Participation and engagement

The following guidelines are taken from the LGIU (1997) Resource Guide aimed at promoting children and young people’s participation in local government - and are equally relevant for any organisation working with children, young people and families.

1. Be clear about what you want as an organisation, and be open about the extent and possibility of shared power and decision making.
2. Once you have set your objectives, consider and experiment with a range of options and methods.
3. Use information to raise awareness and encourage support - do not do anything without publicity within the organisation, and externally if possible.
4. Try to involve everybody but do not assume that young people are a homogenous group.
5. Consider what resources your organisation has to offer and how other organisations may be able to support you in terms of staffing, transport, equipment etc.
6. Ask young people where and when they want to meet - ask them to advise you.
7. Remember that young people have busy lives and develop new interests. They can become disillusioned by the time wasted on the process and lose interest.
8. Take into account young people’s previous and current relationships with your organisation.
9. Be prepared for mistakes, acknowledge you are learning and accept criticism.
10. Acknowledge that initiatives and projects can be established by young people themselves.
11. Feedback to young people you are working with how their information has impacted. If you don’t they will be less willing to get involved in the future.