Our Principles: Facilitating the Meaningful Participation of Babies, Children and Young People

We’re happy to share our principles for the meaningful participation of babies, children and young people. Here are some thoughts from our Youth Participation Manager, Nina Collins, on how and why we developed these guidelines.

Why Clear Participation Principles Really Matter 

At Forces Children Scotland, we’ve learned that the biggest changes happen when children and young people don’t just get asked for their opinions but actually take the lead. Projects like Tornado of Change and Ruby Boots show just how powerful it can be when young people’s voices shape the design, decisions, and delivery from the start. 

But here’s the thing: proper co-production doesn’t just “happen”. It takes trust, honesty, a shared commitment between adults and young people—and yes, sometimes a bit of winging it! That’s why our participation principles are so important. 

Grounded in Rights 

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) says every child has the right to share their views on anything that affects them, and that adults have to take those views seriously. That’s not a “nice to have”—it’s a legal and moral responsibility. 

Our participation principles are how we put those rights into practice. They make sure young people can get involved in ways that are safe, meaningful, and that actually have an impact. 

What Our Principles Do 

Our principles make sure that: 

• Everyone knows their role – Young people understand why they’re being asked to join in, and how their input will make a difference. 

• Boundaries are clear – Adults remain clear on their responsibilities, including safeguarding, while being open to share power where it is safe and appropriate. 

• Things are fair and accessible – Participation is designed with young people, not just for them, so it actually works for their needs. 

• We value honesty and follow-through – Everyone knows what can (and can’t) change, and young people see how their ideas feed into real decisions. 

Why It Works in Practice 

In the development of Tornado of Change, young people didn’t just talk about the challenges of leaving Armed Forces life, they helped build a national campaign that shaped services and policy. Ruby Boots happened because we listened when young people said they needed something different, and the principles helped us turn that into reality. 

Without clear principles, we risk falling into tokenism, when children are asked for input without meaningful influence. We risk confusion about where power lies, or safeguarding structures that silence rather than enable. With principles, we can embrace the creativity, energy, and challenge young people bring, while holding the responsibilities that should always rest with adults. 

Building a Culture of Trust 

Participation principles aren’t fluffy statements—they’re practical promises. They help adults step back safely, help young people feel respected and listened to, and keep organisations in line with the UNCRC. 

Tornado of Change and Ruby Boots remind us why this matters: when participation is rooted in rights and guided by clear principles, young people stop being passive recipients of decisions and start being partners in making change. That’s when their voices really transform what’s possible—for themselves, their families, and the wider community. 

Introducing the Forces Children Scotland Participation Principles 

With all of the above in mind, we have worked hard to capture our collective years of experience in one place. These principles will act as our compass, something to keep us going in the right direction but also something which will help us look back and evaluate our work. We would love to hear what you think, or how our principles could help you on your own participation journey. 

Read the FCS Participation Principles