Young People's Views & Participation

Action Plan 2006 - Involving Children and Young People
DEPARTMENT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS (2006) 22pp. (English-based,
includes reference to the UK Youth Parliament). 

Advocacy - Big Words and Big Tables
A report produced following a partnership project with Save the Children and the
Scottish Children's Reporter Administration.  Who Cares? Scotland (2006)

NICCY Rights Review 2008.  An analysis of research conducted with school children into children's rights in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People

Article 12 in Scotland Making Rights Matter

Being Part and Parcel of the school - The views and experiences of children and
young people in relation to the development of bullying policies in schools.
National Children's Bureau

Being Young in Scotland: Scottish Government findings
BRAND, S. (MRUK Research), VIATTE, M.A., and MYANT, K (Scottish
Government), (2008). Edinburgh. ISBN 9780755969678 (Web Only). (Education
and Training Research Findings No.34/2008) 6pp 

Breathing fire into participation: the funky dragon guide. Good practice guidelines
on supporting groups of children and young people to participate.  Funky Dragon

Child and Youth Participation Resource Guide Unicef (2006)

Children as Researchers
BROWNLIE, J (University of Stirling), ANDERSON, S and ORMSTON, R.
(Scottish Centre for Social Research) 2006, Scottish Executive Social Research.
90pp The aim of the project was to explore the problems and possibilities of
incorporating a 'children as researchers' perspective into the agenda of
government social research in Scotland.

Children involved in Political Decision Making
Part Four of 'Child and Youth Participation Resource Guide' (UNICEF, 2006), this
has a wide range of reports and resources, including about Child-Led
Organisations, Networks and Movements. DOWNLOADABLE (as part of the
whole resource).

Children's messages on care, a report by the Children's Rights Director for
England.  MORGAN, R. (2007) London: Ofsted.(The Office for Standards in
Education, Children's Services and Skills) pp 28  
Info 4 local gov
Rights4Me

Children's Research Centre
The CRC is all about children by children. Its primary objective is to empower
children and young people as active researchers.

Children's rights in Northern Ireland

Children's views and experiences of parenting
MADGE, N., WILLMOTT, N. (2007), York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation,  
ISBN: 9781859355961 pp 38

Connect Youth Full-Circle
(early 2007).2pp. A summary of the work of the Connect Youth Network, which
has now disbanded. A key success was assisting in the creation of the Scottish
Youth Parliament, which now has a core staff team of 6, supporting 120 MSYPs.
Download a summary of the work

Consulting children about play
GLADWIN, M. (2004. London: National Children's Bureau for the Children's Play
Information Service. 6pp. (CPIS Factsheet) Looks at the importance of consulting
with children, consultation and the values of playwork, and the ethics of
consultation. Gives practical ideas for methods of consultation.

Consulting with children and young people on accessibility strategies: A good
practice guide.
(2002) Children in Scotland. A guide for schools and education authorities to
assist them in their obligation to consult with children and young people in the
development of accessibility strategies (required under The Education (Disability
Strategies and Pupil's Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002).
www.childreninscotland.org.uk

Consulting young people: a review of the literature
BRAGG, S., (Open University) 2007. London. Creative Partnerships, (managed
by the Arts Council England). ISBN 978-0-7287-1335-2, 69pp  
This report surveys the literature analysing how and why young people can or
should be consulted. Sections include: why consult; how to consult; interpretation
and outcomes post-consultation; issues in investigating younger children's views;
and ethical considerations. It has some interesting case study overviews. It has a
9-page bibliography 

Dialogue Youth
A partnership between Young Scot, COSLA, local authorities, the Scottish
Executive and young people, Dialogue Youth aims to give young people a real
and effective say in all the services that affect them at a local level. 

Enhancing Sexual Wellbeing in Scotland.  A Sexual Health and Relationships Strategy (2004). In April 2002 Children in
Scotland and FPA Scotland brought together over 50 young people from different
regions in Scotland to examine what sexual health information and support
young people need. Further consultation took place between January and
February 2004 to gain young people's opinions on key proposals of the draft
sexual health strategy.
www.childreninscotland.org.uk

Failed by the system: the views of young care leavers on their educational
experiences Barnardo's

Funky Dragon - the Children and Young People's Assembly for Wales
This is a peer-led organisation. Their aim is to give 0 - 25 year olds the
opportunity to get their voices heard on issues that affect them... 

Get involved: a guide to active citizenship for LGBT people
EGAN, B. and LEE, S. (2004). London: Stonewall. 256pp. Developed by
Stonewall's Citizenship 21 project, this guide brings together information from a
lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender [LGBT] perspective, on how to get involved
in a range of activities and areas, from volunteering with a community group, to
being on the board of a housing association, or sitting as a magistrate. 

Growing up speaking out: a guide to advocacy for young disabled people in
transition (14 - 25 years)
CALDWELL, N., HARMAN, R. and WALKER, A. (2006) Sounds Good Project.
114pp.  Outlines why young people need, and benefit from, advocacy in
transition and describes the different styles of advocacy used.
Advocacy Resource Exchange

Guide to the Global Youth Movement
Recommended by the UNICEF (2006) Child and Youth Participation Resource
Guide, this offers a resource directory on youth issues. E.G. www.crin.org for an
international information network on Children's Rights; www.unicef.voy is 'Voices
of Youth', the UNICEF online forum for youth participation in global issues.

Index of wellbeing for children in Scotland
McLAREN, J., (2007) Edinburgh, for Barnardo's Scotland, pp24.  
Considers the position of Scotland's children within an international perspective
by analysing the performance of Scotland in relation to other countries,
regarding: child poverty; economic participation; education; risk behaviour; and
physical health. Looks at relevant legislation and policy initiatives in Scotland and
the UK. Suggests the evidence shows Scotland next to bottom out of 24
countries.   

