Multi Agency Participation Guide

Practical ways of involving children, young people and families in decision making

So what is participation?

Participation, consultation and involvement are terms that are often used interchangeably. For the purposes of this guide, we have defined consultation, participation and involvement below:

Consultation.

This is a process used by service providers, workers and communities to explore people’s views and opinions on specific issues that affect them. This information is used to both inform and make recommendations for improving services, provision, highlighting needs, or used as a way of affirming decisions already made.

Consultation can be undertaken in many ways from surveys to focus groups to events and activities. Consultation is a good way of encouraging people to have their say and provides a pathway for ‘active involvement’ in other structures. Consideration needs to be given to ensuring feedback is given to participants about the results of the consultation and also where and how the information has been used.

Participation and involvement

Participation and involvement is more than just simply being consulted or taking part in an activity or event. It refers to a process whereby people are ‘actively involved’ in identifying needs, exploring solutions, making decisions and planning the way forward for projects, organisations and the wider community. As providers of children, young people and family services we have a duty to allow users of communities to express their views freely and be actively involved in the development, delivery and evaluation of the services.

Ladder of participation

Benefits and Barriers

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