Participation and co-production best practice

Delivering a participation session

Be prepared and be ready in good time for attendees arriving in person or joining online
Check your back-up or contingency plans are ready to go if needed. Be open-minded and prepared to divert from your plan
Remind attendees of housekeeping plans for the session. For example, to make this session run well we are waving hands instead of clapping
Explain how participation can change things

Give yourself plenty of time. Try to stick to timings knowing some young people will expect you to
If anything looks like it is changing, let the attendees know
Take your time and speak slowly. Pause regularly when speaking. Repeat things if needed to make sure children and young people (CYP) understand
Be patient and be aware that everyone works at their own pace. Allow CYP time to understand, think and to process responses to questions/instructions

Give clear instructions and adapt these as needed. Don't use jargon
Give choices when possible
Ask CYP to explain things back to you after going over a new concept
Break new information down into chunks, otherwise it can be too much
Consider having additional creative activities to give children and young people a break
Always listen to the young person about what they want and need in terms of support
Be positive to build self-esteem
Respond to and praise appropriate behaviour
Ignore, as far as possible, attention-seeking behaviour

Explain what will happen next and how attendees' feedback will be shared with others. Telling people what happens with their feedback is very important
Ask attendees how they want to hear about what has happened because of their participation. Do they want an email, phone call, to meet in-person or online?
Circulate or send out an accessible evaluation form for participants to complete
Consider how future sessions could be improved and what worked well