3. What makes for effective engagement?
Levels of engagement with young people, as with any community group, can range from simply providing relevant information and consulting on particular issues, to involvement, to full partnership approaches where those involved are empowered to have responsibility for funding decisions, monitoring and evaluation. An assessment should be made in advance of engagement to determine which approach is most appropriate to the context, the group involved, the decision to be made and the resources available. Examples at Annex B aim to highlight just a few of the varied approaches already being used in Scotland. "Your Place or Mine?", a research study exploring young people's participation in Community Planning, offers a discussion of models of participation and an overview of literature on citizenship as well as information on current practice in Scotland and two detailed case studies - see Annex C for details.
"It is up to the public authorities to bridge the gap between young people's eagerness to express their opinions and the methods and structures which society offers."
A New Impetus for European Youth, European Commission White Paper, 2001
Thought needs to be given to the role of individual partners in undertaking engagement on behalf of the CPP, how links will be made with other pieces of work and how the information will be used to inform plans. There is a vast amount of activity under the umbrella of the CPP, both in community engagement where links may be made, for example with local Community Planning structures, the Public Partnership Forum for the Community Health Partnership, the local Dialogue Youth Unit, Community Councils, etc. and opportunities through service provision, for example in Health Promoting Schools or Eco Schools. In East Renfrewshire (Example 11), it is recognised that the engagement of young people is not only the responsibility of Education Departments or youth services but of all partners. Active support and contributions were made by social workers, Health Promotion Officers, school nurses, youth workers, teachers and Community School staff to developing a Dialogue Youth Health Network.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education ( HMIE) collates, analyses and publishes evidence from its evaluations to inform parents, schools, colleges and other providers of education and Scottish Ministers about standards and quality in all areas of education including, for instance, how schools work with the wider community. The HMIE website includes examples of good practice drawn from inspections, including in the area of Community Learning and Development,www.hmie.gov.uk. More organisations, tools and information sources can be found in Annex C.
The National Standards for Community Engagement, These were developed 'bottom up' by Communities Scotland with over 500 people involved, the majority of them from communities. They are a practical, flexible tool which will help to improve the practice of engaging communities in the planning and delivery of services. The work identified ten key standards for engaging with all communities, including young people. The definition of engagement, in formal settings, is:
"...developing and sustaining a working relationship between one or more public body and one or more community group to help them both to understand and act on the needs or issues that the community experiences".
The Standards apply to engagement in both formal and less formal settings and as part of day-to-day work, which is particularly relevant in working with children and young people. The Standards have been endorsed by many Community Planning partner organisations, and Audit Scotland's June 2006 study "Community Planning: an initial review" recommends that CPPs should champion their use. Annex A lists some particular points, covering a mixture of strategic and practical issues, to bear in mind in planning or working with children and young people, set out under the headings of the Standards. The Standards are stretching, and organisations will need to work towards achieving them over a period of time. Findings from pilots of the Standards suggest that it may be appropriate to select and focus on a few Standards which require particular attention rather than trying to achieve them all at the same time. Communities Scotland will also be publishing further advice this year, to sit alongside the National Standards and other support materials, focusing on equalities issues. "Don't Treat us all the Same" is intended to prompt thought about equalities and community engagement and to provide practical tips on how to make community engagement more inclusive.
3.1 Commitment
The clear message from those working with children and young people is that effective engagement requires significant planning, time, effort and sustained support, even more so in the case of excluded or harder to reach groups. This implies a significant commitment and a requirement for effective coordination on the part of the partnership, to bring together the contributions of different partners, avoid overlap in engagement activity and monitor how the information is being used. The North Lanarkshire Partnership, for example, has developed a database of community engagement activities to ensure that all partners are aware of consultations being undertaken in an attempt to avoid consultation fatigue. Part of the responsibility of the partnership is to recognise the potential of the groups they are working with and provide for capacity building so that partner organisations, voluntary and community groups can participate and support future engagement. Amidst the complexity and challenges of Community Planning structures and community engagement approaches, it is worth remembering that the overall aim of the process is to achieve improvements in services as a result of the engagement, whether large of small.
"Children and young people are the future. Community Planning is an evolutionary process that is just beginning but has long term implications. It is vitally important therefore that we involve children and young people at the earliest opportunity in order to ensure that they have a chance to shape our direction of travel."
