Everyone talks about involving children in their activities and ensuring their voices are heard. But it's easier said than done.
The Government wants council departments to talk to one another to ensure that vulnerable children do not "fall between the cracks" and, more widely, to ensure that everyone works together to plan policies with children in mind.
It's a nice idea, but few councils have begun to consider how to make it a reality.
Oxfordshire and Brighton and Hove councils have famously made a start by appointing children's commissioners with some authority to ensure children's voices are heard.
But none has gone as far as Salford Council, which has announced plans to appoint a children's champion with the specific remit of listening to children.
Andrew Cozens, president of the Association of Directors of Social Services, says that while many councils have started to tackle the problem of how to ensure children can participate, none has gone as far as Salford.
"Councils have long been required to develop an effective advocacy service for children and young people if they want to complain," he says.
"Many have a children's rights officer - we have one here at Leicester, for example - who has a brief to look at participation. And all children's trusts are required to show they involve children.
"But the Salford remit is interesting because it goes right across the board. What is really different about their proposal is it extends outside the confines of education and social services and combines it with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Developing the role
"Councils will be taking the opportunity to look very closely at shaping their children's services in the light of the green paper," he adds.
The development of the children's champion is in its early stages - not even the name has yet been settled on - but Salford's cabinet has decided the appointee will work across the full range of council services to ensure they are all taking the views of children on board.
There will be a particular focus on neighbourhood management to ensure that every decision affecting children's living environments takes account of young people's views.
The man or woman to fill the role has not yet been appointed and the politicians are working with directors and officers to decide how senior the post would be.
There is also a suggestion that the new champion could act as a link between children within the Salford area and the children's commissioner for England.
Paddy Hall, director of education and community practice at Edinburgh-based consultants PPS Libre, which helped devise the new role with Salford, says: "We have worked with Salford very closely on the nature of this post, but it will not be appropriate for all councils.
Each area will have to respond to the green paper with regard to their own particular circumstances."
Partner organisations
Salford's lead member for youth, Maureen Lea, says: "We're going to engage all our partner organisations in discussions on this issue. This strategy is devised to bring together all partners who deliver children's services.
"So many people have responsibilities towards young people in the city, quite simply we need to pool our ideas. The strategy is to develop a framework so we can deliver services to children and their families in a much more effective way.
"I really want to see us make a difference on this issue," she adds, "and I believe this role is central to the success of the whole (children's) strategy."
Other councils are sure to look with interest on the progress of the initiative.
Ianthe Maclagan, children's rights commissioner for Oxfordshire, is keen to find out more about it, although she is concerned the post will not be as independent as it could be.
"The children's commissioner for England is supposed to be independent and that is its role - to look at government policy from an independent standpoint," she says.
"My independence is maintained because my salary is paid jointly by Oxfordshire Council and the Save the Children Fund.
"But I'd like to know how Salford is going to make sure its children's champion is independent."
Maclagan promises to get in touch with Salford to bounce ideas around on how the local children's commissioner idea can be extended.
She hopes many councils will get involved in what promises to be a vibrant debate on the future of child participation.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SALFORD CHILDREN'S CHAMPION
- To champion the strategy for children and young people and lead an implementation group to consult widely on the strategy and embed it into working practice within and outside the council
- To keep the strategy constantly under review and maintain it as a living policy
- To act as a link person between the children's trust and the neighbourhood management structure in order to facilitate communication and cross-working
- To co-ordinate consultation with, and participation by, young people
- To act as a champion for children and young people within the council and its partner organisations
- To identify opportunities for bringing in funding from external sources to improve delivery or fill gaps
- To seek to identify areas of duplication of provision and gaps where services are not being delivered, and to work across agencies to reduce this duplication and fill in the gaps in provision.
