The people in charge of making sure that the changes outlined in Every Child Matters actually take place are trying to improve the ways that young people can get involved in Government. They say:

'PK Research Consultancy and the National Children's Bureau have researched the most effective ways of involving children and young people in services. A useful handbook has been produced for practitioners [people who work with children and young people], backed up by a research report.

The handbook draws on the findings of a research study that explored the experiences of 29 organisations in seeking to listen to young people and take action on what they said. The research points to this being most likely to succeed where organisations had worked to sustain and embed their participation activity.

The handbook focuses on how to listen to children and young people so that their views bring about change.
It aims specifically to:

 

• Identify and illustrate the benefits of child and youth participation
• Guide organisations in thinking about how to create appropriate environments in which children and young people can be involved in meaningful ways, so that their views are listened to and acted upon
• Help organisations explore how they can develop cultures and infrastructures which sustain and embed participation throughout all their activity

You can find out more about what the Government is trying to do to include young people through the links below....
Handbook - Building a Culture of Participation

Research report - Building a Culture of Participation

Learning to listen - Core Principles for the Involvement of Children and Young People