| 1. Be clear about what you want as an organisation, and be open about the extent and possibility of shared power and decision making
2. Once you have set your objectives, consider and experiment with a range of options and methods.
3. Use information to raise awareness and encourage support - do not do anything without publicity within the organisation, and externally if possible
4. Try to involve everybody but do not assume that children and young people are a homogenous group
5. Consider what resources your organisation has to offer and how other organisations may be able to support you in terms of staffing, transport, equipment etc.
6. Ask young people where and when they want to meet - ask them to advise YOU
7. Remember that children and young people have busy lives and develop new interests. They can become disillusioned by the time wasted on process and lose interest.
9. Take into account children and young people’s previous and current relationships with your organisation
10. Be prepared for mistakes, acknowledge you are learning and accept criticism
11. Acknowledge that initiatives and projects can be established by children and young people themselves
12. Feedback to the children or young people you are working with how their information has impacted. If you don’t they will be less willing to get involved in the future. |