Making the Lundy Model work in practice: guide for staff
This guide explains how to ensure children and young people's participation is meaningful and rights-based in your work.
How to know when participation is good enough
The Lundy Model helps ensure children and young people’s participation is meaningful and rights-based.
This guide shows what ‘good enough’ looks like in everyday work. You do not need to be an expert, but you do need to make a few clear design choices in your work.
Space
Can young people safely and realistically take part?
Children, young people, parents and carers must be given safe, inclusive opportunities to form and express their views.
In practice, this means:
participation is voluntary and clearly explained
the timing, format and setting work for young people
young people know what will happen at all stages.
A good example could be:
A workshop held after school. Food is provided, support needs are checked in advance and young people are told how their input will be used.
Practice to improve:
A meeting is scheduled during school hours with little notice, and young people are unsure why they were invited.
Ask yourself: "Would you feel comfortable to take part if you were a young person?"
Voice
Can young people express what matters to them?
Children, young people and parents and carers must be facilitated to express their views.
In practice this means:
young people help shape the questions or agenda
there is more than one way to share views
support is offered to help young people form and express views
A good example could be:
Young people help decide discussion topics and can respond through small groups, drawings, notes or online.
Practice to improve:
Adults design all the questions and rely on open discussion, meaning only confident speakers contribute.
Ask yourself: "Are young people shaping what is discussed, not just answering adults?"
Audience
Is someone with real power listening?
Views must be listened to by a professional with the power to make decisions.
In practice this means:
a named decision maker (or decision group) will receive the views
the audience has authority over the issue
views reach them directly - they aren't filtered beyond recognition.
A good example could be:
A senior manager attends the session or receives a summary and commits to responding.
Practice to improve:
Views are fed into the system with no clarity about who will see or act on them.
Ask yourself: "Can we name who will hear this and what power they hold?"
Influence
Will young people see the difference their views made?
Views must be acted on as appropriate and outcome(s) fed back to children, young people, parents and carers.
In practice this means:
being honest about what can and can't change
sharing the decision timeline
feeding back to young people clearly and respectfully.
A good example could be:
"Your views will share the options presented to leadership. Final decisions will be made in June, we'll update you either way."
Practice to improve:
"We'll take your views on board," with no follow up or explanation.
Ask yourself: Would young people be able to see how their input matters?
Key things to consider
You don't need to do it perfectly. You do not need full co-design or co-production every time, long reports or zero constraints. You do need honesty, clarity, to follow-up and feedback.
Common pitfalls to watch out for
Using the same small group of young people repeatedly.
Asking for views too late to influence decisions.
Over-promising influence.
Treating the Lundy Model as a checklist rather than a design tool.
If in doubt, ask yourself:
Why would a young person want to take part?
What real choice or influence do they have?
Who is listening and how will they respond?
How will young people know what changed?