This will be an energising presentation demonstrating and workshopping a range of interactive ground breaking strategies to maximise children and young peoples’ engagement and participation in decision making. This workshop will provide an opportunity to view and use resources including the Winangay “KiDs SAY” visual cards designed to generate children and young people’s participation. They have been road tested across Australia and assist workers in Child Protection, OOHC and Family Support to have purposeful conversations and explore critical issues.
The KiDS SAY cards put children’s voices, their strengths, hopes and concerns front and centre in decision making and empower children and workers alike. The expanded KiDS SAY cards focus on children and young peoples’ strengths and safety. They provide the means by which KiDs strengths, hopes needs and concerns can shape their services, support and outcomes. They provide a clear direction for practice, in relation to safety, permanency, and cultural safety.
Child Protection Inquiries over the last 40 years have stressed the importance of listening to kids (Arney 2016). When children are provided with opportunities to have their say and participate in decision making the outcomes for kids are better with: more stability; a greater chance of securing permanency better maintenance of connections; and developing a strong cultural identity (Bamblett 2012, Blacklock et al.2015). Embedding participatory practices provides choice and control that contributes to the building of child safe organisations and environments and empowers children and young people so they can flourish and take their place in the wider community.