Consulting About Consulting: Young people’s views of consultation |
| |
| Authors: | Richard C Woolfson Michael Harker Dorothy Lowe Mary Shields Margaret Banks Lindsay Campbell |
| |
| Institution: | Renfrewshire Educational Psychology Service , UK |
| |
| Abstract: | The increasing recognition that children and young people should be consulted and involved in decision‐making about their lives is reflected in national and international legislation. A great deal of this legislation, stemming from the UN convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), requires education authorities to consult children and young people when making decisions about their education. However, little is known about how children and young people themselves would like consultation to proceed. This study held four focus groups of young people with and without Additional Support Needs (ASN) to address this question. The young people came up with many suggestions which can be used to guide future consultation work, but the main message was one of individual choice. Children and young people want to be consulted but the consultation should be tailored to their individual needs if it is to be truly successful. There are lessons to be learned for EPs and other professionals who regularly seek the views of children and young people. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
