Listen - Act - Change - Council of Europe Handbook on children’s participation - For professionals working for and with children

Oct 22, 2026

Listen - Act - Change: Council of Europe Handbook on children’s participation equips professionals working for and with children to understand, plan, and implement meaningful child participation. It explains children’s right to be heard, why participation matters, and how to ensure safe, ethical, inclusive, and impactful involvement. The handbook covers participatory organisations and environments, individual children’s participation, collective participation processes, and practical resources including legal standards, guidance examples, checklists, and monitoring and evaluation approaches.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages76

Reading Time3 h 12 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

Acknowledgments

How to Use the Handbook

Section 1: Understanding children’s participation in theory and practice

Children’s right to be heard in matters that affect them

Why is children’s participation so important?

The process of children’s participation – what’s involved?

Section 2: Developing participatory organisations and environments

Ensuring ownership at the highest level

Undertaking an assessment of the current state of play

Developing an organisational policy and procedures

Section 3: Supporting participation of individual children

Preparation and planning

Connecting with children

Identifying issues and priorities

Section 4: Collective participation

Preparation and planning

Connecting with children

Identifying issues and priorities

Section 5: Resources

Legal standards

Guidance on and examples for children’s participation

Activities (collective participation)

Listen –Act – Change Council of Europe Handbook on children’s participation For professionals working for and with children [www.coe.int/children](www.coe.int/children) Building a Europe for and with children Listen –Act – Change Council of Europe Handbook on children’s participation For professionals working for and with children Handbook prepared by: Dr Anne Crowley Prof. Cath Larkins Luís Manuel Pinto Council of Europe French edition: « Ecouter –Agir – Changer » Manuel du Conseil de l’Europe sur la participation des enfants. Pour les professionnels travaillant pour et avec les enfants The opinions expressed in this Handbook are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily re ect the o􀀞cial policy of the Council of Europe. All requests concerning the reproduction or translation of all or part of this document should be addressed to the Directorate of Communication (F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex or publishing@coe. int). All other correspondence concerning this document should be addressed to Directorate General of Democracy. This publication was produced thanks to the special support provided by a number of Council of Europe member states through voluntary contributions. Cover photo: ©shutterstock Cover and layout: Documents and Publications Production Department (SPDP), Council of Europe © Council of Europe, October 2020 Printed at the Council of Europe CONTENT PREFACE 7 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 9 HOW TO USE THE HANDBOOK 11 SECTION 1: UNDERSTANDING CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION IN THEORY AND PRACTICE 13 1.1 CHILDREN’S RIGHT TO BE HEARD IN MATTERS THAT AFFECT THEM 13 1.2 WHY IS CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION SO IMPORTANT? 15 1.3 THE PROCESS OF CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION – WHAT’S INVOLVED? 15 1.4 INFLUENCE IN PARTICIPATION PROCESSES 17 1.5 DOING IT WELL – SAFE, ETHICAL, INCLUSIVE AND IMPACTFUL PARTICIPATION 18 1.6 ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS 20 SECTION 2: DEVELOPING PARTICIPATORY ORGANISATIONSAND ENVIRONMENTS 23 2.1 ENSURING OWNERSHIP ATTHE HIGHEST LEVEL 23 2.2 UNDERTAKING AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY 24 2.3 DEVELOPING AN ORGANISATIONAL POLICY AND PROCEDURES 25 2.4 BUILDING STAFF CAPACITY 27 2.5 SAFE AND CHILD FRIENDLY COMPLAINTS MECHANISMS 28 2.6 MONITORING AND REVIEWING IMPLEMENTATION 29 SECTION 3: SUPPORTING PARTICIPATION OF INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN 33 3.1 PREPARATION AND PLANNING 34 3.2 CONNECTING WITH CHILDREN 35 3.3 IDENTIFYING ISSUES AND PRIORITIES 35 3.4 INVESTIGATING CHILDREN’S VIEWS 36 3.5 TAKING ACTION 38 3.6 FOLLOWING UP ACTIONS 39 3.7 REVIEWING, REFLECTING AND STARTING AGAIN 40 SECTION 4: COLLECTIVE PARTICIPATION 43 4.1 PREPARATION AND PLANNING 43 4.2 CONNECTING WITH CHILDREN 44 4.3 IDENTIFYING ISSUES AND PRIORITIES 47 4.4 INVESTIGATING CHILDREN’S VIEWS 48 4.5 TAKING ACTION 50 4.6 FOLLOWING UP ACTION 52 4.7 REVIEWING, REFLECTING AND STARTING AGAIN 53 SECTION 5: RESOURCES 57 5.1 LEGAL STANDARDS 57 5.2 GUIDANCE ON AND EXAMPLES FOR CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS OR WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS 57 5.3 ACTIVITIES (COLLECTIVE PARTICIPATION) 58 5.4 ADVOCACY AND CHILD ACTIVISM 59 5.5 FURTHER TRAINING 59 5.6 PARTICIPATORY INSTITUTIONS 59 5.7 MONITORING AND EVALUATION 60 5.8 UNDERPINNING THEORY 60 5.9 OTHER 60 ANNEX 1: THE NINE BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR EFFECTIVE AND ETHICAL PARTICIPATION: THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE 63 ANNEX 2: PRODUCING ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION: GUIDANCE 67 ANNEX 3: ENSURING SAFETY AND WELL-BEING: A CHECKLIST 68 ANNEX 4: CHALLENGING DISCRIMINATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE 70 ANNEX 5 EXPLAINING CHILDREN’S ROLE IN MEETINGSAND PROCEEDINGS: A CHECKLIST 71 ANNEX 6: COMMUNICATING WITH CHILDREN: A CHECKLIST 72 ANNEX 7: PREPARING FOR COLLECTIVE PARTICIPATION: KEY QUESTIONS CONSIDER 73 ANNEX 8: SUPPORTING FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSOCIATION: A CHECKLIST 74 Page 6 “LISTEN – ACT – CHANGE”-Council of Europe handbook on children’s participation PREFACE T he old expressio

FAQs

What is the purpose of the handbook for children’s participation?

It provides guidance for professionals to understand and implement children’s participation in ways that are safe, ethical, inclusive, and impactful.

Why is children’s participation considered important?

The handbook frames participation as both a human right and an expression of democracy, and explains how children’s voices can trigger meaningful actions and improvements.

What framework does the handbook reference for children’s right to be heard?

It cites Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Council of Europe’s Recommendation CM/Rec(2012)2 on participation of children and young people under 18.

Oct 22, 2026

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