Done well, Participation can promote both personal growth for the individuals involved and better needs led services for the Community as a whole
National Evaluation Children's Fund 2003 found that Strategic Stakeholders and Service Providers tended to emphasise the purpose of Participation as being to inform Children's Fund Programme development and the planning and delivery of Children's Fund services..improved children and young peoples citizenship, social inclusion and engagement in the community as well as personal and educational development. Children and young people, parents and carers perceived the benefits of Participation as their personal and social education and development. Hence their focus was on empowerment and building their resilience and that of others"
Department for Education and Skills, Building a culture of Participation Handbook (2003) (PDF Document) similarly suggests that 'Acting on children and young peoples views has positive outcomes; There is evidence that child/youth participation can lead to improved service development, increases in children and young peoples citizenship and social inclusion, and also their wider personal development' However, it adds... Many organisations reflect and evaluate the process of participation but too little attention is given to collecting systemic and rigorous evidence of outcomes.
The UN Convention on the Rights of a Child states that children who are capapble of forming opinions should have the right to express them on matters that directly affect them whilst giving due weight to the age and maturity of the child.
