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Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter January 2015
GLENELG SHIRE
COUNCIL YOUTH
CHARTER
Youth Charter
Part 1
March 2015
1 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ 2
Why focus on young people? ................................................................................................................. 4
Benefits of youth participation and engagement ................................................................................. 5
A ‘Whole of Council’ approach .............................................................................................................. 6
Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter: .................................................................................................... 7
What does it mean? ............................................................................................................................... 7
Guiding Principles: How we work with young people ...................................................................... 8
Commitment Statements: Putting the principles into action ......................................................... 10
Engaging ....................................................................................................................................... 10
Empowering .................................................................................................................................. 10
Valuing .......................................................................................................................................... 11
Putting the Youth Charter into Action ................................................................................................. 12
Prepared by Project Partnerships Community Development Planning and Research Christine Nunn Director M: 0418 106 199 E: [email protected]
2 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
Executive Summary
Support for young people's involvement in civic participation and decision-making has grown as
calls for participatory democracy have emerged from a range of state, national and international
sources such as the Commission for Children and Young People, peak organisations such as the
Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVIC), The Centre for Multicultural Youth, the Municipal
Association of Victoria (MAV), Victorian Government, World Health Organisation and the United
Nations, where Article 12 from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states “Every child
has the right to express his or her views and these views must be taken seriously.” The
translation of this principle into practice is critical for the successful involvement of young people
in civic participation.
In 2012 the Glenelg Shire Council was successful in obtaining a Victorian Government Rural and
Regional Youth Inclusion Grant to develop an integrated engagement plan for young people,
aged 12 to 25 years. This Plan aims to build the capacity of young people to actively engage in
civic participation and increase the opportunities for young people to have input into local
government planning, policies and programs.
Significant consultation was undertaken with young people. Key priorities identified by young
people included:
More effective communication
Improved access to information about opportunities for participation, how to access
services and supports when needed and their rights
Improved linkages between young people, agencies and organisations working with young
people and Council
Participation at all levels including being seen, heard, valued, involved in planning and
running activities and in decisions that impact on their lives
Input into use/access to public spaces and affordable entertainment and activities.
In response Council has to developed a Youth Charter and Action Plan.
The Youth Charter explains the Council’s commitment about what a young person can expect
from being involved with Glenelg Shire Council and the principles which guide the
implementation of each commitment.
The Action Plan demonstrates the actions required at a ‘whole of council’ level to support
increased participation and engagement of young people in decision making.
The Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter aims to put young people on the agenda for everyone at
Council. It will assist Council as an organisation to respond to the needs of young people in our
planning, policy, advocacy and service delivery.
The Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter is not a stand alone document. It is intrinsically linked
to Council’s mission and core values, Community Engagement Framework 2013 and the Glenelg
Shire Council Plan 2013-2017.
3 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
The conversations and processes which have informed the development of the Youth Charter
and Action Plan are:
Reviewing international and Australian research about effective youth participation and
engagement
Looking at national, state and local government thinking and policy directions
Consulting with 121 adults who work with young people from community groups, youth
service and education providers
Staff undertaking an on-line survey aimed at developing an understanding of the knowledge,
skills and understanding about the participation of young people in decision making (81
respondents)
Undertaking an audit of Council policies and strategies to assess the level of participation
and consideration of young people in their development
Discussions with six focus groups comprising 60 staff from across Council departments to
feedback information from the Youth Voices and Choices project, on-line survey and audit of
Council documents and gather input to the Action Plan
Holding a focus group with the Glenelg Youth Advisory Group to assist in the development
of Guiding Principles and Commitment Statements
Seeking feedback from young people on the draft Youth Charter via Facebook
Distribution of the on-line survey summary to all Glenelg Shire staff seeking feedback
Distribution of focus group reports to participants for further feedback.
The Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter and Action Plan will be regularly reviewed and evaluated for the impact it has on the level of participation and civic engagement by the diverse groups of young people in the Shire. It is also essential to undertake regular reviews to reflect Council’s and the community’s changing needs, priorities and demographics.
Refer to Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter Part 2: Background and Evidence Base for detailed outcomes
of the research and consultation process.
4 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
Why focus on young people?
Under the United Nation’s convention on the Rights
of the Child, all Australian young people are entitled
to have a say in decisions that affect their lives.
