Across the youth sector, there is growing recognition that young people should have meaningful influence over the decisions that affect their lives. But what does meaningful youth participation actually look like in practice? How do we move beyond consultation to create opportunities for young people to shape services, organisations and systems? 

Young people are presenting with intersecting needs, such as housing instability, mental health challenges, and disability, which can stretch the capacity of services to respond effectively. At the same time, the youth sector brings unique strengths: the ability to meet young people where they are at and work alongside them through relational, flexible approaches that support a broad range of needs.

Many services are noticing shifts in how young people engage - with services, institutions and each other. Approaches that worked previously may not be landing in the same way. The aim of this session is to strengthen our collective understanding of what's shifting and build practical knowledge we can take back into our teams.