The strategy is grounded in the principle of "everyday participation", which involves youth clubs using incidents such as disputes or fights as "democratic moments" to develop participative skills including conflict resolution. It also means involving young people in the day-to-day running of youth clubs by making rules, contributing ideas and planning events.
By developing such skills in young people at grass-roots level, the strategy aims to better equip them for decision-making at area and city levels.
The youth service's introduction to the strategy says that the city's youth council has been hampered by elected members' lack of experience in decision-making.
The strategy will include a self-assessment tool developed by Sunderland Youth Development Group that scores youth workers for giving young people a voice, providing effective platforms for them and acting upon what they say.
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