Participation

Participation is about enabling children and young people to have a say in decisions that affect them.

Young Wales is the name for our participation initiative, working with schools, youth forums, national organisations and individuals to ensure that young peoples’ voices are heard. You can find out more about the work below or at http://youngwales.wales/.

The Participation Standards, developed originally by the Participation Unit, have been refreshed by a partnership between Youth Forum workers and Young Wales, informed by consultations with young people.

The Participation Standards can be seen here: Children and Young People’s National Participation Standards.

The Participation Standards identify the key issues that all workers should be aware of when working with children and young people in Wales. The working group that undertook the work, reviewed each of the seven standards and ensured that each one reflected the rights based ethos that is integral to working with children and young people.

Between 2006 and 2013 Children in Wales developed a project to help make children and young people’s participation a reality in Wales.  The Participation Workers’ Network for Wales (PWNW) supported workers and organisations to promote children and young people’s participation. The PWNW was hosted by Children in Wales on behalf of the Children and Young People’s Participation Consortium for Wales, a multi-agency strategic body established to build capacity for the development of participation in Wales.

Both the PWNW and Children and Young People’s Participation Consortium for Wales were funded by Reach the Heights, the Welsh Governments ESF project, and this funding ceased at the end of March 2013.

During the duration of the project the PWNW website accumulated a range of resources to help practitioners support children and young people’s participation.  These resources are still available on  the Young Wales site at http://youngwales.org.uk/index.php/websites/training-resources