId=DCSF00410-2008& http://www.participationforschools.org.uk/ old_site/
Current challenges Participation in social care There is an increasing recognition and acceptance of the right of children and young people to participate in developing social care. These children and young people often come from backgrounds of multiple disadvantage. Tenant participation There is an increasing realisation of the role children and young people can play in tenant participation.
What can be done locally
Where to go for support and resources http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/practic eguides/practiceguide06/files/pg06.pdf
Utilise the “Participation Practice Guide� which focuses on how National Assembly for wales user managers and practitioners in social care can initiate and sustain the participation of children and young people in participation review developing their services
Review existing practice in relation to tenant participation and children and young people.
http://www.tpas.org.uk/sub_page.asp?cat =76&id=1 http://www.tpas.org.uk/sub_page.asp?arti d=1093&id=1&cat=1&nameCat=
Current challenges What can be done locally Land use planning The involvement of children and young Utilise the toolkits and review the potential for activity in your people within land use area. planning can bring effective results. However practise is limited.
Participation in community regeneration Children’s participation in Communities First benefits the community and the children and young people involved.
Utilise the Save the Children “Make it happen” community regeneration CD Rom.
Where to go for support and resources http://www.childfriendlycities.org/about/index.html http://urbact.eu/fileadmin/corporate/pdf/Toolkit_Docu ment_ENG.pdf http://www.unesco.org/most/guic/guiccbccy.htm
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/trainingan dconsultancy/Consultancy/CST/Tool/toolk it_wda47804.html
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