This report details the findings from consultations with children and young people nominated by Traveller and Roma organisations as part of the development of a Traveller and Roma Education Strategy by the Department of Education.
This publication is an attempt to capture, celebrate and share ways of working, reflections, ideas, and challenges that have been part of the journey of many Creative Schools. The articles provide a snapshot of the hundreds of projects and programmes which have creatively raised children’s voices. Of course, consultation with children and young people has been a feature of arts in schools and arts in other places for a long time but the scale and reach of Creative schools since 2018 has given us this opportunity to bring together some examples of recent practice, which we offer to anyone with an interest in this area.
Internationally, there has been a significant focus in policy and practice on the participation of children and young people in decisions that affect them, underpinned by respect for their rights under Article 12 of the UNCRC. While children’s participation has become a core focus for practice improvement in child welfare services, there is a dearth of practical examples of how participation is implemented in organisations. In this paper, we provide a reflective case study of participation in practice in the Youth Advocate Programme (YAP) in Ireland, a large non-profit child welfare organisation. YAP Ireland works with young people who are considered ‘high risk’ using a strength-based approach in a wraparound service that is family-driven and youth-guided. Drawing on qualitative interviews and focus groups with young people, parents, advocates, and staff and management, we describe and critically analyse YAP’s approach to participation. Critical factors in practice include a commitment to participation in policy, practice and culture at all levels of the organisation and scaffolding of participation by staff. Challenges include ensuring that participation principles are upheld consistently across the organisation and resourcing participation.
The Covid-19 pandemic was a worldwide crisis, which had a significant impact on children’s lives. The effects were most damaging for children who were already living in disadvantaged circumstances (United Nations, 2020), with children from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds suffering the most (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2021). Using Ireland as a case study, the purpose of this research is to work collaboratively with children and young people to understand how a child rights-based approach can be embedded in decision-making in times of emergency.
The aim of this scoping document is to provide advice on approaching participative processes and initiatives in the most accessible and inclusive way possible.
The research in this report investigates whether the approaches that have been used to involve young people have been effective in meaningfully engaging them in decision-making processes. It also explores whether involving young people in decision making influences policies, shapes communities and impacts the lives of young participants
Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services sets out Ireland’s key policy ambitions for youth work and related services.
This paper considers children’s participation in CP legislative and policy frameworks of Bulgaria, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Serbia. It proceeds by detailing the extent to which children are heard and facilitated with access to participate in practice.
This report recounts further consultation with children which took place to help shape NCCA’s development of the new curriculum specification for Wellbeing with children from Stages 3 and 4 (Third to Sixth Classes) in four primary schools between April and June 2023.
The rights of children and young people have gained prominence over recent years, spanning a range of settings and domains. In particular, the importance of eliciting, listening to and acting on the voices and views of children and young people has featured strongly in a range of legislative and policy documents. Internationally, this rights-based focus is particularly informed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.