Participation in Wales: From Principles to Practice 

Children and young people have the right to be heard and to influence decisions that affect their lives but how effectively is that right being realised across Wales?

Our new report, Participation in Wales: From Principles to Practice, examines participation arrangements across all 22 local authorities in Wales. Drawing on engagement with local authorities, professionals and children and young people, it provides a national picture of how participation duties are being delivered in practice.

The report highlights examples of excellent and innovative practice, while also identifying key challenges around consistency, inclusion, accountability and resourcing. It concludes that while Wales has a strong legislative framework for participation, significant work is needed to ensure every child and young person can meaningfully influence decisions, regardless of where they live.

The report sets out a series of recommendations for Welsh Government, local authorities and partners to strengthen participation and ensure children’s voices lead to real change.

Read the full report to explore the findings, good practice examples and recommendations for strengthening children and young people’s participation across Wales.