INSIGHT-TO-INFLUENCE / FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Your perspective has value.
You deserve to know what happens next.
Practical guidance for youth councils, advisory groups, consultations, panels and other spaces where young people's views and experiences are invited.
Find out what you can expect, how to ask questions, what meaningful influence looks like and what you can do when something doesn't feel right.
Written for young people. Also useful for parents, carers and professionals supporting participation.
EXPLORE THIS PAGE
Find the guidance you need.
Whether you're preparing to take part, looking for answers or trying to understand what happened after sharing your views, you don't have to work through everything in order. Use the links below to jump straight to the guidance, practical tools and resources most useful to you.
FIND YOUR STARTING POINT
What would you like help with?
Not sure where to begin? Explore six common questions about youth participation and find the guidance most relevant to your situation.
BEFORE YOU JOIN
Know what you're being invited into
Use a practical checklist to understand an opportunity, identify anything that's unclear and prepare questions before agreeing to take part.
RECOGNISING TOKENISM
Being present isn't always the same as having influence
Learn about different forms of tokenism, recognise potential warning signs and explore questions that help you understand whether your views are being taken seriously.
PROTECTING YOUR VOICE
When something doesn't feel right
Explore concerns about how your words, experiences or involvement have been handled, including ways to ask questions, set boundaries and seek support.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION
Different ways to contribute
Discover how speaking, writing, creative activities and other approaches can help you share your perspective in a way that works for you.
UNDERSTANDING DECISIONS
Why hasn't an idea happened yet?
Explore why ideas sometimes face delays, need further approval or cannot be taken forward, and what you can reasonably ask about the decision.
AFTER YOU PARTICIPATE
You can ask what happened next
Find out what meaningful feedback should look like and copy friendly messages to ask organisations what happened after you shared your views.
RESOURCES & GUIDANCE
Explore the full resource library
Access YOUTHOOD's downloadable guidance on youth participation, decision-making, meaningful influence, tokenism and protecting your voice.
Find the guidance you need
What Would You Like Help With?
You don't need to have everything figured out before taking part.
Whether you're thinking about joining a youth panel, preparing for your first discussion, trying to understand how decisions are made or wondering what happened to an idea you shared, there are questions you can ask and things you should know. We've brought together six starting points to help you explore youth participation at your own pace. Choose whichever situation feels most relevant to you, then explore the practical guidance and other resources throughout this page.
Knowing your value
What you should know
Things you can try
You don't need to read everything in order or know all the answers before taking part. Choose what's useful to you, ask questions when you need to, and explore the more detailed guidance throughout this page.
Finding your way to participate
Different Ways to Contribute.
There's no single right way to have your voice heard.
Sharing your views doesn't always mean speaking in front of a room, telling a personal story or responding to questions on the spot. You might prefer to write, work with a smaller group, use a creative activity or take time to reflect afterwards. Different approaches can help different people communicate their experiences, questions and ideas. Explore five ways of contributing below, including phrases you can use to ask for an approach that works for you and what organisations should do to support meaningful participation.
There is no requirement to share a powerful personal story.
Your value should never depend on how much pain you are prepared to disclose. Your experiences are yours to share, or not share, with clear boundaries and appropriate support.
Speaking & discussing
What this can look like
Something you could say
These aren't five boxes you need to fit into. You might use several ways of contributing, depending on the day, the subject and the space. What matters is that your insight can be understood and considered appropriately, not how confidently or publicly you express it.
Understanding the invitation
Before You Say Yes.
Know what you're agreeing to, and what you can ask before deciding.
Being invited to join a youth panel, consultation, project or other participation opportunity can be exciting. But an invitation shouldn't leave you guessing about what's expected, what you can influence or how your contribution might be used. Work through ten questions to see what you already understand and what you might want to clarify. Your answers will help you build a personalised list of questions to ask the organisation before deciding whether to take part.
There's no pass or fail here. Not knowing an answer simply means you may want more information.