David S Sawers
Chief Executive, Angus Council
3.1.1 Sustainable Structures and Strategic Commitment - Several partnerships have sustainable structures for ongoing involvement rather than engaging around particular issues or projects, for example the Angus Young Citizens Panel (Example 1) or through Dialogue Youth Units such as in Argyll and Bute (Example 6). In some cases, these structures allow for real sharing of power in decision-making. Youngedinburgh (Example 3) allows young people to take real decisions on policy and budget allocations on an equal footing with Councillors and others on a standing Committee of the Council. Young people involved in the YouthBank (Example 9) have become empowered decision-makers effecting change and bringing resources to their local communities. Involving children and young people in decision-making is wholly consistent with ensuring that Best Value is achieved with resources, as long as appropriate procedures are in place.
Community Learning and Development ( CLD) Partnerships, which have responsibilities for both youth work and building community capacity, involving a range of agencies from across sectors, can be a valuable resource for CPPs in co-ordinating and developing support for young people to engage and participate. Each CPP has overall responsibility for the CLD Strategy in its area, which is co-ordinated by the local authority through a CLD Lead Officer. Some areas also have a youth strategy which can support engagement by, and with, young people.
The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland ( ACPOS) has shown a commitment to engaging children and young people through its Youth Strategy. By recognising the important contribution that young people make to communities, identifying good practice and involving young people in the planning and development of services which directly affect them, ACPOS hopes to meet the needs and expectations of the communities they serve. The Strategy sets out a series of overarching principles which will be applied to their engagement with young people, including:
"The Scottish Police Service will, through the process of Community Planning, work with partner agencies, private sector and voluntary organisations and young people to deliver a service to their community, compatible with the needs of all."
Similarly, Scottish Fire and Rescue Services will soon publish a Youth Development Plan:
"The plan represents a policy commitment to work with young people to improve the quality and range of services provided for young people by Fire and Rescue Services in Scotland."
The Fire and Rescue Service have also developed a child and young persons fire education portal called "blaze aware", designed around the 5-14 school curriculum,www.infoscotland.com/blazeaware. More organisations, tools and information sources can be found in Annex C.
3.1.2 Resources - Time, effort and commitment of resources are required to achieve worthwhile engagement, in particular in working with excluded and hard to reach groups. In addition to money, equipment and other physical resources, experienced staff with a prior knowledge of the group or area are a key resource. Partner organisations will have different resources to contribute, for example in information sources or access to particular groups. The voluntary sector and youthwork organisations are key sources or expertise and knowledge. Time and resources need to be invested over a sustained period to build relationships and trust in order to achieve effective engagement and participation in the longer term. Resource implications are long term due to ongoing requirements for training and capacity building. Engagement activity is now relevant to a far wider group of professionals than it was in the past, and the time and resource implications of this should not be underestimated. It is recognised that decisions on resourcing community engagement activity are made against a background of financial pressure and competing priorities. However, there is evidence that engagement results in real benefits in terms of improved services and personal development for both the adults and children and young people involved.
"Involving children and young people in the community planning process is essential if you want to plan services that truly reflect their needs. In doing so it is essential that planners recognise the importance of allocating adequate resources and time to make this happen, in particular resources needed to be targeted at those that traditionally have not had adequate means to have their voices heard."
Kathleen Marshall, Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland
Volunteering: The Scottish Executive's Volunteering Strategy defines volunteering as "the giving of time and energy through a third party, which can bring measurable benefits to the volunteer, individual beneficiaries, groups and organisations, communities, the environment and society at large. It is a choice undertaken of one's own free will, and is not motivated primarily for financial gain or for a wage or salary". Many of the forms of engagement described in this note constitute volunteering and good practice in volunteering should be followed, e.g. reimbursing all out-of-pocket expenses incurred, such as travel expenses and ensuring that children and young people are given information and support required in order to participate fully.
3.1.3 Policy proofing - It may be helpful to use an assessment tool to check that relevant groups have been taken in to account in the policy making process. The Scottish Commissioner for Children and Young People is in the process of developing a tool for looking at decisions, policies, laws or practice and identifying and measuring their effect on children and young people's rights, more information is available on the Commissioner's website: www.sccyp.org.uk/webpages/pr_single.php?article=&id=27 . Partnerships may also choose to build in tailor-made systems to ensure diverse groups are included, for example in grant funding decisions or planning templates.
"It's important for young people to all get their views heard."
