Children s budgeting at the local level

Transcription

1 Children s budgeting at the local level Written by Anne Crowley and edited by Rhian Croke 1

2 Children s budgeting at the local level Introduction This guide is part of a set of information and advice directed at local government, health boards and others providing local services to support full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Wales. This guide focuses on children rights and budgeting. The guide is intended to support Lead Directors and Children and Young People Partnership Coordinators, Youth Forum coordinators, local government officials, health service managers and school teachers to build their own capacity and the capacity of children and young people to participate in monitoring and evaluating public expenditure (including local government and/or school budgets) for the realisation of children s rights. The first section of the guide gives the background to children s budgeting in the context of the United Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and relevant links to Welsh Assembly Government policy. The second section describes children s budgeting at a local authority level and sets out why it is important for realising children s rights. The third section presents guidance on undertaking budget analysis and monitoring. The fourth section describes participatory budgeting with examples from practice. The final section contains a list of resources for further information and advice. The guide includes top tips for children s budgeting. 2

3 At a national level children s budgeting is receiving considerable attention in Wales. The Children and Young People Committee of the National Assembly for Wales reported on their inquiry into Children s Budgeting documents/bus-business-documents-doc-laid/cr-ld7749-e.pdf?langoption=3&ttl=cr- LD7749%20- %20Children%20and%20Young%20People%20Committee%27s%20Report%20on% 20Children%27s%20Budgeting%20in%20Wales and a response from the Welsh Assembly Government is expected in Prior to the Committee s reporting the Assembly Government established a Task Group to develop proposals for Ministers to realise improvements in budget forecasting and greater transparency around spend on children and young people. The Group is expected to report to Ministers in At a local level there are a several examples of good practice in children s budgeting operating at service, local authority and project levels across Wales. The UNCRC and budgets The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child have made it clear that compliance with the UN Convention requires State parties to analyse public expenditure on children and determine that in line with article 4 of the Convention they are spending the maximum available resources to fulfil children s rights. The Committee made recommendations to this effect in its Concluding Observations (internal link) on the UK in 2002 and again in 2008 (see box below). UN Committee Concluding Observations on the UK (2008) Key recommendations in the 2008 Concluding Observations included that the effective coordination of the implementation of the Convention is achieved including locally, especially where local authorities have significant power to determine their priorities and allocate budgets (Para 13). On a similar note and in accordance with article 4 of the Convention, government should allocate the maximum extent of available resources for the implementation of children s rights, with a special focus on eradicating poverty and that it reduce inequalities across all jurisdictions. The regular use of children s rights impact assessments was also recommended to evaluate how the allocation of budget is proportionate to realising policy developments and the implementation of legislation (Para 19). The Welsh Assembly Government was the only devolved administration to attempt an analysis of its spending on children and young people and to submit this analysis to the UN Committee in their last examination of the UK State party in A statistical analysis was subsequently produced by Statistics for Wales. 3

4 Article 4 of the UN Convention requires state parties to take all appropriate legislative, administrative measures and other measures for implementation of the rights contained within the Convention. The UN Committee has identified a wide range of measures that are needed to promote the full enjoyment of all rights in the Convention by all children, these measures, entitled General Implementation Measures (internal links) include legislation, the establishment of co-ordinating and monitoring bodies; comprehensive data collection; children s rights impact assessments; awareness raising; and training and routine analysis of public expenditure on children. These structures and activities work to give a higher political priority to children and an increased sensitivity to the impact of governance on children. A human rights approach requires States to see their role as fulfilling clear legal obligations to each and every child, rather than as providing charitable services, bestowing favours on children. Article 4 also reflects a realistic acceptance that lack of resources financial or other can hamper the full implementation of children s rights and introduces the concept of progressive realisation. Thus State parties need to be able to demonstrate that they have implemented to the maximum extent of their available resources as the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child s General Comment no 5 makes clear (see box below) General Comment Number 5 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (2003) Making children visible in budgets In its reporting guidelines and in the consideration of States parties reports, the Committee has paid much attention to the identification and analysis of resources for children in national and other budgets. No State can tell whether it is fulfilling children s economic, social and cultural rights to the maximum extent of available resources, as it is required to do under article 4, unless it can identify the proportion of national and other budgets allocated to the social sector and, within that, to children, both directly and indirectly. Some States have claimed it is not possible to analyse national budgets in this way. But others have done it and publish annual children s budgets. The Committee needs to know what steps are taken at all levels of Government to ensure that economic and social planning and decision-making and budgetary decisions are made with the best interests of children as a primary consideration and that children, including in particular marginalized and disadvantaged groups of children, are protected from the adverse effects of economic policies or financial downturns. In undertaking budget analysis, State parties are also required to have regard to the key cross-cutting principles (internal link) in the Convention: non discrimination (Article 2); best interests of the child (Article 3); survival and 4