What do your answers tell you?
Start answering the checklist to build a picture of what you know about this opportunity.
Based on your answers, these are some things you may want to clarify with the organisation.
You've selected “Yes” for each question you've answered. You can still ask for more detail, check information or change your mind about taking part.
You don't have to agree to join simply because you've been invited. You can ask for more information, discuss what support you need, take time to decide or choose not to participate.
This checklist helps you reflect; it doesn't certify whether a particular organisation or opportunity is safe or meaningful. An organisation remains responsible for explaining its arrangements and meeting its own obligations.
Taking part on your terms
Contribute in a Way That Works for You.
There's more than one way to participate, and you don't need to have all the answers.
Taking part in a youth discussion, consultation or decision-making activity can feel exciting, unfamiliar or sometimes a little overwhelming. You might have questions about what to expect, want more time to think or prefer to contribute in a different way. That's okay. Meaningful participation should support different ways of communicating, respect your personal boundaries and help you understand what happens afterwards. Explore the three stages below for practical things you can do, questions you might ask and what organisations should be doing to support you.
Before the session
Ask what the discussion is about, whether preparation is expected and who will be present.
You should be able to participate without leaving your questions or boundaries at the door.
You can ask for clarification, take time to consider something and decide what you feel comfortable contributing. Organisations are responsible for creating an accessible, respectful and supported participation experience before, during and after the activity.
Understanding decisions and delays
Why Hasn't an Idea Happened Yet?
An idea not happening straight away doesn't mean it wasn't heard. But you deserve to understand why.
You've shared an idea, made a recommendation or suggested something that could improve the experiences of young people. But perhaps nothing has changed, or you've been told it can't happen right now. There can be legitimate reasons why organisations need more time, further approval or additional resources before acting. Sometimes they may decide not to take an idea forward at all. What matters is that those decisions are explained, and young people aren't left wondering what happened to their contribution. Explore six common situations below to understand what might be happening and what you can reasonably ask.
It needs funding
An organisation might support an idea but not have the money or resources available to make it happen yet.
What might be happening?
Some proposals require funding for staff, spaces, equipment, transport, accessibility support or ongoing services. That funding may need to be approved, raised or requested from another organisation.
Sometimes an idea can begin on a smaller scale. Other times, it cannot responsibly proceed without sufficient resources.
What the organisation should explain
What resources are missing, whether funding might become available, who is responsible for exploring it and whether the proposal will be revisited.
Questions you could ask
- What would it cost to make this happen?
- Is the organisation exploring funding for it?
- Could part of the idea be tested first?
- Will our recommendation be kept for a future funding opportunity?
- When will we know whether it can proceed?
Not funded yet doesn't necessarily mean not valued. But an organisation should not use a lack of funding as a vague answer without explaining what has been considered and what happens next.
It needs approval
The people running a discussion or youth group may support your idea without having the authority to approve it.
What might be happening?
A proposal may affect an organisation's budget, strategy, staffing, services or long-term responsibilities. It might need approval from a senior manager, leadership team, board, trustees or another decision-making body.
That isn't automatically a barrier to influence. The important question is whether someone has a responsibility to take the idea to the appropriate decision-maker.
What the organisation should explain
Who holds the relevant authority, how the recommendation will be presented, when a decision is expected and how young people will receive a response.
Questions you could ask
- Who has the authority to approve this?
- Will our proposal be put before them?
- Who is responsible for taking it forward?
- Can young people help explain the recommendation?
- When and how will we hear the decision?
Being listened to and reaching the people who can decide are not always the same thing. A meaningful process needs a route between the two.
It needs a safeguarding review
Some ideas need more consideration because they involve people's safety, wellbeing, privacy or protection.
What might be happening?
A proposal involving personal stories, mentoring, private messaging, residential activities, sensitive subjects or working with children may require safeguarding arrangements and risk assessment.