Sam, young person, 2005
Councillor Rev Ewan Aitken, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council
As part of Patient Focus and Public Involvement, Scottish Executive Health Department and NHSScotland use The Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment toolkit ( EQIA) as a strategic document to help support consideration of equality and diversity issues in the design, development and delivery of new and re-designed policies and services across NHS Scotland. The toolkit covers Black and Minority Ethnic Communities (including Gypsy/Travellers and Refugees & Asylum Seekers), Women and Men, Religious/Faith Groups, disabled People, Older People, Children and Young People and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community,www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/health/eqdiat-00.asp. More organisations, tools and information sources can be found in Annex C.
3.1.4 Culture change - While we tend to think in terms of educating children and young people in the skills required to participate, in many cases it is the adults involved who need to acquire skills to engage more constructively. The move towards involving and empowering communities, and in particular children and young people, as part of mainstream work involves a significant cultural shift for many organisations, embedding new values and ways of working. Adults need to avoid making assumptions in dealing with children and young people and to be confident enough to build open, honest relationships, based on mutual respect. In Highland (Example 2), experience of engaging with children and young people, including on the Integrated Children's Services Plan, has led key agencies to seek out youth involvement pro-actively through the supported youth participation mechanisms. This shift represents a significant opportunity for innovation, but consideration needs to be given to how this will be supported and sustained, both at a strategic level, in developing infrastructure and building organisational capacity, and with frontline staff in training and development programmes. Several universities and colleges provide training and offer qualifications in community learning and development and working with children and young people in particular.
"Young people need different things from adults and not many adults know what kids need."
Young person, What Community Planning is to young people, Young Scot
Communities Scotland's CeVe (Community Education Validation and Endorsement) endorses professional training in community learning and development. This includes the main professional qualifications for CLD, at graduate and post-graduate level, but also a range of courses for part-time workers and volunteers, some of which are youth work specific. This link gives more information about CeVe:www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/cs_006467.hcsp. There are, however, many other sources of training and development. More organisations, tools and information sources can be found in Annex C.
3.2 Tailoring your approach
Treating children and young people as a homogenous group won't work; for example, those with disabilities or black and minority ethnic groups may have additional needs. Younger children often rely on their parents or carers to represent their views, whereas young groups are able to represent their own viewpoint. The key is to start from the position of the children or young people involved, from their view of the world, whatever their age or ability. It is important to plan engagement properly in advance, to understand the issues for the group you are working with in order to build a constructive relationship. Experienced staff or people with existing relationships with young people can provide an insight and may already have established trust. Methods can then be designed so that the engagement is geared towards the interests, understanding and experience of those involved. Examples of tailored approaches are in developing the Sauchie Green Map (Example 8), the Snakes and Ladders game developed by Barnardo's (Example 10) and the use of drama in developing the Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy for Dundee (Example 7).
There needs to be a range of ways of engaging, structures for continuous involvement as well as one-off events. There are benefits in consulting young people in their own area or at events that they are already involved in, for example fun days, through schools or youth clubs, but it is also important to recognise engagement that takes place alongside the adult population, as part of the mainstream. One option is to use existing structures/services rather than creating new ones, or to adapt mainstream structures, for example youth themed committee meetings.
"...the things that they (young people) are talking about aren't just young people's issues but they are the issues that young people have concerns about for the whole city."
Edinburgh Youth Social Inclusion Partnership and Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council ( EVOC) have developed a resource to support young people involved in group meetings such as management committees, youth forums, housing association groups, school councils and boards. Bored Meetings is available from EVOC on 0131 555 9124 - email:jennyhaines@evoc.org.uk. More organisations, tools and information sources can be found in Annex C.
Some particular points to bear in mind in designing engagement for children and young people:
- There are many competing demands on young people's time, incentives may be needed for them to be motivated, for example accreditation, social opportunities, remuneration, achieving quick wins on their priorities.
- Approaches can be fun, user friendly and interactive, for example using artwork, drama, music, video, photography, peer research, campaigning, fund raising, developing resources, etc. Texting and electronic voting systems can be particularly useful in rural areas where travel is a barrier.
- Young people need a range of information and communication channels. Information should be clear and jargon free, in relevant formats and languages. Body language is also an important form of communication in face to face engagement.
- Young people quite often want to speak to other young people rather than to adults, young people can act as interviewers to draw in views.