5 development (Article 6) and participation (Article 12). See page 6 for more details on these principles. In conclusion, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child requires governments to demonstrate: The steps taken to ensure coordination between economic and social policies. The proportion of budget devoted to social expenditure for children, including health, welfare, education at the central, regional and local levels. The budget trends over the period covered by the report. The steps taken to ensure that all competent national, regional and local authorities are guided by the best interests of the child in their budgetary decisions and to evaluate the priority given to children in their policy making, The measures taken to ensure the disparities between different regions and groups of children are bridged in relation to provision of social services,. The measures taken to ensure that children, particularly those belonging to the most disadvantaged groups are protected against the adverse effects of economic policies including the reduction of budgetary allocations in the social sector. (Extract from: Hodgkin R, & Newell P (2002) Implementation Handbook for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF) Welsh Assembly Government and children s budgeting The Children Act 2004 requires each local authority and its partners to prepare three-year strategic Children and Young People s Plans and set out how they will improve the well-being of children and young people in their area. Children and Young People s Partnerships are responsible for planning services for all children and young people from the ante-natal stage through to the age of 18, together with those receiving youth support services (within the meaning of Section 123 of the Learning and Skills Act) up to the age of 25, and care leavers (up to 21 or 25 if in education or training). The Partnerships are required to consult with children, young people and parents and feed their priorities into the plan and by implication the budget setting process. Welsh Assembly Government Regulations and statutory guidance Stronger Partnerships for Better Outcomes sets out directions on the joint commissioning of services, assessment and information sharing, and common outcome measures for each of the 7 Core Aims. The guidance sets out the detailed requirements for the single Children and Young People Plans that Partnerships are required to prepare and publish and enables specified 5

6 partners to pool budgets and other non-financial resources in support of these arrangements. Children and Young People s Partnership s currently receive funding under the Assembly Government Cymorth and Flying Start programmes to improve the life chances of children, young people and families from the most disadvantaged areas. Cymorth is currently being phased into the Rate Support Grant, thus changing from a hypothecated fund dedicated to funding provision with particular aims and objectives to inclusion in the mainstream funding that local authorities in Wales receive from the Welsh Assembly Government. The Children and Young People s Plan (CYPP) The CYPP is a three-year strategic plan developed and owned by the Children and Young People s Partnership. The purpose of the CYPP is to: provide strategic vision and state the agreed priorities that will direct the work of all partners; describe how requirements of national and local strategies, policies and priorities will be tackled locally and the main elements that will deliver service improvement under each of the seven core aims; set out agreed joint targets to enable progress in improving outcomes to be measured over the planning timescale; identify the contribution made by individual partners towards meeting joint objectives, ensuring that they are consistent and mutually supportive; and provide a basis for the joint commissioning of services and sharing of available funding, including core budgets of statutory partners and resource or financial contributions from the voluntary sector. In order to assist in the development of a systematic integrated approach to commissioning and service reconfiguration, particularly for vulnerable children who require a high degree of integration between services to have their needs met effectively, the Welsh Assembly Government has issued guidance on a commissioning framework and good practice 1. The Partnership Support Unit and the Social Services Improvement Agency have produced a complimentary support package for Children and Young People s Partnerships. Work is also underway within the Assembly Government to develop an Outcomes Measurement Framework (OMF) to support Children and Young People s Plans. The OMF will be available from April 2010 in readiness for the 2011 Children and Young People s Plan planning cycle. The framework will form part of an overarching suite of performance measures to: drive forward children and young people s policy in Wales; 1 Fulfilled Lives, Supportive Communities Commissioning Framework Guidance and Good Practice