These processes can help make an idea safer. They should not automatically be used to dismiss young people's suggestions or exclude young people from understanding the decision.
What the organisation should explain
What safeguarding issue needs addressing, what alternatives could be explored, who is reviewing it and what can be shared about the outcome without exposing confidential information.
Questions you could ask
- What specific safeguarding concern needs reviewing?
- Could the idea be adapted to manage the risk?
- Who is responsible for the review?
- What information can you share with us?
- When will we hear whether a safe approach is possible?
Protection should support responsible participation, not become an unexplained reason to silence ideas. Some restrictions may be necessary, but the organisation should explain them appropriately.
It needs legal or policy checks
Some ideas involve rules or responsibilities that an organisation must consider before making changes.
What might be happening?
An activity may need checks relating to consent, data protection, equality, confidentiality, contracts, safety or existing organisational policies.
For example, a proposal to publish young people's stories may need careful permission and privacy arrangements. A new service or activity might require policy changes or other approvals.
What the organisation should explain
Which requirements are relevant, whether the idea conflicts with them or simply needs further work, and whether an alternative approach could achieve the original purpose.
Questions you could ask
- Which rule, policy or requirement affects this idea?
- Does it prevent the idea, or does it require additional checks?
- Could the proposal be adapted?
- Who is reviewing these requirements?
- Can you explain the outcome in accessible language?
“The rules won't allow it” should not be used as a catch-all explanation. Young people deserve a clear account of the relevant constraints, without being expected to become legal experts.
Other organisations need to agree
Your idea may involve decisions or resources that the organisation you're speaking to doesn't control by itself.
What might be happening?
A school may need agreement from a local authority, a charity might depend on a health service, or a community project might need the cooperation of several organisations.
When responsibility is shared, ideas may need discussion across partners. But that shouldn't mean everyone assumes somebody else will respond.
What the organisation should explain
Which other organisations are involved, what each can decide, who will contact them and how young people will be updated about the response.
Questions you could ask
- Which organisations would need to agree?
- Who is responsible for contacting them?
- What part of the idea can your organisation act on?
- Will our original recommendation be shared accurately?
- Who will tell us what the partners decide?
Shared responsibility shouldn't mean no responsibility. Even where another organisation makes the final decision, the original participation process should have a clear route for transferring insight and seeking a response.
It wasn't taken forward
A meaningful participation process doesn't guarantee every proposal will be agreed. It does require an accountable response.
What might be happening?
Decision-makers may disagree with a proposal, prioritise another approach or conclude that it cannot be delivered under current circumstances. Different young people may also have offered conflicting recommendations.
A decision not to adopt an idea is not necessarily evidence of tokenism. What matters is whether the idea was genuinely considered and whether the reasoning can be explained.
What the organisation should explain
Who considered the proposal, what reasoning informed the decision, whether anything was changed or learned, and whether the idea could be reviewed in future.
Questions you could ask
- Who considered our recommendation?
- What were the main reasons for the decision?
- Were alternative approaches considered?
- Did our insight influence anything, even if the idea wasn't adopted?
- Could this be reconsidered later?
Influence isn't the same as always getting the answer you hoped for. But meaningful influence should be traceable: the organisation should be able to explain how young people's insight was considered and what followed.
An idea may need funding, approval, further review or agreement from others. It may also be considered and not adopted. These situations can be legitimate, but young people shouldn't be left guessing.
You can reasonably ask who is responsible, what has happened, what comes next and when you'll hear back. Making those routes clear is an organisational responsibility, not something young people should have to work out alone.
Understanding meaningful participation
Being Present Isn't Always the Same as Having Influence.
Being invited to participate is only part of the story. What happens to your contribution matters just as much.
Youth participation can create opportunities for young people to share experiences, challenge assumptions and help shape decisions. But being invited into a room, joining a panel or appearing in a report does not automatically mean that young people have influence. Sometimes participation is deliberately presented as more meaningful than it is. In other situations, organisations have good intentions but the systems around participation fail. Explore three forms of tokenism and 17 warning signs to understand where participation can break down, and what questions young people can reasonably ask.
