Since its commencement in January 2015, ACYP has heard from more than 30,000 children and young people on a wide array of topics and in a variety of ways, including through face to face consultations, online polling and citizens’ juries. ACYP is mandated to pay special attention to the needs of vulnerable or disadvantaged children and young people.
Given that broad scale consultations do not always capture children and young people from a full range of life experiences, ACYP also conducts more targeted consultations to ensure that the voices of socially excluded young people are included in our work. ACYP has conducted focus groups in settings such as Juvenile Justice Centres, residential and other out of home care services, homelessness services and low socio-economic status areas. A significant proportion of socially excluded children and young people are living with disability. For example, those in detention and living in out of home care have much higher rates of disability than the rest of the population.
To date, ACYP has heard from over 3,000 children and young people who may be vulnerable, disadvantaged or otherwise socially excluded.
ACYP is currently conducting specific targeted consultations for children and young people with disability. These consultations are taking place across the state in Schools for Specific Purposes (SSP’s), Support Units within mainstream schools in community organisations and disability support services.
Since the consultations commenced in September 2019; 250 young people have participated from schools and organisations in the North Coast of NSW, Greater Sydney and Hunter regions. All young people have identified as living with disability; including intellectual, learning, mental health, neurological, physical and sensory disabilities.
These consultations will continue until early 2020 and a report of findings will be published.