As part of our work to implement the Children & Young People's Participation Strategy, we recognise the importance of providing operational, evidence informed guidance, to support practitioners to make the Participation Strategy a reality for Highland's children.

The Involving Children and Young People in Decisions that Affect Them booklet focuses on how we ensure that we are making participation safe, meaningful and rights respecting.

Some elements of the booklet can be used as stand alone or editable documents to help you plan, carry out and provide feedback on any participatory work you are doing. These are accessible to download below.

If you are working with teams of staff, supporting them to enact Article 12, you may find our Participation ROCCS resource a useful tool. It offers a safe, playful way to examine our assumptions, spark meaningful discussion, and strengthen rights-based practice. It's not about blame. It's about curiosity, care and ensuring effect for all voices. 

Involving Children & Young People in Decisions that Affect Them: A Guide for Practitioners

The 'must haves' of Meaningful Participation

Participation Plan on a Page

The Plan on a Page should help you to think through any participatory activity you hope to engage in with children and young people. It links to other relevant documents and guidance as well as helping you consider how confident you feel about the piece of work. Page two provides space to input your plans. Please consider how the Voice Process and the Library of Voices may support your work.

Participation Action Tracker

The Participation Action Tracker is used by Youth Services in Highland to support practitioners to remain accountable to the young people whose voices they are hearing. Outcomes from the tracker (completed pieces of participatory work) should be fed into the Library of Voices or into the Integrated Children's Services Board and its delivery groups via the Voice Process.

Feedback and Follow Up

Children involved in the consultation that informed the Participation Strategy told us that they often didn't hear how their voice had influenced decisions, or if it hadn't, why it hadn't been possible. Inspiring Young Voices created feedback templates to support practitioners to share the outcomes of pieces of work, back to children and young people. When you reach the stage of giving feedback, please remember to share the work on the Library of Voices.