Intentional tokenism
An organisation deliberately uses young people's presence, experiences or identity to appear inclusive or youth-led without intending to provide meaningful influence.
What this can look like
Young people might be invited to publicly support plans that have already been decided, appear in promotional materials or attend meetings where challenging the organisation isn't genuinely welcomed.
A defining concern is the difference between what the organisation claims about young people's influence and what it actually intended or allowed.
Questions worth asking
- Which decisions were still open when young people joined?
- What could we genuinely change or challenge?
- Why is the work being described as youth-led?
- Can the organisation show how our views influenced the work?
- Were disagreements or critical contributions included?
Publicity, branding or inviting young people to an event does not automatically prove intentional tokenism. Deliberate intent should not be assumed from appearances alone. The questions above help clarify the actual opportunities for influence.
Unintentional tokenism
An organisation may sincerely want to involve young people but lack the preparation, decision-making routes or accountability needed to make participation meaningful.
What this can look like
Staff may create an enthusiastic youth panel but forget to agree how recommendations will reach decision-makers. Young people may contribute thoughtfully, while no one knows who should respond or provide feedback.
Good intentions can be a starting point, but they cannot replace adequate planning, meaningful support and responsible follow-through.
Questions worth asking
- Was there a plan for how our contributions would be used?
- Who is responsible for taking recommendations forward?
- What preparation and support should have been offered?
- What will change in the participation process next time?
- How will we receive an accountable response now?
An organisation can care about youth participation and still create a process that doesn't work. Improving practice means addressing the systems around participation, not simply asking young people to contribute more confidently.
Reception-stage tokenism
Youth insight is gathered, protected and transferred appropriately, but the organisation or decision-maker receiving it fails to meaningfully consider or respond to it.
What this can look like
A youth council might produce thoughtful recommendations and its host organisation might carefully prepare a report. But the authority receiving that report may fail to engage with its findings or explain what it has decided.
This shows why the quality of a workshop, consultation or report alone doesn't demonstrate that insight has influenced a decision.
Questions worth asking
- Which organisation received our recommendations?
- Who was responsible for considering them?
- Has the receiving organisation provided a response?
- What does that response say about our ideas?
- Who will follow up if no response has been received?
Young people's insight can be gathered well and still encounter a barrier further along the decision-making journey. Accountability must extend beyond the room where young people originally contributed.
Where might participation be breaking down?
The three forms describe different ways tokenism can occur. YOUTHOOD also identifies more specific risks across the participation process. Expand any topic below to explore a warning sign and a question worth asking.
01 Purpose tokenism
What to look for: Young people are invited without a clear or honest explanation of why their insight is needed.
Ask: What is this participation opportunity intended to influence, and why are young people's perspectives needed?
02 Power tokenism
What to look for: The group is described as youth-led, but important decisions were made elsewhere and young people cannot meaningfully challenge them.
Ask: Which decisions can we shape, which are reserved to others and how will those boundaries be explained?
03 Preparation tokenism
What to look for: Young people receive limited information, unclear expectations or insufficient support to contribute on an informed basis.
Ask: What information, preparation and accessibility support can be provided before we participate?
04 System literacy tokenism
What to look for: Young people are asked to propose solutions without being helped to understand who decides, what constraints exist or how the system operates.
Ask: Can you explain how this decision is made, what can change and who is responsible for taking our ideas forward?
05 Expression tokenism
What to look for: Young people can speak but difficult contributions are redirected, adults dominate the discussion or no one engages with the substance of what was said.
Ask: How will our different perspectives be explored and responded to, including views that challenge existing plans?
06 Understanding tokenism
What to look for: Contributions are interpreted through adult assumptions, inconvenient findings are softened or disagreement between young people disappears.
