Participation Works Home » PWNE Home » Spotlight PWNE Member » July 2007: Daniele Vouga Duggan
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Did you know that members of the Participation Works Network for England work in a variety of different settings including participation, health, education, children’s rights, early years and childcare?

 

Children and young people’s participation is an integral part of all our network member’s work. Job titles of current members include participation workers, youth involvement officers, CAMHS Patient and Public Involvement Facilitators, youth workers, voice and influence officers, participation officers, children’s involvement officers and children’s rights officers. 

 

To find out more about your fellow PWNE members and how to contact them search our database. (You need to join the network to be able to do this) 

 

As part of the PWNE e-mail bulletin sent to all PWNE members we are introducing a new ‘spotlight member’ feature where we interview a network member  once a fortnight. This is your chance to find out about and  share your experiences of working in participation. Read below our first member interview. If you would like to take part contact Claire Grant at Claire@participationworks.org.uk

 

 
Daniele Vouga Duggan, Discover Children's Forum

Describe your role
Daniele Vouga DugganI am responsible for managing and developing the Discover Children’s Forum and other participation projects developed by Discover in the local community. The Discover Children’s Forum is a group of children aged 5 to 13 that have been involved in the design of the Discover Centre from the beginning and now advise the Discover’s management team on how to make Discover a fun, entertaining and educational place for children. I also work with young people in Stratford, East London, trying to promote a dialogue between children and the developers of Stratford City and the Olympics, to ensure that these children have a say in the changes happening to their local area.


What makes a good participation worker?
The ability to communicate with both adults and children. It is important to be committed the young people and to be enthusiastic about their projects to inspire the other members of your team. It is fundamental to be flexible, accessible and creative to deal with all the obstacles. A good PW is always researching for new ways of promoting young people’s voice.


What are the barriers to involving children and young people?
From my personal experience it has been sometimes a lack of interest from decision makers in involving children in the process or when the interest exists is the poor understanding of the participation and consultation processes itself.

What are the benefits?
Involving children in the decision-making processes allows them to exercise personal and social responsibility. They grow in confidence and develop a better understanding of their environment. By involving the young people and including their views in different communities’ initiatives, we can improve children’s provisions more effectively.

What is effective participation?
Participation is effective when young people are seen as part of the community and have their opinions respected by others. When they are involved in decision making processes at all levels, when it concerns children’s welfare.

What tips do you have for effective participation of children and young people?
Invest time and energy in the relationship with the group of young people you will be working with. I found that with a good ground work and a safe environment the children feel more confident to tell you what they really think. It is important to have lots of fun, celebrate achievements and feedback on a project development. Involve children in planning the projects, including the fun bits. Be honest and clear about the roles in the project and what can be achieved. Be enthusiastic about your projects and disseminate your participation/inclusion methods to as many people as possible.