Children and young people grow up quickly, which creates challenges for continuing engagement. It is important not to engage repeatedly with the same group. In West Dunbartonshire the aim is to establish a 'rich dialogue' between public sector and voluntary organisations and young people, making links across different policies, mixing consultation with representative structures. A network of contacts gives a range of ways of disseminating information and access to young peoples views as a matter of routine, without the need to set up formal consultations.
3.2.1 Monitoring and evaluation - Systems should be in place to evaluate the impact of engagement on decision-making and policies but also to ensure that processes are being refined and improved to increase participation levels. Monitoring and evaluating approaches to identify the most effective mechanisms for engagement supports the change to a new way of working. To achieve real engagement with children and young people, it is important not to think just in terms of ticking boxes. However a self-assessment is a useful tool to determine whether the engagement is producing meaningful results and to suggest aspects which may need to be revised. The monitoring and evaluation section in Annex A sets out some suggested questions based on a UNICEF checklist and the National Standards for Community Engagement can be used in evaluation. Links may also be made to evaluation processes such as the Quality Improvement Framework which sits alongside Integrated Children's Services Plans, aiming to develop a coherent and sustained approach by inter-agency children's services partnerships to raise quality across all services for children and young people.
3.2.2 Involving children - Particular consideration needs to be given to how best to engage with younger children. It may not be appropriate to use the same consultation methods for younger children as those used for older children and young people. However younger children are able to express views and comments and can provide useful insights to those who plan, commission and deliver services that affect them. It is important to develop good practice with children from early years. By involving children at an early age in discussions on minor issues, they become familiar with the concepts and develop the skills to engage more fully as they get older. While views should be sought directly from them where possible, advocates can help express children's views, particularly in difficult situations.
"Children and young people know what they want. We are the best people to represent ourselves."
Robert, young person, 2005
This research carried out into children's and young people's experiences of advocacy support and participation in the Children's Hearings System includes information on what children and young people want from advocacy support:www.childrenshearingsscotland.gov.uk/pdf/review/advocacy%20research.pdf. More organisations, tools and information sources can be found in Annex C.
There are a number of sources of advice on how to consult and engage with young children, for example on the Early Years pages of the NCB website at www.ncb.org.uk . Depending on circumstances and the issues being considered, bodies need to plan how best to listen to the views of young children, for example, Stirling Council has produced a guide to consulting with very young children and empowering them to participate effectively, to support staff in nurseries and early years establishments. A copy is available for a small charge from Linda Kinney - email: kinneyl@stirling.gov.uk .
3.2.3 Reaching and involving excluded groups - The CPP should have an awareness of the communities of interest in its area and can further build a picture of the needs of children and young people in these communities, for example black and minority ethnic groups, gypsies, travellers and asylum seekers, those with physical or learning impairments, or those coping with drug abuse. Links with Social Work Services, the Children's Hearings System and others may be useful in this. It is important to be sensitive to particular interests and needs, including those of children and young people who are excluded or discriminated against in a range of ways. The key is to start from the child's or young person's perspective and think about the barriers to participation and how these might be overcome. For example, remuneration can help to tackle financial exclusion or taking the service out to where the young people are for territorial gangs or street youths. It may be necessary to take the advice of specialist workers in approaching engagement with groups with particular needs for example, those with chaotic lives or in abuse situations or young people not in education, employment or training ( NEET). It may require an additional investment, more innovative approaches and a longer time to build up the capacity of these groups to engage fully. Some organisations with expertise in dealing with hard-to-reach groups are listed in Annex B. YouthLink Scotland is also a good source of information on organisations with specialist experience.
"It's about everyone deciding what happens in your town as it belongs to everyone."
Young person, What Community Planning is to young people, Young Scot
3.2.4 Supporting personal development - The results of the engagement are vital: children and young people need to see changes as a result of their input. However, the experience of being involved is also important, supporting the personal development, enjoyment and the sense of well-being of those involved. Accredited training, for example through the Duke of Edinburgh Awards or the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network ( ASDAN) is a valuable form of personal development. Involvement in Community Planning can help to develop empowerment and a stronger sense of local identity among young people, a desire to have ownership of their own future. This can help to counteract disengagement as a result of lack of self belief and self confidence. North Ayrshire's consultation with a group of young people with disabilities and their parents (Example 4) about current issues facing them in the transition to adulthood had the effect of empowering the young people, giving them the confidence to challenge ideas, identify what they wanted to do and what would help them achieve their aims.
