Young advisers
Children and young people have many thoughts and experiences that adults should know about. It is the duty of the Ombudsman for Children to keep in touch with children and young people and convey their thoughts to parties such as decision-makers and people working with children. The Ombudsman for Children performs this duty through Young Advisers activities.
Children and young people are the advisers of the Ombudsman for Children, who meets with them to find out what they think. Six to ten meetings are held annually with groups of children of different backgrounds and living different lives. It is extremely important to give room to the children’s own views and opinions. Conversation can also be supported through functional and playful methods, such as group exercises, drawing assignments or use of pictures. The meetings are held in the children’s normal environment, such as early childhood education and care units, schools, youth centres and service units.
The Ombudsman for Children and the person responsible for preparing the meeting from the Office of the Ombudsman for Children attend the meetings. Information obtained during meetings is extensively utilised for initiatives, comments, briefs, statements, article collections and reports of the Ombudsman for Children, as well as communications of the Office, without disclosing anyone's name or personal data.
Young Advisers works on three levels.
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Themed Young Advisers meetings are individual meetings with groups of children, usually designed around a specific theme. As a rule, these themes are related to the Ombudsman for Children's strategic focus for the year.
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Young Advisers teams are groups of children whom the Ombudsman meets several times to discuss issues proposed by the children themselves. Many of the Young Advisers teams consist of vulnerable children.
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Young Advisers visits are individual meetings with groups of children for discussing pressing issues.
The purpose of themed meetings is to determine the thoughts, experiences and opinions of children on a specific theme, such as the Ombudsman for Children's strategic focus for the year. Groups of children representative of children of different ages or from different parts of Finland, or of children with different views on the theme, are selected to participate in the themed meetings.
Outlines are prepared for the discussions held at the meetings. These outlines are then adapted to the individual circumstances of each meeting. The topics of the meeting can also be approached through activities and play. The discussions held at the meeting are recorded for further use. Summaries (in Finnish) are also prepared of the discussions and sent to the participants for comment and supplementation.
Young Advisers teams survey the thoughts and opinions of children and young people on themes proposed by the children and young people themselves. Current topics and issues important to the children and young people are discussed at team meetings in a manner that respects the children's privacy. Each Young Advisers team meets 4 to 6 times, and the teams can be drawn from school classes, activity groups or groups of children from a certain early childhood education and care unit or other service.
The purpose of Young Advisers teams is to hear the voices of children and young people, especially those who do not always get the opportunity to be heard, who benefit from repeated meetings, or who are not involved in the Ombudsman's advocacy work. Meetings involve activities and play, with consideration for the wishes and needs of the children.
The discussions and opinions of the children and young people, however they were presented, are recorded and documented for further use. The documentation process is collaborative, and the participants can comment on and supplement their opinions during the meetings. Summaries (in Finnish) are also prepared of the discussions and sent to the participants for comment and supplementation.
The purpose of Young Advisers visits is to chart the pressing issues in the lives and everyday routines of the children at the time of the visit. As a rule, these visits are made where the children spend their time, such as to schools, youth centres or child welfare units. Young Advisers visits can be implemented as part of more extensive tours of, for example, municipalities. No precise plans are drawn up for the visits. Rather, their purpose is to discuss the issues that the children themselves want to talk about.
Information for participating children and young people
We are thrilled that you are taking part in the Ombudsman for Children's Young Advisers activities!
It is the duty of the Ombudsman for Children to promote the realisation of the rights of children in Finland. The rights of the child apply to everyone under 18 years of age. Their purpose is to ensure that all children can lead good and happy lives.
Hearing the opinions of children and young people is very important to the work of the Ombudsman for Children. That is why we arrange meetings with children and young people. We then communicate the opinions of children and young people to other adults, such as the decision-makers who enact Finland's laws.
Children and young people are told about the meeting in advance by a familiar adult, such as their teacher. Employees of the Office of the Ombudsman for Children will then visit the children and young people to meet with them, for example at their school or day care centre. During these meetings, the children and young people are the advisers of the Ombudsman for Children and can tell the Ombudsman what they think about things. Participation is voluntary, and you can talk about your opinions or thoughts as much or as little as you like. We do not always just talk at the meetings. Rather, the children and young people can also share their thoughts through activities like games, play, drawing or writing.