Ask: How will you check that the final interpretation reflects what young people actually meant?
07 Protection tokenism
What to look for: Young people's stories, identities, consent, privacy or the context of their contributions are not adequately protected.
Ask: Who can access my contribution, how might it be shared and what protection or correction arrangements apply?
08 Translation tokenism
What to look for: Insight changes meaning when converted into recommendations, summaries, reports or professional language.
Ask: How are our original points being turned into recommendations, and how will important meaning or disagreement be preserved?
09 Transfer tokenism
What to look for: Contributions are collected and summarised but have no clear route to the people or institutions who can respond.
Ask: Where will our recommendations go, who will receive them and who is responsible for that transfer?
10 Reception-stage tokenism
What to look for: The receiving decision-maker or institution fails to engage meaningfully with insight that was properly transferred.
Ask: Has the receiving organisation considered our recommendations, and how can we see its response?
11 Action tokenism
What to look for: An organisation describes itself as responding to young people, but its actions are symbolic, disconnected from the issues raised or not adequately explained.
Ask: What action followed our recommendations, and how does that action address what we actually raised?
12 Influence-claim tokenism
What to look for: The organisation claims that young people shaped or led a change without being able to show the connection between their insight and what happened.
Ask: What specifically changed because of young people's contributions, and what evidence supports that claim?
13 Feedback tokenism
What to look for: Young people receive little more than thanks, vague updates or announcements that don't explain what happened to their ideas.
Ask: Who considered our contributions, what happened, what couldn't be taken forward and what comes next?
14 Representation tokenism
What to look for: One young person or a small group is presented as speaking for all young people, without acknowledging differences or the limits of representation.
Ask: Whose perspectives are missing, and how will the organisation avoid treating one experience as universal?
15 Extractive participation
What to look for: Young people are repeatedly asked to give time, personal experiences or emotional labour while receiving limited support, protection or accountable response.
Ask: How is our time and experience being respected, what support is available and what will we receive in return in terms of feedback and accountability?
16 Language tokenism
What to look for: Terms such as youth-led, co-produced, consultation and influence are used without explaining what they mean in practice.
Ask: When you describe this as youth-led or co-produced, what actual decisions can young people shape?
17 Sustainability tokenism
What to look for: Participation is treated as a one-off activity with no realistic arrangements for continuity, follow-up, learning or responding to future developments.
Ask: What happens after this activity, and how will the organisation maintain accountability to young people over time?
What happened to the insight?
A welcoming room, a successful event or a photograph of young people participating doesn't, by itself, demonstrate meaningful influence. Look at what young people were invited to shape, how their contributions were handled, who considered them, what happened next and what feedback was given.
A warning sign is a reason to ask questions, not an automatic verdict. Several risks can overlap, and addressing them requires organisational responsibility rather than asking young people to fix the process alone.
After you've had your say
You Can Ask What Happened Next.
Your contribution shouldn't disappear when the activity ends.
You've attended the meeting, shared your experiences or offered your ideas. But what happens afterwards? Sometimes organisations need time to consider recommendations, reach decisions or work with other people before something changes. Even so, you deserve to understand what happened to your contribution. Explore five situations below to see what you can reasonably ask, what a helpful response could look like and messages you can copy and personalise.
I haven't heard anything.
You gave your time and shared your views, but the process seems to have gone quiet. It's reasonable to ask for an update.
What you should know
There may still be work happening after a participation activity, such as reviewing findings, preparing recommendations or waiting for decisions.
But an organisation should explain the expected next steps and provide updates where possible, rather than leaving young people unsure indefinitely.
Questions worth asking
- Has anything happened since the session?
- Who is working on the next steps?
- When should we expect feedback?
- How will young people receive that feedback?
You can paste this into WhatsApp, a text, email or another messaging app, then change the wording to suit you.
The organisation explains what's happened so far, what still needs to happen, who's responsible and when another update can reasonably be expected.
They said thanks, but that's all.
