What is Participation?

Participation is involving children and young people in the decisions that affect them. This can be individually on a personal level, as a group or in a local area or through children and young people working on behalf of all children and young, like a school or youth council. Children and Young People have a right to be involved in the decisions that affect them, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

What is the Participation Strategy?

Children and young people have told us that they would like to be more involved in making decisions that affect them. The Participation Strategy is our plan of how we will do this. A copy of the strategy is attached to this page.

Young people have also written a Participation Charter which tells us how they would like to be treated if they choose to get involved in making decisions. A "statement of rights" which ensures their contribution is respected and valued.

Participation Practitioners Group

One of the things we are doing to ensure we achieve the Participation Strategy is to run a Participation Practitioners Group. This meets about 8 times a year and attendance is open to anyone trying to involve children and young people more effectively. The purpose of the group is to share information and good practice, offer support and advice, co-ordinate work that goes on and to champion the right of children and young people to be heard.

In the list below are some of the following projects or organisations that are involved in Participation Practitioners Group and clicking on the name will open up a new page giving further information, contact details and in some cases, a recent case study of a specific piece of work. If you want to find out more please feel free to contact the project directly.

• Youth in Christchurch / Christchurch Primary Pupil Council

  These two groups are supported by schools, Dorset Youth Service and Extended Services to ensure that children and young people in Christchurch have their say. They meet every half-term.

• UK Youth Parliament

  UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is a national organisation which campaigns on issues that affect young people. All Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) are young people aged 11 to 18, which are elected by young people aged 11 to 18 on an annual basis.