Young people are active citizens who have current
needs and strong opinions about their community
and this needs to be recognised by all levels of
governments, other organisations, and groups
within communities.
The focus on including young people in decision
making is not because they should have greater
influence than other groups within the community,
but rather adults often underestimate the skills of
young people or think they know what young
people want or need.
Glenelg Shire Council has an obligation to involve
young people in consultation and decision making.
The challenge is to do this in a meaningful way to
ensure that young people are not treated merely as
future citizens, but as current ones, and that they
are recognised as being interested in as wide a
range of issues as other community members. This
will guarantee that their roles in forming,
maintaining and reshaping their communities are
given due consideration.
“…if we don’t get
involved in the
community there
might not be a
community left in
such a small town”
Voices & Choices youth survey
response
“I would like to
know what’s going
on and help make
decisions”
Voices & Choices youth survey
response
“I feel more
confident coming
into the Council
building and
talking to staff
and I now know
who to talk to about
my ideas for the
Glenelg Shire and
for young people”
Bethany Bates, The Whitten
Project Young Leader 2014
5 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
Benefits of youth participation and engagement
By actively implementing the Youth Charter Glenelg Shire Council will provide leadership within
the community, as well as benefiting from:
More effective planning and decision making ensuring local responses are appropriate
through the injection of ideas, skills and passion
More inclusive public policy
Increased credibility of Council to both young people and advocates
More resilient, diverse, engaged communities
Retention and recruitment of young people in and to the community, including as
volunteers or employees of Council
Stronger relationships and understanding developed between younger and older people in
the community
Young people becoming active citizens in order to tackle social problems, act on
opportunities and help shape the future of the various communities, to which they belong
Inclusion and fairness being promoted for all sections of the population.
Young people will also benefit through:
Improved wellbeing if they are given power to participate in decision-making
A chance to develop their own skills in critical thinking, networking, problem solving and to
test these skills in real life situations
Learning more about other people and the community and individual and community
responsibilities
Strengthening their own stake in the community and their sense of connectedness
A sense of achievement and enjoyment in contributing to positive change
Caring adult relationships, supportive high expectations, and opportunities for meaningful
participation in decision-making, as these are associated with positive education, health and
mental health outcomes for young people.
Adapted from:
The Victorian Rural Youth Services, 2011, the extent and nature of young people’s participation in decision making in
local government in rural and regional Victoria: A discussion paper by the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria
Dr Jane Burns, Philippa Collin, Michelle Blanchard, Natasha De-Freitas & Sian Lloyd, 2008, Preventing Youth
Disengagement and Promoting Engagement for the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth
Roger Holdsworth, Helen Stokes, Michelle Blanchard, Nadia Mohamed, 2006, Civic Engagement and Young People In
The City Of Melbourne, Australian Youth Research Centre The University of Melbourne
6 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
A ‘Whole of Council’ approach
The work of every service area across Council
impacts on the young people of Glenelg Shire. For
example, the provision of public health services, the
management of sporting and recreation facilities,
and the planning and maintenance of public
infrastructure all impact on our young people.
All work areas of Council therefore have a role to
play in working with and supporting young people
who live, work and study in the Glenelg Shire and to
actively participate in decision-making.
Council recognises that young people are an
important part of the community and that listening
to, involving, celebrating and advocating with and
for young people is essential for a vibrant, inclusive
and sustainable community.
Council’s responsibility to support young people can
include:
Ensuring young people have a voice in decisions
affecting their lives
Delivering youth programs and activities
Facilitating the effective co-ordination of
services to young people in the Shire
Advocating for and with young people about
issues that affect them
Providing opportunites for volunteering and
employment.
The Youth Charter is Council’s commitment to a
whole-of-Council approach.
“We lack an attractive
space for young people
in our libraries. It
would be exciting to
design a space and
program with young
people”
Glenelg Shire Council
Focus Group
‘Young people and the
community are not
aware of the breadth of
services and activities
Council is involved in
– they don’t think of
council for work
experience or job
opportunities”
Glenelg Shire Council
Focus Group
“They (young people)
don’t necessarily have
their own experience of
Council, they are
influenced by parents
or teachers – we have
the opportunity to
influence positive
change by
implementing the
Youth Charter well”.