Information sharing: young people's views
Children's Rights Alliance for England (2006), Children's and young people's
views and comments on the Cross Government Guidance on Sharing
Information on Children and Young People. 27pp.

Involving young people in environmental issues and decision making: a young
person's perspective BRODIE, S. (2002) Edinburgh: TSO. 20pp. (Paper
2002.27).  This report was written by Scott Brodie, a school pupil from Portobello
High School, Edinburgh, Scotland. It gives a personal view on how young people
might become more involved in environmental decision-making and issues. 

Involving young people in research. Final report on the Policy and Research Unit
service user-led bullying research project.
TYLER, P., TURNER, C., and MILLS, H. (2006) Barnardo's. 19pp. Reports on a
research project which aimed to recruit and train a group of young people as
peer researchers, and to carry out a piece of research on a subject chosen and
developed by young people, with young people as the researchers. The group
chose to undertake a research project on the issue of bullying. The report also
reflects on the process of training and supporting young people as researchers.

Media Magic Digest.
This is an online multimedia newsletter which showcases media projects by, with
and for children, from UNICEF

Moving Forward: a Strategy for Improving Young People's Chances through
Youth Work, a national youth work strategy.
March 2007). Scottish Government, ISBN 978 0 7559 5366 0.

My Turn To Talk? the participation of looked after and accommodated children in
decision-making concerning their care
CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND (2006), Edinburgh, Scottish Executive Education
Dept. Sponsored Research Programme. This summarises research and looks at
the views of children, social workers/and others in two Scottish local authorities.
80pp.

NHS Education for Scotland
NES helps provide better patient care by designing, commissioning, quality
assuring and, where appropriate, providing education, training and lifelong
learning for the NHS workforce in Scotland . One of their initiatives (and a section
of their website) is about Child Health, and they report on 'Involving Children and
Young People'. 

On the Right Track - What matters to young people in the UK?
(2004), Save the Children, 13pp.   A survey of young people's views about the
world, designed and implemented by a team of young people. The survey asked
11 to 18-year-olds across the UK for their opinions on local and global issues,
community participation and rights education.

Participation Kit - TAKING PARticipation Seriously
New South Wales Commission for Chldren and Young People (no date). This is
a resource for organisations who want practical advice about how to involve
children and young people in activities, events and decision-making about issues
that affect their lives. Children and young people helped to develop all sections of
the kit. 

Participation Works
This is an online gateway for children and young people's participation issues
including policy, practice, networks, resources and links to other sources of
information.

Re:action: Consultation Toolkit
(2001), SAVE THE CHILDREN, ISBN: 1 84187 040 4 A practical guide for
anyone involved in consulting with children and young people on policy-related
issues. It includes an excellent reproduction of the 'ladder of participation'
adapted from 'Children's Participation; from Tokenism to Citizenship' by Roger
Hart, UNICEF, 1992, and has some case studies. Some materials are simply
written and could be used directly with young people.

Remixing Citizenship: Democracy and Young People's Use of the Internet
(2004), COLEMAN, S., Carnegie Young People's Initiative. A research report.  
Remixing Citizenship starts from the position that it is not young people that are
disconnected from formal politics, but political institutions that are disconnected
from young people.  .

Say it your own way: children's participation in assessment
BARNARDOS (2006), ISBN: 1-84478-489-4 £12.00 Book and CD ROM.  
A printed guide and CD-ROM of practical resources to support professionals in
giving children a voice; packed with ideas for trying new and creative methods
involving art, play, music and drama. The accompanying guide shows how to
keep children at the heart of the assessment process.

SCCYP Reference Group
In Autumn 2006 SCCYP appointed 12 young people aged 14-21 to our
Reference Group to advise us on all aspects of our work - from how best to get
our message across to what those messages should be.  
SCCYP 'Work with Us' Section

Scottish Peer Education Network
SPEN facilitates communication between and offers support to peer educators,
practitioners and policy makers involved in peer education across Scotland. 

Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum
The Forum is committed to raising awareness and promoting good throughcare
and aftercare practice for young people leaving care. 

Scottish Youth Parliament
SYP represents young people aged 14-25 across Scotland. 200 elected MSYPs
work locally and nationally to voice the opinions of their peers.

Seen and heard 2006: how to use communication skills to change the world. A
handbook for young people
UNITED KINGDOM YOUTH PARLIAMENT, and BT (2006). London: BT
Corporate Responsibility Team. 27pp. Challenges stereotypes of young people
and highlights the positive difference they can make when society engages with
them. This report looks at 15 case studies of young people who wanted to make
a difference and the organisations and adults who worked with them. The
projects included translating the UN Convention into British Sign Language
(YOUTH CONNECTONS DEAF CLUB, GREENOCK) tackling litter pollution,
making a dvd to explore the lives of young parents, working with the police,
reducing youth crime, and coping with divorce.

Serving children? The impact of poverty on children's experiences of services
WAGER, F, BAILEY, N., DAY, R., HAMILTON, D., HILL, M. and KING, C.
(2007), Glasgow, Glasgow Centre for the Child and Society (Universities of
Glasgow and Strathclyde), Save the Children UK (Scotland Programme) and
Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice (University of Glasgow). pp 178.  
Explores the effect of poverty on children's access to, perceptions of and use of
public and voluntary sector services.   

Snakes and ladders: barriers and opportunities for children's participation in their
communities
THE CHILDREN'S SOCIETY (2001). London: The Children's Society. 151pp.  
Literature from a conference exploring children's active participation in their
communities. Topics covered included Quality Protects; inclusion of children and
young people with disabilities; implications of the Human Rights Act and the
Convention on the Rights of the Child; promotion of children and young people at
risk of exclusion.
www.childrenssociety.org.uk