Youth Voice

Find out what we're doing to amplify young people's voices in our work

Get involved

'Nothing about me, without me'

Listening to and acting upon the views of children and young people is crucial to providing better services.

Young campaigners at an Its Our Care event

We want to engage even more children and young people in the decisions we make.

Our Participation Strategy ‘Nothing About Me, Without Me' helps us to do this. It sets out the steps we need to take to amplify young people’s voices. We aim to increase the level of influence they have on the decisions that affect them both now and in the future.

I need to be more than a place at the table. Don’t just invite me because it feels like the right thing to do.
One of Action for Children's Young Ambassadors

How we encourage youth participation

We want all young people to feel involved in the decisions that affect them, and to have the chance for their voices to be heard.

One way we do this is through our Young Ambassador Board.

The board is made up of young people aged 13-25. It plays an integral role in representing Action for Children and the wider views of the young people we support.

YP outside Parliament - Children at the table launch

Our young Ambassadors Board

Find out more about the board, from recent events to how to get involved

Take a look

How we support our young people

To make sure you have the best possible experiences with us, we'll follow a set of six guiding principles. They've been created by young people, and all staff across Action for Children follow them.

Young Ambassador Rachel standing with a man holding a card from an its our care event

Young Ambassador Rachel at an Its Our Care event

Empower: "You must support us to feel empowered so that we can create positive and influential change."
Respect: "You must see us as individuals with different needs and circumstances, and make sure that we're able to participate in a way that's right for us."
Equity: "You must make sure that we have equal chances to participate and feel heard"
Recognition: "You must thank us for taking the time to work with you and celebrate our achievements."
Safety: "You must have safe spaces for us to participate, both face-to-face and online."
Fun: "You must make sure there are plenty of enjoyable activities for us to take part in."

We should be involved in decisions that affect us, so we can feel in control of our lives.

Want to find out more about youth participation?

We've answered some commonly asked questions from young people below:

What is youth participation?

Do I have a right to participate in decisions that affect me?

Yes! Your right to participate in decisions that affect you is listed in a legal document called the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, also known as the UNCRC.

One of the things the UNCRC does is make clear that human rights apply to children and young people as much as they do to adults.

This means that every child and young person has the right to express themselves and have their views considered in everything that affects them.

What are the benefits of youth participation?

Meaningful participation benefits everybody. We can learn so much from you. Your participation can help us to identify new opportunities and shape our way of thinking for years to come.

For children and young people, you'll:

Have more chances to have a say in the things that matter to you.
Feel more in control of the decisions that affect your life.
Develop skills in decision making, influencing, communication, confidence, and resilience.
Gain a greater understanding of your own – and other people’s – needs and rights.
Meet new people, make new friends, and experience new things; all while building your CV with fantastic experience to support your future career.

For us, your participation in our work helps us get a deeper understanding of your wants, needs, wishes, and feelings.

By working collaboratively with you, our services and programmes will meet real needs, rather than just the ones we feel are important.

Your views and lived experiences will help us make better decisions. Working with you will keep us better connected to children and young people, so we'll have a better understanding of what you want and need.

This will also make our practice more inclusive. And help us to spend the money we have in better ways.

What types of youth participation opportunities can I get involved in?

How will you ensure I have a good experience when participating in different opportunities?

The most important thing we can do is listen to you. With the help of other young people, we’ve created seven guiding principles to participation. They've been set by young people, and all staff across Action for Children will follow them.

They are: empower, respect, equity, recognition, safety, and fun.

If at any point you don’t think we've followed these guiding principles, it’s important that you hold us to account. You can feedback on your experiences at any time; be that good or bad, we want to hear from you!

Do I need any experience to participate?

We’re happy to hear from all young people, whether you use our services or not. We're particularly keen to hear from young people who have lived experience or knowledge in one or more of the following areas:

Family support
Children in care
Disabled children
Mental health and wellbeing

You'll be fully supported by our participation team to ensure you get the best possible experience when working with us.

Download

Read our Youth Voice magazine: Nothing About Me, Without Me (Issue 1)

Download

Bilingual edition - Read our Youth Voice magazine: Nothing About Me, Without Me (Issue 1)

All young people's ideas should be considered and adapted to fit wherever possible.

Interested in getting involved?

We want you to get involved. Your voices matter and must be heard!

We're always looking to hear what you think, especially on ideas of how we can do better. But we know that sometimes it can be hard to know where to start.

To find out more about the ways you can get involved, email us at [email protected].