Library
This library is a comprehensive collection of national and international good practice, policy, legal and academic publications, reports and resources on children and young people’s participation in decision-making.
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“Take My Hand” Young People’s Experiences of Mental Health Services
The report, “Take My Hand”, highlights young people’s experiences of, and perspectives on mental health services, based on their own journeys from community-based primary healthcare services through to inpatient treatment. The report gives a rare insight into the experiences of 25 young people aged 14-17 in five of Ireland’s six inpatient units for children and young people. The young people spoke about what has helped them in this journey, what they found challenging and what changes they feel are needed to improve mental health supports and services.
It’s Our Brexit Too: Children’s Rights, Children’s Voices
This is a report on the views, hopes and fears of young people, North and South, and is the outcome of a unique cross-border conference hosted by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office and the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People. It’s Our Brexit Too: Children’s Rights, Children’s Voices represents the views of 120 young people from both sides of the island who came together at a conference to explore how Brexit could affect them. It outlines considerations and protections that should feed into decisions on areas such as education, child protection, freedom of movement, family life and health. The conference hosted in Newry in November 2017, was organised and led by a cross-border Steering Group of young people. Tánaiste Simon Coveney participated in the conference via video link, and it was attended by Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for NI Chloe Smyth MP, Mairead McGuinness MEP, Jim Nicholson MEP and senior officials from both sides of the island.
Report on Consultations with Young People Engaged in Garda Youth Diversion Projects
This report details the findings of consultations with young people on Garda Youth Diversion Projects (GYDPs). The key objectives of the consultations were to explore young people’s views and opinions on how: · GYDPs assist them to move away from and/or prevent them from becoming involved in criminal and/or anti-social behaviour. · How important it is to young people that projects are located close to where they live or if they would travel to other areas in order to participate in a project.
Conceptualizing the role of adults within youth-adult partnerships: An example from practice
This paper conceptualizes the specific roles that adults provide and the complex interactions between youth and adults that emerge within youth participation efforts. In particular, we draw on our own experiences with a multi-year youth participation in community organization project to articulate specific adult roles. These include: 1) Training and Capacity Building, 2) Challenging and Pushing, 3) Politicizing and Questioning, 4) Legitimizing and Opening, and 5) Sustaining and Gluing.
The Voice of the Child in Social Work Assessments: Age-Appropriate Communication with Children
This article describes a child-centred method for engaging with children involved in the child protection and welfare system. One of the primary arguments underpinning this research is that social workers need to be skilled communicators to engage with children about deeply personal and painful issues. There is a wide range of research that maintains play is the language of children and the most effective way to learn about children is through their play. Considering this, the overarching aim of this study was to investigate the role of play skills in supporting communication between children and social workers during child protection and welfare assessments.
The Voice of the Child in Child Protection: Whose Voice?
This paper draws upon research undertaken in Scotland but the findings of the study are relevant across the UK and beyond. Child protection documentation including reports and case conference minutes were analysed to assess to what extent the child’s views were presented to, and considered in, decision making forums. In particular the study considers how the child’s views and wishes are represented in writing, and highlights the ways which professionals filtered and interpreted the child’s view rather than presented it in its pure form.
In defence of tokenism? Implementing children’s right to participate in collective decision-making
This article revisits the concept and practice of tokenism in collective child participation, querying whether it is accurate to describe it as ‘non-participation’ and assessing the extent to which it may offer a useful and sometimes necessary step on the journey to more respectful and meaningful engagement with children. It concludes by reflecting on the quality of the feedback given to children and the role that improved feedback might play in addressing the challenge of tokenism.
Report on the National Consultation with Young Children
A National Consultation with Young Children on A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families.
An Indicator Set for The national policy framework for children & young people 2014–2020
This report presents the set of indicators for children and young people developed for and aligned with Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. This indicator set reflects a broad picture of children’s and young people’s lives, and will serve as an important resource for all of those involved in policy relating to children and young people.
LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy – Report of the consultations with YOUNG PEOPLE in Ireland
This Report represents a big step forward towards delivering the world’s first Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Intersex+ (LGBTI+) National Youth Strategy The findings presented here are groundbreaking, and represent the views of 4,000 young people in every part of the country. These are the voices central to this strategy, the important voices, and the voices that must be listened to.