Young People's Participation

The "Key Players": NFER, Local Government Association, CfBT Education Trust, National Young Agency and National Children's Bureau discussed participation of young people through various workshops involving young people.

• Across society and across organisations the participation of young people is patchy and can be seen as a good thing to do rather than essential for societal development.
• It is important that participation recognises individuals involved and is genuine (not tokenistic).
• Schools and Local Authorities have a vital role to play in supporting young people to recognise the value of participation.

The paper sets out what is not known about participation, the main drivers behind the participation agenda as well as the barriers to participation. It goes on to suggest recommendations around policy, practice, spending/funding, evaluation/research and campaigning/advocacy.