Glenelg Shire Council
Focus Group
7 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter:
What does it mean?
It is essential for everyone to understand the intent of the Glenelg Shire Council Youth
Charter and how it is to be implemented.
The purpose of the Youth Charter is to explain the commitment that we are willing to
make to young people and ensure an understanding of the expectations from being
involved with the Glenelg Shire Council. This will enable young people to:
Have their say
Be listened to
Influence potential outcomes
Understand the basis for decisions
Be treated with respect and dignity in decisions which affect their lives.
The Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter is made up of two components, Guiding
Principles and Commitment Statements.
The Guiding Principles are intended to guide adult behaviour and attitudes, and define
our steps when working with young people.
Guiding Principles govern action and:
Create a foundation to build better relationships with young people
Ensure that young people are included in Council decision-making
Provide common language and consistency
Assist decision-making which is founded on agreed beliefs and effective practice.
The Guiding Principles are to be applied to all circumstances, where input by young
people into decisions is relevant.
The Commitment Statements provide the tools and/or actions to improve and clarify
ethical practice, and set the standard and expectations of practice for working with
young people.
8 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
Guiding Principles: How we work with young people
Actions that build open, honest communication and
feedback include:
Accepting young people for who they are and valuing
their experience
Being clear about what Council can or can't offer
Explaining Council’s expectations of young people
Ensuring understanding about why it is important for
young people to be involved
Ensuring participants know how information they provide
will be used
Making sure that young people are aware of Council
processes, such as confidentiality, disclosure and OH&S.
Actions that build mutual respect and trust include:
Listening and seeking to understand young people’s point
of view
Acknowledging and correcting mistakes
Keeping promises and commitments and providing an
explanation, should these not be able to be met
Seeking clarification from young people, when unsure.
Actions that build an understanding of young people’s
aspirations, knowledge and skills include:
Acknowledging that young people are active and involved
in the community in many different ways including sport,
volunteering, arts, music and cultural activities, student
leadership activities, clubs and groups (e.g. youth,
religious, environmental)
Acknowledging that young people contribute to our
economy as employees, employers and entrepreneurs
Actively seeking the views of young people and valuing
them as a credible source of information
Creating partnerships with young people, which results in
a mutually beneficial relationship
Providing opportunities for young people to build their
skills and capacities.
RESPECT
between young
people and
Council is
MUTUAL
Young people have
ASPIRATIONS,
KNOWLEDGE and
SKILLS that benefit
the community
Enable OPEN and HONEST
COMMUNICATION & feedback which is
inclusive, non-discriminatory &
considerate of relevant aspects of culture &
language
9 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
Guiding Principles: how we work with young people
Actions that acknowledge and ensure understanding of the
diverse groups and needs of young people include:
Being aware that young people have complex, multi-
dimensional identities and avoiding stereotyping
Paying special attention to communities, groups and
individuals who experience disadvantage in accessing
services, activities, or opportunities to participate in
consultations due to their diverse circumstances and
needs
Using the terms “young people from a range of
backgrounds” or “young people with different life
experiences”
Using diverse consultation approaches that support the
inclusion of all groups of young people
Using interpreters and translated materials where
required
Presenting information and/or requests in age
appropriate and culturally sensitive ways
Building strong relationships with other services who can
assist in accessing and understanding different groups of
young people
Supporting the development of skills and strategies to
counteract any potential unfair treatment or inequality in
decision-making processes on the basis of gender,
culture, sexual preference, religious beliefs.
Actions that promote the participation of young people
include:
The involvement of young people in the initial planning
stages of a project/activity
Providing opportunities for membership of working, focus
or reference groups
Keeping young people informed through relevant social
and other media
Ensuring that current and pertinent information is
available for young people in relevant and appropriate
formats
Providing opportunity for reflection or feedback about
the implementation of a project/activity.
ACKNOWLEDGE
and understand
young people are a
DIVERSE group
within our
community
PARTICIPATION by
young people is
essential for a
STRONG
COMMUNITY
10 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
Commitment Statements: Putting the principles into action
The right conditions need to be in place before young people can be empowered and meaningfully participate in decision making processes.
Engaging Council must be proactive by encouraging and
facilitating young people to contribute and express
their views in ways they feel comfortable by:
Identifying the kinds of support (e.g. financial,
logistical, training, emotional) it will take to
involve young people in the project/activity
and identifying who will be responsible for
providing this support.
