CYP Now - Resources: Know how - Involving young people in community decision making

Giving children and young people a say in their local communities can improve relationships across the generations - and they often have brilliant ideas to contribute, too. Ruth Dalzell explains how to reap the most benefit from the process. 1. Think about resources. Before you start planning ways of involving children and young people in community decision making - particularly in regeneration - take a long look at the resources you have and the resources you'll need. This doesn't just mean money: it also means things like local enthusiasm and political will.

2. Do your groundwork with the adults involved. Adults can be resistant to sharing power with children and young people and working with them as equal partners. You may need to do some work to achieve better inter-generational understanding, perhaps through team-building events and residentials. It's important to offer training and support to help adults work in child-centred ways.

3. Encourage decision makers to take it personally. It is vital to have political support for local participation work, otherwise children and young people's input may be overlooked, and they will feel disillusioned. Try to gain a personal commitment from department heads and other decision makers, and try to make sure that some form of youth involvement is embedded in local decision-making structures.

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