Strategy
Indicators
Click any indicator to view examples of what others are doing or planning to do to meet that indicator.Emerging
Established
Advanced
2.1 - Resources and expertise are mapped for building the participation of children and young people (an audit)
2.2 - The strategic plan for active involvement is agreed and in place, with key staff, roles and resources identified for its implementation
2.3 - Children and young people contribute to developing and reviewing the strategic plan for active involvement, agreeing objectives, boundaries and benefits
2.4 - Other plans in the organisation are complementary and refer to the active involvement strategy
2.5 - The strategy identifies and includes key local partnerships to promote the active involvement of children and young people
2.6 - The strategy includes resources to sustain, develop and regenerate children and young people's involvement
2.7 - The strategy develops the links between local and any regional or national structures and initiatives for the active involvement of children and young people
Things to think about...questions to ask...
- How are you developing the strategy? Are you involving leaders, staff and children and young people?
- Are you using the Hear by Right standards framework and the mapping and planning tool on the CD Rom?
- Are there specific events for children and young people to input, for example using the Building standards leaflet and resources?
- Does the strategy have the backing of those with power to deliver and of the children and young people who are meant to benefit?
- Are the benefits to children and young people in improved services clearly expressed and measurable within the strategy?
- Are there clear timescales and resources to deliver the strategy?
- How are you monitoring and reviewing the strategy and the impact of children and young people's involvement?
- Are the various strategies linked up to maximise benefit?
- Are there any areas covered by the strategy that children and young people shouldn't be asked to scrutinise? Why?
Evidence (paper, verbal, observation)...
- Audit of the active involvement of children and young people
- Publication of relevant existing strategies
- A summary that is accessible in style, language and distribution
- Reports from relevant seminars and conferences
- Action plan and timetable for organisational development
- Published strategy review document by children and young people
- Strategies accessible to children and young people
- What do children and young people say about how this standard is being met? What are their priorities?
Commentary
Hear by Right is essentially a useful framework for developing a participation strategy. A strategy for involving children and young people is most likely to succeed if it involves them directly in its development and review. It needs to make clear the expected balance of benefit for everyone. At the Emerging level, adults are likely to take the lead, but must be clear that there is room for change in the strategy through children and young people’s input. Children and young people will soon spot tokenism and withdraw their support. Later, children and young people will take a full part in review processes. There needs to be coherence across all organisational plans and clarity that the purpose of the strategy is action for change. Strategies need to be specific about resources of time, money and people, including what is required to sustain and develop the participation of a range of groups of children and young people.