Involving children and young people in recruiting new staff

At Barnardo’s, we believe that children and young people should have opportunities to have their voices heard and be taken seriously in decisions that affect them.

We recognise this is their right under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and we believe this leads to better decision-making and improved services.

Our corporate Voice and Influence Strategy lays out our vision:

The voices and lived experiences of children and young people inform, shape and influence what we say, how we work and the decisions we make in every part of our charity.

This includes in the recruitment of our colleagues.

To help us establish a clear and consistent organisational approach, we have developed two documents; guidance for hiring managers and a training and activity guide for young people.

These guides outline how to meaningfully involve children and young people in the recruitment process at Barnardo’s, as well as sharing some case studies of where this has been done well already.

The guidance is split into three sections:

• Before – including: planning the process, preparing the job description, and what information to share with candidates.
• During – including: shortlisting, interviewing and selection.
• After ­– including: feedback, ‘saying thank you’ and induction planning.

Accompanying each section is a set of resources, materials and sessions that you can undertake with children and young people, to make sure they’re fully prepared and ready to take part.

To help services meaningfully facilitate children and young people’s involvement in recruitment, we would strongly encourage all hiring managers to complete this request form and return to the service they need support from.

There are heaps of benefits to involving children and young people in recruiting to roles in the charity.

• See how candidates interact with children and young people.
• Give a positive and powerful message to candidates that children and young people’s input is valued and taken seriously.
• Support the adults involved to develop their communication and listening skills.
• Build stronger working relationships between adults and young people.
• Ensure that the service you provide is relevant to children and young people.
• Gain a better understanding of what an effective and inclusive recruitment and selection process is.
• Make your recruitment a more thorough process.

• Learn more about the service and Barnardo’s as a whole.
• Develop a sense of belonging and ownership.
• Influence what their service/project does by ensuring it considers what children and young people want from staff.
• Learn new skills like team work and negotiation.
• Build confidence and self-esteem.
• Improve relationships across friendship or user groups and with staff.
• Prepare and present information to different audiences.
• Improve their CV.
• Get a taster of a process they will also be part of as they apply for college places or jobs.
• Make a difference and have a sense of achievement in a job well done

• Have an opportunity to meet with some of the young people they will be working with or who use the services provided.
• Have a better understanding of your commitment to young people’s voice and influence, and that you value it and take it seriously.
• Have a better understanding that how they interact with children and young people is a crucial part of the job they are applying for.
• Have a positive sense of endorsement from young people once they have been selected and appointed.
• Be afforded the opportunity to give a truer reflection of their character and how they would interact with young people in practice.

This guidance has been put together by the UK Voice and Influence Team, in consultation with colleagues in our children’s services and endorsement from People colleagues. If you have questions, queries or comments, please email: voiceandinfluence@barnardos.org.uk