Working with children and young people

The children's workforce

The children's workforce includes everyone who works, whether paid or unpaid, with children and young people and their parents and carers on a full-time or part-time basis.

Everyone who works with children or young people should be:

• ambitious for every child and young person
• excellent in their practice
• committed to partnership and integrated working
• respected and valued as professionals 

Engaging with children and young people

It is essential that the Croydon children and families partnership board encourages children and young people to give their views on the services and facilities that directly affect them.

We actively encourage children and young people to engage with the partnership board, and its support organisations, so we can design services and facilities that are responsive to their ambitions, aspirations and needs.

You should:

• regularly consult with young people on priorities, changes to services and significant issues
• regularly assess the impact of young people’s involvement to ensure that your policies and services are making a difference to young people’s lives
• draw on good practice in settings and organisations other than your own
• ensure communications includes: regular publication of priorities and achievements, web-site regularly updated with interactive consultation opportunities, creative and appropriate use of social media (Twitter, Facebook)
• set timescales including a date by which you wish to review progress
• ensure there is clear vision and purpose which is understood by all involved, including who will do what
• ensure that the involvement of children and young person is meaningful
• provide feedback to the participants on the outcomes of your engagement activity
• involve young people in the recruitment process

Download further guidance

Further tips on how to engage with young people can be found in:

• Brilliant basics of how to successfully engage children and young people guide (PDF, 322KB)
• Brilliant basics involvement of CYP in recruitment process guide (PDF, 324K)

Get involved

There are lots of ways in which children and young people can get involved for more information visit the Young Croydon website.