Comisiynydd Plant CymruComisiynydd Plant Cymru Children’s Children’s Commissioner for WalesCommissioner for Wales

Children and young people’s participation in Wales … … two cheers or three?Sara Reid

Assistant Commissioner/Is-Gomisiynydd

Children and young people’s participation in Wales: Reasons to be cheerful• Participation taken seriously by Welsh Assembly Government and National Assembly for Wales• Funky Dragon• School Councils• Youth forums• Participation Unit and Consortium • Local partnerships• NGOs• Commitment to UNCRC

Where do we fit in?

What? Beth?

Someone who speaks out and stands up for children and young people’s rights

Someone who helps make sure children and young people havetheir rights and have a say

What? Beth?

An independent human rights institution for children and young people

A children’s champion

Why? Pam?

Sometimes children’s rights are ignored (or forgotten about)

Sometimes children don’t get what they need and are entitled to

Sometimes children are at risk

How? Sut?

Listen to children and young people

Tell people who can make a difference what needs to change

Give advice and support

Tell everyone about children’s rights

Why did Wales get a Children’s

Commissioner?The

POSITIVES are at least

as important asthe

NEGATIVES

What we’re about …

rightschoice

influencing

listening

participation

hearing

empowering

Our principal aim

Ein prif amcanTo safeguard and promote

the rights and welfare of Wales’ children and young people

All our work …

… must be underpinned by the United Nations Convention on the

rights of the child

Key areas of work• Influencing policy and

practice• Providing advice and

assistance to individual childrenand young people

• Giving voice to children and young people’s views and opinions AND giving them a voice

Linked to the UN

Convention

Keeping children and young people at the heart of what we

doPromoting the office and raising awareness

Framework for involvement• Advisory groups• Having a say in the work programme/ What next? events

Dialogue:School ambassadors, Backchat etc

Why only two cheers?The reality gap: policy, implementation and real life experience

Grasping the theory and putting it into practice

Meaningful participation and involvement

Focus on structures

Why only two cheers?Fitting children and young people into adult processes and structures

Further work needed on children’s involvement and participation

New environments opened up, but still evidence of limited change in many ‘children’s environments’ – classrooms, health care etc..

Why only two cheers?Realistic expectations and disillusionment – recognising the limitations of participation for all citizens in democratic states

Inclusion – vulnerable, hard to reach and marginalised children and young people; and the mainstream

Not just a one off: sustainability, organisational and cultural change

Children and young people’s participation

… ladder ….

… or fried egg?

Reality – Delia’s fried egg!

The challenge: making sure that every piece of

the jigsaw is in place

Diolch yn fawr Thank you

Gwefan/Website: www.complantcymru.org.ukwww.childcomwales.org.uk

Cysylltwch â ni: post@complantcymru.org.uk Contact us: post@childcomwales.org.uk