Our commitments to children and young people

Our commitments

Safety

• Participation is underpinned by a child rights approach in which children and young people have a fundamental right to participate.
• We recognise and treat children and young people as experts in their own lives and experiences.

Privacy, confidentiality and mandatory reporting

• We uphold children and young people’s rights to privacy and confidentiality.
• We support children and young people to understand their rights.
• Children and young people understand when and why information is shared about them.

Informed consent

• We support children and young people to exercise choice about their participation, including the choice to not participate or to withdraw at any point.
• Participation is voluntary and not unduly influenced by adults.
• Children and young people understand how the information they share will be used and if it will be shared with others and why.
• We  make sure that consent is explained, in ways that are accessible and make sense to children and young people.
• Informed consent is sought through formal processes well in advance of participation so that children and young people have the time and space to give consent.

Empowerment

• We make every effort to  deal with power imbalances and to support children and young people to exercise their rights, build confidence and support meaningful participation.
• Children and young people are given appropriate information to meaningfully participate.
• Opportunities to co-design and co-deliver are considered first, to amplify the voices of children and young people to make the positive change they desire.
• We value the time, effort and contributions that children and young people make.
• Valuing, hearing and acting on children and young people’s voices is a shared and ongoing responsibility.
• The exchange is mutually beneficial and allows participants to determine what benefit looks like for them.

Diversity and inclusion

• Every child and young person has an equal opportunity to participate regardless of age, language, culture, religion, disability, gender, sexuality, lived experience, location or any other factor that may impact them being heard.
• We honour the unique needs, histories, experiences and life circumstances of children and young people.
• We use appropriate child-centred approaches and methods that respect the diverse contexts that shape young people’s lives and identities.
• We actively identify and address barriers to ensure we engage children and young people with a lived experience of socioeconomic disadvantage.
• Our communication is accessible and that is defined by the individual children and young people involved.
• Emotional understanding is a cornerstone of the engagement and staff appreciate and attend to intersectionality with care.

Respectful communication

• Our communication is honest and clear and occurs with participants before, during and following the participation in ways that are responsive to their needs.
• Participants understand why and how they will participate, if there are limits to their participation and what the impact of their participation has been.
• Children and young people understand what to do if they don't agree with a decision or don't feel heard.
• We support children and young people to be heard by listening to what makes participation accessible and safe for them. We attend to these needs before, during and after participation.
• We foster a workplace culture of self-reflection and continuous improvement.
• We ensure children and young people have opportunities to give feedback in ways that are accessible and engaging to them, and to partner in evaluation.
• We communicate with children and young people about the impact of their feedback. 

Training and support

• We support children and young people to be heard by listening to what makes participation accessible and safe for them. We attend to these needs before, during and after participation.
• We foster a workplace culture of self-reflection and continuous improvement.
• We ensure children and young people have opportunities to give feedback in ways that are accessible and engaging to them, and to partner in evaluation.
• We communicate with children and young people about the impact of their feedback. 

Viability

• We endeavour to embed participation in core business so that voices of children and young people shape policy development and service design, now and into the future.
• Organisational supports, authorisation, structures and resources are in place to support participation work.
• We use evidence to guide good participation practice.
• We ensure children and young people have the freedom to express their views and share their experiences in different ways, according to their age and stage of development, cognitive ability and preferences.
• Staff work to incorporate any contributions – verbal, artistic or otherwise – into policy insights.
• Wherever possible, we use partnerships rather than build new events and structures.