Introduction
Background
The Youth at Risk Strategy (the Strategy)1 was released on 5 June 2017. During the development of the Strategy it became clear that the voices of many young people are not being heard, especially young people who live in remote locations or young people facing some challenges. Youth at Risk are defined in the Strategy as any young person aged between 10 and 17 experiencing or displaying indicators of vulnerability (risk factors) which if not addressed would expose the individual, family or community to significant harm (actual or potential). Action 26 in the Strategy was created to improve youth participation, by developing a range of innovative consultative mechanisms and more inclusive practices to provide these young people with a voice. This resource has been developed to deliver on this action. This resource will assist policy makers and service providers to engage with young people who are service users. It will also provide young people with more opportunities to have their ideas heard and understood by policy makers and service providers when designing or reviewing youth services.
The Voices of Young People
During the development of this resource Communities Tasmania met with almost 400 young people from across the state. Young people were sourced through schools and the services they accessed within the community. The project team attempted to consult with a broad cross section of young people from across Tasmania, specifically including isolated or marginalised young people. Participation in the consultation process was voluntary. Figure 1 provides an overview of the locations of these young people by gender and areas of disadvantage2 . Some young people and organisations who were approached were unable to, or chose not to participate. The ages of young people who participated in the consultation process ranged from 11 to 18 years (two young people over 18 were also interviewed), however, 13 to 16 years was the most predominant age range. Sessions were held in schools and at services that young people use. Discussions were had with young people in small and large groups (2 to 30) and in one on one interviews. These consultations provided insight into what young people in Tasmania think are the barriers to youth participation and how government and services can better communicate and engage effectively with young people.