Being thanked for participating is positive, but you may still need an explanation of how your contributions were considered.
What you should know
Feedback should help young people understand more than whether the organisation appreciated their time.
It should explain what was heard, what decisions or learning followed, and whether young people's insight influenced anything.
Questions worth asking
- What were the main findings from our contributions?
- Which decisions were informed by our views?
- What changed or was reconsidered?
- What couldn't be taken forward, and why?
You can paste this into WhatsApp, a text, email or another messaging app, then change the wording to suit you.
A response describes how the contributions were considered and identifies resulting actions, decisions, learning or reasons why something hasn't changed.
Our idea didn't go ahead.
A proposal doesn't have to be adopted for participation to have been meaningful. But young people should understand why a decision was made.
What you should know
An organisation may decide against a recommendation because of funding, legal duties, safeguarding, competing priorities or a different view of the available evidence.
Those reasons should be explained in accessible language. Young people can also ask whether an alternative was considered or whether the idea might be revisited.
Questions worth asking
- Who considered the recommendation?
- What were the main reasons for the decision?
- Were any alternatives explored?
- Did our contribution influence something else?
- Could the idea be revisited in future?
You can paste this into WhatsApp, a text, email or another messaging app, then change the wording to suit you.
The organisation explains the decision, who made it, the relevant reasons and whether anything was learned, changed or may be reconsidered later.
I don't know where our views went.
The person who listened to your contribution may not be the person who can make the relevant decision. It's reasonable to ask how your insight travelled.
What you should know
A youth worker, facilitator or participation officer may collect insight and then need to pass it to managers, a governing body, another service or an external decision-maker.
A meaningful process should explain that route and provide accountability for how insight is transferred and received.
Questions worth asking
- Who received our views and recommendations?
- How were they shared?
- Were our original points represented accurately?
- Has the decision-maker responded?
- Who is responsible for following up?
You can paste this into WhatsApp, a text, email or another messaging app, then change the wording to suit you.
The organisation identifies who received the insight, the purpose of sharing it, whether it has been considered and who is responsible for seeking a response.
I'd like another update.
Perhaps you received an initial response, but the organisation said the work would continue. You can ask what progress has been made since then.
What you should know
Changes can take time, particularly when several organisations, budgets or decision-making processes are involved.
But an organisation should try to keep young people informed about meaningful progress, delays or changes to previously communicated plans.
Questions worth asking
- What progress has been made since the last update?
- Have any plans or timescales changed?
- What is still outstanding?
- Who is responsible for the next step?
- When would another update be useful?
You can paste this into WhatsApp, a text, email or another messaging app, then change the wording to suit you.
The organisation gives a clear progress update, explains any delays or changed plans, and identifies when further information may become available.
You shouldn't have to chase an organisation endlessly to understand what happened after you contributed. Providing meaningful feedback is part of the organisation's responsibility.
Asking what happened isn't demanding a particular decision. It's asking for clarity about how your time, ideas and experiences were considered.
Your participation. Your wellbeing.
When Something Doesn't Feel Right.
You can ask questions, raise concerns and set boundaries.
Taking part in youth participation should be a meaningful and respectful experience. But sometimes something might leave you confused, uncomfortable or unsure whether you've been treated fairly. Whether it's how your words were used, a concern that wasn't taken seriously or something affecting your wellbeing, you deserve to know what you can do next. Explore six situations below, including questions you can ask and messages you can adapt to raise a concern.
My words were misrepresented.
You may recognise your contribution in a report, post or discussion, but feel that its meaning has changed.
What might be concerning?
Your words may have been shortened, taken out of context, oversimplified or presented as meaning something you didn't intend.
Sometimes this happens through misunderstanding. Sometimes it reflects a wider problem in how an organisation interprets or presents youth insight.
Questions you can ask
- Where has my contribution been used?
- Can I see the original and final wording?
- How was this interpretation reached?
