Engaging young people in local democracy

Client: LGA

Local Government Analysis and Research (LGAR) commissioned a qualitative study of good practice at the local authority level in engaging children and young people in local democracy. The research took place in the two months leading up to Local Democracy Week 2006 (16th-20th October 2006).

About the study

The research was carried out in collaboration with the National Youth Agency and involved visits to five case study local authorities where interviews were undertaken with councillors, managers and strategists, youth practitioners and young people. The findings from these case studies have, alongside a range of other existing evidence, been analysed to provide eight key considerations for those involved in engaging young people in local democracy.

Purpose and aims

• To explore what local authorities are doing to engage children and young people.
• To investigate the challenges faced by local authorities in the engagement of children and young people.
• To identify evidence of good practice at two levels:
  1. in the engagement of children and young people
  2. in overcoming challenges to engagement activities and processes.

Research questions

The research included questions on:

• the specific activities and processes that have been developed to engage children and young people at the local authority level
• any challenges faced by local authorities in the engagement of young people
• what is working: how far the activities and processes have resulted in the genuine engagement of young people which is built into local authority practice at a range of levels and is not just bolted on.

Timescale: August 2006 - May 2007

NFER Project Code: LDW