It is important to create a culture of participation.
Children and young people are now consulted more often about issues that concern them. For example, the Office for the Children's Rights Director organises many consultation groups of looked after children and young people on a wide variety of topics.
It is also important to support young people to participate in activities which help boost their self-esteem. Both these aspects are considered here.
There are many helpful web resources to help you get children and young people involved in running their own lives and making positive changes in the way that their residential home is run.
A full list of organisations that are committed to promoting the participation of children and young people in decisions about their lives can be found in the Extra resources section above.
Stop and think for a moment why you think the participation of childrens/young people is important.
Then when you are ready, read our commentary:
Why is childrens participation important? Think about the last time you moved house or flat. How would it have felt if you didnt know that you were moving until just a day or two before it happened, and you didnt know where you were moving to? This sounds so improbable as to be utterly outrageous and bizarre-until you realise that similar things happen to many children. Or, imagine that your class teacher is telling you that school swimming lessons are stopping from now on. You love them and have just swum your first length. You feel a real sense of achievement and pride, because at first you were frightened of the water, but the swimming teacher has been great. You wonder how you can find out how to carry on with swimming lessons; but the class teacher has told you all to get your books out for the next lesson. Giving young people accurate and timely information and enabling them to have a say in their own lives and the things that affect them is very important. Helping young people to get involved enhances their feelings of self worth and self esteem. Always try to provide accurate and transparent information about what is likely to happen for them in residential care. And put them in touch with local resources for looked after children. For example, looked after children in Norfolk have their own website, as do many areas. Make sure you know about your local resources. (Source: SCIE, 2006 and Kids in Care Together)Now read a case example that is a good example of participation in practice. The key to their success was understanding the needs and interests of young people and linking all activities to their overall development. Note how this example has a clear beginning, middle and end.
As you read can you identify stages of planning, delivery and evaluation?
At a residential short break care house in Bolton, team members had experienced lots of very positive responses from the young visitors when they were able to go into the garden.
Team members struggled, however, to keep the experience of being outside stimulating and interesting as their visitors were physically unable to take part in traditional games and play activities. They decided to try and find out more about what would interest the young people when they spent time outside. They took the young people to a local garden centre to give them the opportunity to see, smell and touch different plants, garden ornaments and furniture.
They took the young people to a butterfly farm and on a nature trail and watched their reactions to smaller insects and birds. They were able to identify plants and feeders that would attract different birds and insects. Research with families and schools identified a range of equipment that would be more meaningful to the visitors.
The Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF) application was submitted as a before and after garden plan with photographs of the young people's reactions to the different opportunities offered. The application was successful and a wonderful sensory garden and play equipment was funded.
We have looked at how helping children and young people have a say in the way services are organised helps those services become more child-focussed.
We will now consider how helping young people and children take part in individual and group activities gives them a sense of achievement, belonging and empowerment.
Leisure activities may: "Help them join or rejoin the mainstream, reduce the risk of school drop out and help protect against behaviour problems. Success and involvement can provide a turning point in children's lives." (Ref: NCB, 2006)
This is even more likely when the activity is:
engaged in voluntarily
structured
adult-led
teaches skills
regular.
Read three short case studies.
"Eight years ago she joined a local club which caters for special needs children and young adults. She plays basketball with them every Saturday and ten pin bowling every Tuesday. She has been chosen to play with the Irish bowling team in the Special Olympics in Holland. I feel that her involvement in these sports has helped her in a very big way."
Carer for 17-year-old girl
During the week it's just school, dinner and study. I go to drama and I hope to be in the Christmas pageant this year. It's nice to be doing something and everyone is looking at you just being able to do something."
Young girl in children's home
A teenage girl was a competent swimmer and a popular member of a local swimming club. When she became looked after she was placed 50 miles away from home in a rural village which didn't have a very convenient pool. She was deprived of continuing her interest in swimming and gradually lost interest in the sport.
The hobbies, past-times and activities we follow are an expression of our identity, who we think 'we' are.
It is important that we support a young person's identity and do not impose one of our own. When caring for children it is easy to base decisions of what is good for them on what we have done before with other children, rather than think it through for this unique child.
One way we can do this is by making lists with the child: setting aside any restrictions. What is it they want to do? Maybe things they have done before, or are interested in but never done before?
Using some tools in this section will help you identify children's current interests and activities and think out of the box when considering new ones.
The first is a list of the wide range of general interests that a child could follow:
- sports
- games
- music
- dance
- drama
- work
- caring for animals
- arts and crafts
- outdoor pursuits
- indoor pursuits
- organisations and clubs.
Now imagine that a young person looks at this list and decides that he/she wants to try an activity based on caring for animals.
What suggestions could you give him/her for activities?
Be as creative as you can: it will help to do this with children and young people! Then compare your list with ours.
- horse riding
- helping in the local stables
- helping in the local vets
- helping in the local pet shop
- helping in the local zoo
- helping at the local Cats Protection League
- helping at the local dog track
- buying and looking after a small animal
- helping to care for a cat/dog/rabbit
- dog-walking for friends and neighbours
- researching an animal and how to care for it
- joining an adopt-an-animal scheme (e.g. http://www.bornfree.org.uk/animals/sloth-bears)
- researching the ways in which animals can assist humans, e.g. guide dogs.
You may find completing a table with a child/young person helps to identify leisure activities they may enjoy.
A ready-to-use checklist has been placed in the Extra resources section for you to download.
You have reached the end of this sub-section. Click 'Back' to choose another.