- Can inaccurate wording be corrected or clarified?
- Who will confirm what happens next?
Listening to your concern, reviewing the wording, explaining how it was interpreted, correcting inaccuracies where appropriate and telling you what action was taken.
A friendly starting point. You can adapt it to suit the situation.
Paste into WhatsApp, text or email and personalise it.
My story or image was shared.
You may have found your name, photo, quote or personal experience being used somewhere you didn't expect.
What might be concerning?
Information from a participation activity might be used in reports, social media, presentations or promotional materials. You should be given clear information about relevant consent and privacy arrangements.
If something has been shared unexpectedly, you can ask what permission or other lawful basis was relied upon and what options exist for correcting, restricting or removing it where appropriate.
Questions you can ask
- Where has my name, story, image or quote appeared?
- What permission or lawful basis was relied upon?
- Who can access or share the material?
- Can I request a correction or removal where appropriate?
- Who is responsible for reviewing my concern?
A clear explanation of how the material was used, a review of consent and data protection arrangements, and an appropriate response to any correction or removal request. Not every request can necessarily be granted.
Use the wording that feels appropriate for you.
If the material is sensitive or exposes you to risk, use an appropriate safeguarding or privacy reporting route promptly.
I felt pressured to share.
You might have been encouraged to talk about a personal experience when you weren't ready or didn't want to.
What might be concerning?
A participation space might focus heavily on emotional stories, expect young people to disclose difficult experiences or make it uncomfortable to decline a question.
You can contribute through ideas, questions, observations or recommendations. Your value does not depend on how much personal information you share.
Questions you can ask
- Can I choose not to answer this question?
- Could I contribute in a different way?
- Why is this personal information being requested?
- What support is available if the subject is difficult?
- Can I take a break or step away?
Respecting your boundaries, allowing alternative contributions, avoiding pressure to disclose, explaining any relevant safeguarding responsibilities and offering appropriate support.
You can be clear about your boundaries without giving a detailed explanation.
If you're experiencing pressure or feel unsafe, you can seek support independently of the session organisers.
My concern was dismissed.
You may have raised a problem and received an unclear response, been brushed off or heard nothing back.
What might be concerning?
Participation shouldn't depend on young people staying quiet about things that feel wrong. Concerns deserve appropriate consideration even when an organisation disagrees with part of what has been raised.
If the original organiser cannot resolve the concern, you can ask about the complaints process, safeguarding lead, privacy contact or other relevant escalation route.
Questions you can ask
- Who is responsible for reviewing my concern?
- Has it been recorded or passed to the right person?
- When can I expect a response?
- What can I do if the response remains unclear?
- Is there someone independent of the activity I can approach?
Acknowledging the concern, explaining the appropriate review or escalation process, giving a realistic update and not punishing or shaming someone for raising an issue.
A follow-up can be calm and still ask for a clear answer.
For serious or urgent concerns, don't wait for a routine follow-up message before seeking help.
They claimed I supported something.
Being invited, attending a meeting or contributing an idea shouldn't automatically be presented as endorsing an organisation's wider decisions.
What might be concerning?
An organisation might describe work as youth-led, co-produced or endorsed by young people when the actual level of influence was more limited.
You might also be named as supporting a campaign, recommendation or decision that you personally disagree with.
Questions you can ask
- Where has my involvement been described in this way?
- What is the basis for saying I supported or approved it?
- Can my position be represented accurately?
- Can misleading claims be corrected?
- How will future descriptions be checked?
Clarifying the extent of your involvement, correcting inaccurate claims where appropriate and being more precise about what young people contributed, supported or decided.
A clear way to explain that participation and endorsement are different.
You can adapt this to refer to a particular publication, report, event or decision.
I feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
Your wellbeing matters. You can ask for support, pause your involvement or raise concerns about how you're being treated.
What might be concerning?
You might experience inappropriate behaviour, bullying, discrimination, pressure, poor boundaries or a situation that leaves you feeling exposed or unsafe.