Ensuring consultation processes are appealing,
engaging and of value.
Valuing everyone’s contributions equally in
order to encourage shared decision making, as
well as effective communication and feedback.
Empowering Council will put empowering structures in place.
This means:
Using youth-friendly language, spaces and
tools e.g. café, skate park or social media
Providing opportunities to strengthen the
skills of young people so that they know how
to positively interact with peers, be
community advocates and understand
decision making processes
Providing sufficient information and resources
to enable young people to analyse the issues
that affect their lives
Ensuring appropriate communication styles
and reducing threats by avoiding physical
movements such as pointing, being aware of
tone, height and/or physical size
Using appropriate consultation processes to
engage diverse groups of young people
Reimbursing expenses or providing an
incentive for participation
Considering gender, cultural and religious
practices and geographic location.
Council will: * involve young people in
decision-making * Communicate with young
people using relevant and accessible methods
* Be open and honest about the level of influence young people have
* Create positive environments that encourage the inclusion
and participation of young people
* Recognise and encourage young people’s
contribution to the community
* Respond to the ideas and issues young people
present
Empowering
Council will: * Partner with young people and
work together on issues and priorities that are of interest to
young people * Build ongoing relationship with
young people
Engaging
11 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
Valuing Council acknowledges that “young people”
are many individuals with diverse skills and
interests. Council will support and celebrate
what young people have to offer the
community and encourage other
organisations and the community to take a
similar approach. This means:
Acknowledging the contribution of
young people to consultations and
decision making processes, for example
a thank-you letter or email,
acknowledgement in media release
Providing young people with
information about the outcomes of
consultation or decision making
processes they have been involved in
Providing opportunities for
volunteering, work experience, training
and employment
Looking beyond the traditional
approaches to acknowledging young
people (e.g. Australia Day awards)
Being open to supporting and seeking
input from diverse advisory groups of
young people
Encouraging other organisations to
adopt the principals of the Youth
Charter and to develop their own
commitment statements.
Council will: * Promote the achievements of
young people in the community
* Invest in developing the knowledge and
skills of young people
* Support and seek guidance from youth
advisory groups
“It’s important for
everyone to have a voice,
but young people often
have to shout to be heard.
Having a youth charter
and being a part of the
YAG means I know that
Council and the
community values what
youth have to say, so I can
be more confident in
raising issues and ideas”
Youth Advisory Group Member
Commitment Statements: putting the principles into action
Valuing
12 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
Putting the Youth Charter into Action
The following Action Plan demonstrates the actions required at a ‘whole of council’ level to
support increased participation and engagement of young people in decision making.
The following six key areas of focus have been identified. Each focus area has a number of tasks
and/or considerations that need to be applied when engaging young people.
1. Youth Charter Action Plan Implementation Process
2. Provide staff and Councillors with the knowledge, skills and tools to engage young people
effectively
3. Ensure awareness of the role of the Youth Development Officer
4. Provide the young people with an active and meaningful role in the Glenelg Shire Council
5. Identify the opportunities for youth engagement within each department and agree on
targets based on knowledge, skills and capacity over the implementation period
6. Ensure young people are aware of opportunities for engagement with Council.
It is important to note that while staff in focus groups identified specific actions their team could
take to increase the participation of young people, these have not been identified in this Action
Plan. This approach acknowledges that responsibility for engaging young people varies across
each service area, that the capacity of some teams is currently higher than others, both in terms
of skills and experience of working with young people, and the opportunities that may be
present in the service area. It is intended that the degree to which service areas and their teams
are actively engaging with young people will grow over time and will take into account the initial
ideas identified in the focus groups.
NB: Some tasks identified will be ongoing, the timeframe indicated below is for the expected
start.
LEDGEND: S: short term - within 6 months, M: medium term - 6 – 12 months, L: long term - >12 months
1. Youth Charter Action Plan Implementation Process
Responsibility S M L
Establish a ‘Whole of Council’ Youth Charter Implementation Committee with appropriate terms of reference.
Responsible Party: Youth Development Officer Other parties: One representative staff member with appropriate authority from each Council department
☒ ☐ ☐
Promote adoption of the Youth Charter and Action Plan by young people, the community and staff.