Youth work is an education process which supports young people in realising their potential and addressing life's challenges critically and creatively. Youth work approaches can enable young people who might otherwise be alienated from support to get services they need. Links may be made with voluntary sector bodies engaged in youth work or a youth work approach may be taken by the Partnership/organisations itself.
In supporting personal development in engagement, links may also be made with work under 'Determined to Succeed' www.determinedtosucceed.co.ukand with the 'Curriculum for Excellence': www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/cerv-00.asp.
More organisations, tools and information sources can be found in Annex C.
3.2.5 Managing expectations - Children and young people may be less familiar with timescales and any limitations on an organisation's ability to respond to their views. It is good practice to be clear about the potential for change in any engagement, and it may be necessary to manage the expectations of children and young people more carefully. Accurate information should be provided at regular intervals, including an honest assessment of the scope for change and feedback on action, highlighting how views have been taken into account. People are turned off if nothing appears to happen and they don't know why. Providing accurate information to children and young people can help generate a discussion that moves away from a 'wants' exercise to a dialogue in which young people share their perspective equally with professionals who are honest with them about expectations and limitations. There is a difficult balance to be struck between making children and young people aware of the constraints on public services and stifling motivation, raising expectations of what they should expect from public services but not to the point that they will be disappointed and not want to be involved in the future. As identified by Highland Council (Example 2), young people's agendas often relate to issues such as the need for more facilities, cheaper access to facilities and better transport. In many cases, these cannot be fixed in the short term - young people may have grown up before experiencing tangible benefits. Time may be a difficult concept for some groups and shorter term goals may be needed to maintain interest and motivation.
"We are having the right to say what we think and we're having the opportunity to help you to work together to make Edinburgh a better place for young people."
Louise, young person, Youngedinburgh 2005
Equally, organisations need to understand that community engagement is a process and will take variable amounts of time, depending on the capacity and willingness of the group involved. There is a need to plan ahead to ensure that there is time to bring children and young people to a point where they can be involved effectively.
3.2.6 Making connections with personal interests - There are both positive and negative drivers to participation, and it is important to ensure that a range of methods is available to children and young people to make sure that their views can be fed into policy development. Like everyone else, children and young people have an interest in issues which have a direct impact on them. Engaging on an issue of general interest, for example in relation to new or improved leisure facilities, can be a way of establishing a contact that can be built on, as in South Lanarkshire Youth Partnership (Example 5) where bussing children and young people to a skate park resulted in representation on a transport forum.
3.2.7 Avoiding tokenism - Children and young people can identify tokenistic participation in the same way as other community groups. Where engagement is driven by a need to be seen to be consulting rather than genuine commitment to making changes, it is likely to have a detrimental effect.
"To create a responsive service and strike the correct balance between the diverse groups within communities we serve requires that we listen to all concerns. It is therefore vitally important that we engage with young people to understand their concerns and address them appropriately."
David Strang, Chief Constable, Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, President, ACPOS
3.3 A safe environment
Children and young people are especially vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and other harmful outcomes. So, as well as the usual safeguards required when engaging with any group, additional safeguards are often required for this group in making sure that they are properly protected and kept safe.
3.3.1 Child protection - It is essential to ensure that all staff working with children and young people are suitably experienced and/or qualified as appropriate. There need to be robust child protection policies and procedures in place which staff clearly understand and comply with, and issues raised by children should be taken seriously and treated sensitively. The Children's Charter and Framework for Standards on the Scottish Executive website (address below) provide the overarching framework for child protection.
Care should be taken that those working in what would be considered a child care position under the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003, are not disqualified from working with children. An enhanced disclosure check by Disclosure Scotland will confirm whether someone has been disqualified, in which case an organisation would be committing an offence if they employed them in a childcare position. Guidance on the Act can be found on the Scottish Executive website at www.scotland.gov.uk/childprotection . Having a disclosure check does not remove the need for organisations to have robust recruitment practices and sound child protection polices and procedures.
3.3.2 Ethical standards - High ethical standards must be maintained in order to protect and respect children and young people in gathering information to develop and evaluate responses to their needs. It is important that there is a clear process with the child/young person, and in many instances their parents, to ensure that they have understood what is involved and have given their consent to be involved or for information to be shared. However, the welfare of children is paramount, and information should be shared where there are child protection concerns.