Children, Young People and Participation

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Children, Young People and Participation

• Dr Kay Tisdall
• Programme Director, MSc in Childhood Studies
• University of Edinburgh
• k.tisdall_at_ed.ac.uk
• www.childhoodstudies.ed.ac.uk

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• You are the manager of a day nursery. The Care
  Commission is coming to inspect.
• Your staff ask you what does this standard
  mean?
• Children and young people will have opportunities
  to express their views, exercise choice and,
  where possible, influence the programme.
  (Standard 5.4)

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The good news story

• The participation of children and young people in
  public decision-making has gained unprecedented
  policy prominence.
• Childrens rights to participate are increasingly
  recognised in the UK, in official government
  policy and legislation. This has been greatly
  assisted by the UNCRC.
• Services are increasingly expected to involve
  children and young people.
• Participation activities have proliferated.

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What challenges do you face?

• Is it clear what the purpose of the participation
  is? Is it purposeful or just a tick box?
• Which children are included?
• How do we (adults) interpret what children are
  saying?
• How do childrens views fit amongst other
  stakeholders?
• Is the participation meaningful to those
  involved?
• Is the participation having any impact on
  decisions?
• Is the participation ethical? (Sinclair 2004)

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Discourses of Participation

• To uphold childrens rights
• To fulfil legal responsibilities
• To improve services
• To improve decision-making
• To enhance democratic processes
• To promote childrens protection
• To enhance childrens skills
• To empower and enhance self-esteem

Sinclair and Franklin 2000
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What is not there?

• Performance
• Political mobilisation and emancipation
• Age discrimination

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Back to the vignette

• The involvement of young children
• A fixation on voice?
• The role of adults

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• References
• Sinclair, R. and Franklin, A., Young Peoples
  Participation Quality Protects Research Briefing
  (2000) accessed at http//www.rip.org.uk/publicati
  ons/documents/QPB/QPB3.PDF (2.11.07)
• Sinclair, R. (2004) Participation in practice
  making it meaningful, effective and sustainable,
  Children Society, 18(2) 106-118.
• Related papers
• Tisdall, E.K.M. (2009) Governance, Civil Society
  and Participation, in Percy-Smith, B. and
  Thomas, N. (eds) A Handbook of Childrens
  Participation, London Routledge. (forthcoming)
• Tisdall, E.K.M. (2008) The rise of a new
  profession? Childrens participation workers, in
  Allan, J., Ozga, J. and Smyth, G. (Eds) Social
  Capital, Professionalism and Diversity,
  Rotterdam Sense Publishers. (forthcoming)
• Tisdall, E.K.M. (2008) Is the honeymoon over?
  Children and Young Peoples Participation in
  Public Decision-Making International Journal of
  Childrens Rights, Special Issue 16(3) 419-429.
• Tisdall, E.K.M., Davis, J.M. and Gallagher, M.
  (2008) Reflecting upon children and young
  peoples participation in the UK, International
  Journal of Childrens Rights, Special Issue
  16(3) 343-354.
• Tisdall, E.K.M. and Bell, R. (2006) Included in
  Governance? Childrens participation in public
  decision-making in Tisdall, E.K.M., Davis, J.,
  Hill, M. and Prout, A. (Eds) Children, young
  people and social inclusion participation for
  what? Bristol Policy Press, pp. 105-120.
• Tisdall, K. and Davis, J. (2004) Making a
  Difference? Bringing childrens and young
  peoples views into policy-making Children
  Society 18(2) 131-142.
• Hill, M., Davis, J., Prout, A. and Tisdall, K.
  (2004) Moving the participation agenda forward
  Children Society 18(2) 77-96.