Responsible Party: Youth Development Officer Other parties: Implementation Committee members
☒ ☐ ☐
13 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
1. Youth Charter Action Plan Implementation Process
Responsibility S M L
Review implementation of the Youth Charter at least annually and report to Council and the community. Consider tools such as: Including “Youth Engagement” as a requirement
in Council Reports Surveying young people about their involvement
e.g. social media, vox pop Identifying key indicators to be measured e.g.
number of student placements, number of volunteers, number of young people involved in consultations.
Responsible Party: Youth Development Officer Other Parties: Implementation Committee Youth Advisory Group
☐ ☒ ☐
2. Provide staff and Councillors with the knowledge, skills and tools to engage young people effectively
Responsibility S M L
Develop a youth participation toolkit with the involvement of young people.
Responsible Party: Youth Development Officer Other parties: Youth Advisory Group Implementation Committee
☐ ☒ ☐
Provide professional development across the organisation about young people in the Glenelg Shire, youth participation and the role of the Youth Development Officer: All staff and councillors (one-off) Include in induction process for new staff Up-date professional development package every
two years to ensure tools are updated to reflect changes in technology and language and provide opportunity for learnings to be shared across the organisation.
Responsible Party: Youth Development Officer Other parties Youth Advisory Group Human Resources Team
☒ ☐ ☐
Embed youth participation practices into the wider council engagement framework and processes
Responsible Party: Group Managers Other parties Youth Development Officer
☐ ☒ ☐
Ensure all staff are up to date on current youth participation trends and tools, as well as promoting good practice examples.
Responsible Party: Implementation Committee Other parties: All staff, in particular Group Managers, Managers and Team Leaders
☒ ☐ ☐
14 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
3. Ensure awareness of the role of the Youth Development Officer role amongst young people, community, Council staff, Councillors and other organisations
Responsibility S M L
Review position description ensuring balance between direct service delivery activities and support role.
Responsible Party: Active Communities Manager Other parties: Youth Development Officer
☒ ☐ ☐
Promote awareness of the role of the Youth Development Officer across Council and the wider community via attendance at staff meeting, presentations to Senior Management Team and Council, features in Sou’ Wester and other means of communication.
Responsible Party: Implementation Committee Other Parties: Youth Development Officer Group Managers Managers Team Leaders
☐ ☒ ☐
Record internal requests for Youth Development Officer support.
Lead: Youth Development Officer
☒ ☐ ☐
4. Provide young people with an active and meaningful role in the Glenelg Shire Council
Responsibility S M L
Recruit broader range of membership to Youth Advisory Groups. Consider gender, Indigenous, young people with a disability, employment and education status, geographic location and other marginalized groups.
Responsible Party: Youth Development Officer Other parties: Youth Advisory Group
☒ ☐ ☐
Co-opt young people as appropriate, recognising that some will not be interested in a long term commitment but may have interest in a specific issue/project.
Responsible Party: Youth Development Officer Other participants: Implementation Committee Youth Advisory Group
☒ ☐ ☐
Provide access to leadership training, opportunities, mentoring and coaching.
Responsible Party: Youth Development Officer Other parties: Whole of Council
☐ ☒ ☐
Service areas and their teams report to and/or seek advice from diverse groups of young people when planning activities involving young people.
Responsible Party: Group Managers Other parties: Youth Development Officer Staff delegated by Group Managers
☒ ☐ ☐
Councillors attend Youth Advisory Groups where appropriate.
Responsible Party: Youth Development Officer Other parties: Youth Advisory Group Councillors
☐ ☒ ☐
Youth Advisory Groups present a report to Council at least annually.
Responsible Party: Youth Development Officer Other parties: Youth Advisory Group
☒ ☐ ☐
15 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
5. Identify the opportunities and agree on targets for youth engagement and participation within each Glenelg Shire Council department
Responsibility S M L
Consultations: Youth specific issues Community-wide issues o Statutory o Council Policy / Strategy Development Representation on reference groups or project
advisory groups where appropriate Identify existing Youth Advisory Groups/groups
of young people that may require specific engagement approaches
Require and support external consultants to engage with young people where appropriate.
