Carnegie Young People Initiative

The Challenge

Participation is all about efficacy – children and young people take part in the hope and expectation that they can bring their influence to bear on decision making. Organisations can either help or hinder this process.

In the worst cases, participation is a bolt on extra and children and young people feel their role has been tokenistic.

In the best cases, their involvement leads to recognisable change taking place and kick starts a cultural change across the organisation – be it a school, a government department, or a local authority.

Those organisations charged with making decisions that affect children and young people have a critical role to play. However, although it is relatively straightforward to get participation activity underway, it is far harder to ensure that they it has a substantial impact, that it can be sustained, and that the organisational culture shifts as a result.

Our Response

Our work in this area centres on supporting organisations to find new and innovative ways of moving from a commitment to participation, to embedding that commitment in practice.

The Making it Count programme is piloting new ways for government organisations to find the best track to deliver long term change, by helping to develop senior informed champions.

Our work in the area of Primary Care Trusts and Health Boards, with York University, (see PALS), is developing new guidelines to help these organisations listen more effectively to children and young people in their service planning and delivery.

By funding action research in Scotland, we are supporting the development of a community planning system that recognises the needs and preferences of young people who wish to help shape their local environment and services. (see Your Place or Mine)