Participation Works

It is important to think creatively when consulting with young people, but especially if you are involving them in youth arts activity.

Southampton City Youth Services have developed a “Who wants to be a Millionaire” style electronic voting resource which has been used with great success, as other organisations have had with “Big Brother” style video diaries.

Games in general can be adapted as an original way of keeping young people’s attention, for example writing questions on Jenga blocks and playing the game etc. Other creative activities such as magnetic poetry boards, collages, clay etc can all help with a youth centred approach to consultation.

Photography is another useful medium that enables young people to capture their perspectives through visual imagery, often harder hitting than the spoken word.

Cheltenham Borough Council
Consulting with young people guidelines

Operations manual on children’s particaption in consultation. Includes 34 documents to assist you in coordination of meaningful and safe participation of children and young people in consultation and conferences.

The Consultation Toolkit. A practical guide about how to consult with children and young people on policy related issued.

So You Want to Consult with Children?: A toolkit of good practice.
This toolkit is based on the experience of Save the Children in helping to facilitate children’s meaningful participation in the process leading up to, and including, the 2002 UN General Assembly Special Session on Children.

NCB Consultations
NCB wants to ensure that the opinions of children and young people, and the voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations that work on their behalf, have a voice in the policy and programmes that affect them.