Young People's Participation in Decisions Affecting Their Welfare

Abstract

This article focuses on young people and participation, drawing on a study of the Scottish Children's Hearings system, titled Deciding in Children's Interests, which was conducted at the University of Stirling between 1994 and 1997. It notes the surprising paucity of recent research on the hearings system, given that it was one of the earliest examples of young people systematically participating in decisions affecting them in a child welfare context. The authors consider several dimensions of participation in relation to the hearings system and other decision-making arenas. They suggest that participation rights may have become a reality more for young people involved in welfare systems than for other young people in the UK.