Responsible Party: Implementation Committee Other parties: Youth Development Officer Youth Advisory Group Group Managers and/or delegated staff
☒ ☐ ☐
Activities and/or projects Proposals by young people Development of joint projects in response to
funding or potential funding Events including: youth specific, one-off/annual,
community wide, location/area specific, interest based (e.g. arts, environment).
Responsible Party: Implementation Committee Other parties: Youth Development Officer Youth Advisory Group Group Managers and/or delegated staff
☐ ☒ ☐
Support trainee, apprentice and cadet program opportunities: Evaluate Council policy and procedures including
budget allocations, identified positions Promote awareness of opportunities to young
people, education and employment providers Review implementation annually and identify
future opportunities Consider appointment of a trainee, apprentice or
cadet when positions become vacant, in particular entry level positions.
Responsible Party: Human Resources Manager Other parties: Youth Development Officer Implementation Committee OH&S Officer Group Managers and/or delegated staff
☐ ☐ ☒
Student placements, work experience and holiday placements – secondary school, TAFE, universities and other education providers Evaluate Council policies and procedures using
best practice by Glenelg Shire Council departments and other similar local governments
Promote opportunities to young people, the community and education providers
Develop student placement and work experience plan to ensure the experience is beneficial to all parties
Review implementation annually.
Responsible Party: Human Resources Manager Other parties: Youth Development Officer Implementation Committee OH&S Officer Group Managers and/or delegated staff
☐ ☒ ☐
16 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
5. Identify the opportunities and agree on targets for youth engagement and participation within each Glenelg Shire Council department
Responsibility S M L
Volunteering Evaluate Council policies and procedures for
engaging young people (12-25 years) as volunteers
Provide induction for each volunteer: roles and responsibilities of parties.
Promote opportunities to young people Review implementation annually.
Responsible Party: Volunteer Officer Community Development Other parties: Youth Development Officer OH&S Officer Group Managers and/or delegated staff
☐ ☒ ☐
6. Ensure young people are aware of opportunities for engagement with Council
Responsibility S M L
Promote Youth Charter to young people via: Social media, other appropriate media Events Presentations at groups Glenelg Shire youth web page Glenelg Shire youth Facebook page Youth Advisory Group.
Responsible Party: Youth Development Officer Other parties: Youth Advisory Group Media & Communications Officer
☒ ☐ ☐
Provide examples of the specific commitments each department has identified on a regular (e.g. quarterly) basis using appropriate mediums.
Responsible Party: Implementation Committee Other parties: Youth Development Officer Media & Communications Officer Group Managers and/or their delegate
☒ ☐ ☐
Promote opportunities for input into decision-making processes by young people in a timely manner.
Responsible Party: Youth Development Officer Media Officer Other parties: Group Managers Managers Team Leaders
☒ ☐ ☐
Provide feedback to young people and the community about the level of participation, the opportunities that were provided and what Council and the participants learned from each experience.
Responsible Party: Staff responsible for engaging young people in specific activities, in particular: Group Managers Managers Team Leaders Youth Development Officer Other parties: Media Officer
☒ ☐ ☐
17 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
Acknowledgements
The Glenelg Shire Council would like to thank the many individuals and organisations that gave
their time, energy and knowledge to guide and inform the development of The Glenelg Shire
Council Youth Charter.
In particular, we would like to acknowledge: the many wonderful young people who attended
focus groups and forums as part of the “Voices and Choices” project which resulted in the
initiation of the Youth Charter Project. These young people along with the young people on the
Glenelg Shire Youth Advisory Group were full of energy and ideas and helped keep the project
grounded in reality through their straightforward and honest comments.
The contributions of staff across all departments were also essential in developing the Youth
Charter and Action Plan. This includes those staff who completed the on-line survey, attended
focus groups and provided feedback on the record of the focus group sessions.
Support from all levels has been essential to the development of the Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter which will now guide Council in its endeavours to facilitate and support the development of a community in which young people actively participate and feel valued and included.
18 | P a g e Glenelg Shire Council Youth Charter March 2015
ENGAGING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IS MORE THAN A ONE-
OFF EVENT —
IT INVOLVES SUSTAINED ACTIVITY OVER TIME.
WHAT OCCURS BEFORE AND AFTER AN ENGAGEMENT
EVENT IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE EVENT ITSELF.
Pauline Harris, University of South Australia 2013