Consultation with young people is necessary in order to properly advocate for and on behalf of them. It not only empowers young people as active members of a system that often have little agency within, it also provides organisations with vital information and practical knowledge about how to improve service delivery for them. Importantly, direct consultation and advocacy can lead to positive policy changes.

We do not often engage with young people at this level. Organisations and researchers who want to consult with children and young people in care encounter a minefield of bureaucracy, potentially limiting children and young people’s input to processes. Giving young people the agency they need, will benefit the children and young people in out-of-home care and the services around them. The definition of success in the development of child protection policy should be based on how well it meets the needs of children and young people in care.

The question is – how do we ensure child protection policy and legislation includes the voices of the people who live and experience the system?

CREATE will lead a discussion with panel members about this question. This session will explore some of the successes and barriers experienced by different organisations regarding consultation and policy, and together we may learn how to overcome some of these barriers. This will be achieved through a facilitated conversation with a panel made up of young people and organisations. The session will be interactive and participation from the attendees will be encouraged.

Panel members: Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC), PeakCare, Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP), CREATE Young Consultants, TBC Agency representative