Children's voices at heart of new participation and engagement guidelines

11 September 2019

Children in Scotland has launched refreshed guidelines for the meaningful engagement of children and young people.

Originally published in 2017, the resource provides a framework for anyone:

• working directly with children and young people, or
• seeking input from children and young people for their work.

Underpinned by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the guidelines support ongoing dialogue to ensure children’s voices can influence all aspects of an organisation’s work.

The updated guidelines cover key themes at every stage of work, from planning and co-ordination to feedback and evaluation.

Inclusion, safeguarding and child protection are overarching principles woven throughout.

Jane Miller, Children in Scotland’s Policy and Participation Officer, said:

“These new guidelines represent a more streamlined, holistic approach, while ensuring key principles are at the heart of engagement work from beginning to end.

“Reflecting the guidelines in practice, we were delighted to have been able to link to the work of the Children and Young People’s Evidence Bank.

“This means that the voices of young people were used to inform development of the guidelines and are represented throughout the finished document.

“This is an important resource for anyone working with children and young people to ensure their experience is meaningful for all involved, and those participating are supported appropriately.”

Meaningful Participation and Engagement of Children and Young People: Children in Scotland’s Principles and Guidelines (2019 edition) was launched at our networking event in Edinburgh on 4 September.

Click here to download a PDF copy of the guidelines