About Participation Network
The Participation Network supports the Public Sector to engage effectively with children and young people in the development and review of policy and services that impact on their lives.
Our vision is that all government departments, statutory agencies and local government will develop:
“A culture where the views of our children and young people are routinely sought in matters which impact on their lives.” (Our Children and Young People - Our Pledge, a ten year strategy for children and young people in Northern Ireland, OFMDFM, 2006)
The Participation Network provides services in the following areas which are delivered FREE of charge to the Public Sector:
The Participation Network is driven by:
- Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (ratified by UK Government in 1989) which states all children and young people have a voice in any decisions affecting them and their views should be respected.
- Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998) which places particular duties on statutory authorities to take account the impact of their services and policies on children and young people.
- Our Children and Young People, Our Pledge - a 10-year Strategy for Children and Young People in Northern Ireland (2006-2016) which outlines government’s commitment to obtaining the views of children and young people on matters that impact on them, which all government departments have signed up to.
It is within this legislative context that a number of organisations, including Save the Children, the Youth Council for Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Youth Forum, YouthNet and Children in Northern Ireland undertook a feasibility study in relation to children and young people’s participation in decision making. The publication, Turning Up the Sound (2005), provided evidence that children and young people are interested in engaging with decision makers, and that decision makers appreciate their opinions. The main obstacle to effective engagement was the lack of appropriate mechanisms.
The Participation Network aims to address this by developing the capacity of statutory agencies, local government and government departments to effectively engage with children and young people in public decision making.