- Youth Action Plan

The importance of young people participating

In a Youth Advisory Council survey of over 2,000 young people across NSW, more than half of the respondents said they would like to have a say in decision-making at the place where they study and in the ways that services are provided to young people in their local area.

More than half of the respondents also identified they would like to let government know about the things that are important to them. These findings clearly indicate young people want to participate and have a say on important issues.

Providing opportunities for young people to participate in Government policy, programs and services that affect them is an important aspect of a representative and democratic society.

The NSW Government recognises best practice principles in youth participation. We aim to:

recognise young people’s rights to participate in developing Government policy, programs and services that impact upon them
promote respect by listening to young people’s views and taking them seriously
build and maintain strong relationships with the young people we consult with
provide young people with appropriate and timely information on Government processes
build on young people’s knowledge and skills
recognise young people’s different situations and backgrounds, particularly those:

from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Island backgrounds
from culturally diverse backgrounds
with disabilities
in out-of-home care
from vulnerable or marginalised groups

organise participation processes that take into account the needs of young people , such as training and transport
encourage young people to provide feedback on the effectiveness of participation processes.

Young people have legal rights under the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 to take part in decisions that specifically impact on their lives. These rights have also been highlighted in the NSW Interagency Guidelines for Child Protection Intervention 2006 – a document that outlines the child protection responsibilities of different government and non-government agencies.