Children England (formerly the National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations) has produced a factsheet explaining why children, young people and 
families should be involved in the decision-making about services affecting them.
The 2-page document is very easy to read and understand and makes some important points about representation including the fact that representation costs and somebody needs to pay to make sure that it takes place effectively.
On the issue of what makes for good representation the document has the following to say:
“Representatives should reflect the breadth of the sector and be linked to established forums, networks, local VCS support organisations, alliances and umbrella organisations. They need to represent the views of the sector, not just the views of their own organisations, and they need to be bound by any collective decisions taken. There will also be times when organisations do not agree, and representatives will have to present several, differing points of view. Methods of ensuring accountability must be in place and should be reviewed and evaluated regularly.”
This is a useful short document that deserves a wider readership and will be useful reference for those currently reviewing representation at Blackpool’s Strategic Partnership. It can be downloaded from Why Factsheets – Children England or for convenience and wider local circulation can be viewed/downloaded here as a Scribd document.
“We’re not just customers, but creators of services” stated Nicole Burke, Chair of Blackpool Young People’s Council at the launch of Blackpool’s Sustainable Community Strategy today. Her comments referred to the role that young people were able to play in the town which was more than just being beneficiaries of regeneration. Her comments were warmly received by those attending the upbeat function at the De Vere Hotel.