Not every uncomfortable situation is an emergency, but concerns about safety should be taken seriously. You don't need to resolve them alone.
What you can do
- Move away from a situation if you can do so safely.
- Speak to the organisation's safeguarding lead or another trusted person.
- Ask for the relevant reporting or complaints process.
- Keep a brief record of what happened if safe and appropriate.
- Seek urgent help if you or someone else is in immediate danger.
Taking the concern seriously, responding according to safeguarding procedures, explaining appropriate next steps and avoiding pressure to continue participating while the issue is addressed.
For non-urgent concerns when it's safe to contact the organiser.
If the organiser is involved in the concern, use a different safeguarding, complaints or trusted support route. Do not rely on this message for urgent help.
What if you need more support?
Not every concern needs the same response. The important thing is to find an appropriate person or process rather than feeling responsible for sorting everything out yourself.
Ask for an explanation
If something seems unclear or inaccurate, you can ask the organiser to explain what happened or review the information.
Use the relevant reporting route
If a concern isn't resolved, ask about the complaints process, safeguarding lead, privacy contact or appropriate senior person responsible for reviewing it.
Speak to someone you trust
A trusted adult, supporter, advocate or appropriate professional may help you understand your options or raise a concern safely.
Seek appropriate safeguarding help
If there is a serious or immediate safety concern, use an appropriate safeguarding or emergency route. Don't wait for a routine participation feedback process.
You are allowed to ask questions, set boundaries and seek support.
You don't have to prove that something is seriously wrong before asking for clarification or saying you're uncomfortable. Sometimes problems result from misunderstanding; other times they point to more serious concerns. Both deserve an appropriate response.
You can pause, raise a concern, request an appropriate correction or step back. The responsibility to handle youth insight safely and honestly remains with the organisations involved.
TAKE THE GUIDANCE WITH YOU
Explore the full resource library.
↗ YOUNG PEOPLE'S GUIDANCE 01
Knowing Your Value in Youth Voice Spaces
Confidence, contribution, lived experience and knowing that your value doesn't depend on disclosing personal difficulties.
ⓘ We’re adding the finishing touches. They will be available soon!
↗ YOUNG PEOPLE'S GUIDANCE 03
Understanding Decision-Making: What Can Change, What Needs Approval, and Why
Influence, final authority and the reasons some ideas need funding, approval or organisational agreement.
ⓘ We’re adding the finishing touches. They will be available soon!
↗ YOUNG PEOPLE'S GUIDANCE 05
What to Do if You Feel Your Voice Is Not Being Used Properly
Misrepresentation, pressure, concerns, safeguarding, corrections and ways to seek support.
ⓘ We’re adding the finishing touches. They will be available soon!
This page is a practical starting point. The downloadable YOUTHOOD guidance offers fuller explanations, checklists, examples and reference material to revisit or share.
↗ YOUNG PEOPLE'S GUIDANCE 02
Questions to Ask Before Joining a Youth Panel, Council or Advisory Group
Purpose, commitment, influence, safety, support and questions to help decide whether to join.
ⓘ We’re adding the finishing touches. They will be available soon!
↗ YOUNG PEOPLE'S GUIDANCE 04
How to Ask What Influence Your Contribution Had and What Happened Next
Requesting meaningful feedback and understanding what happened after participation.
ⓘ We’re adding the finishing touches. They will be available soon!
↗ Insight-to-Influence / Public Resources
Intentional, Unintentional and Reception-Stage Tokenism
Understand how tokenism can arise through deliberate choices, weak process design or the way insight is received.
ⓘ We’re adding the finishing touches. They will be available soon!
↗ Insight-to-Influence / Public Resources
Understanding Tokenism Risk Types and Warning Signs
Explore the more specific places where tokenism can arise, from purpose and preparation through to feedback and representation.
ⓘ We’re adding the finishing touches. They will be available soon!