7 monitor progress on implementing children s rights in Wales; and demonstrate the impact of policies on the lives of children or young people. This programme of related developments should ensure that linkages between (budget) inputs, programmes and policies and improving outcomes for children (in respect of realising all of the Core Aims for children) can be better understood; thereby, assisting local authorities and their partners to improve the effectiveness of service planning, commissioning and service delivery in improving outcomes for children across Wales. Transparency around budget inputs, outputs and outcomes in respect of services for children and young people will assist local authorities and their partners in their outcome focused planning and the new arrangements for public service accountability. Section Two: Children s budgeting at a local level This section of the guide outlines what is meant by the term children s budgeting and why it is important. What is children s budgeting? Children s rights budget work provides a way of looking closely at government budgets to see what they reveal about the implementation of children s rights. By examining the nuts and bolts of government budgeting alongside information on outcomes and performance, children s rights budget work helps to sketch a detailed picture of how and how well a particular children s right is being implemented. This in turn makes it all the more possible to identify a specific intervention and changes that are needed to speed up the delivery of this right to children and improve outcomes. Children s budgeting is about examining what money governments spend on children. The work involves identifying: What local and national governments allocate to policies, programmes and services affecting children and monitoring their implementation? How spending on children has changed over time and whether this shows a positive, negative or turbulent trend? How government is planning to deliver to children in the future and to identify what changes are going to be feasible? The four key principles underpinning the UNCRC inform the focus of children s budgeting. 7

8 1. All children have equal rights (article 2): Is national/local government budgeting in such a way that all children are treated fairly? Are some children excluded or discriminated against in service delivery? 2. Children are entitled to all of their rights (article 6): Is national/local government using its budgets to make sure children can survive and develop to their potential? Are some rights being realised more effectively and rapidly than others? 3. The best interests of the child (article 3): Is national/local government budgeting with the best interests of the child in mind? What is enjoying priority in local government budgets? 4. Children have a right to be heard (article 12): Where are the children in the budget process? What are the views of children and what do these mean for government budgeting? Participatory budgeting enables citizens (including children and young people) to participate in decisions about national and local government s allocation of available resources and in monitoring and evaluating the deployment of those resources. Participatory budgeting increases transparency, accountability, understanding and social inclusion in governments affairs. Participatory budgeting with children and young people allows them to learn about the budget setting process; to present their priorities for improvement; and influence, through discussions and negotiations, some of the budget allocations that governments make. Why is children s budgeting important? Children s budgeting is important for a number of reasons. Routine analysis of public expenditure on children is a powerful tool for understanding and monitoring what national and local governments and their partners are doing to promote the rights and improve the well-being of children. Information on public expenditure on children needs to be considered alongside government policies, strategies and information on the outcomes of these policies for children and young people. More transparency is needed to improve understanding of the link between policy intentions, public expenditure (both allocated and spend) and improved outcomes for children and young people. The way in which budgets are currently constructed in Wales and indeed across the UK makes it very difficult to identify what is actually spent on children and also on particular groups of vulnerable or disadvantaged children. It is important to understand the proportions of money allocated and spent on children (and on different groups of children), whether they represent the maximum extent of available resources ; to monitor how allocations are 8

9 changing over time and whether the money allocated is reaching the intended beneficiaries of particular policies or initiatives and having the desired effect. Children s budgeting benefits governments by enabling them to demonstrate the link between policies, outcomes and resources. The process of identifying spend on children raises the profile of children s issues and of vulnerable and marginalised children. Compliance with the UNCRC requires routine budget analysis and participatory budgeting. State parties have to be able to demonstrate that the overall proportion of national and local budgets allocated to social programmes is adequate with sufficient budgetary provision to protect and promote children s rights. Various studies suggest that participatory budgeting results in more equitable public spending, higher quality of life, increased satisfaction, greater government transparency and accountability, increased levels of public participation and democratic and citizenship learning. Participatory budgeting focuses on reducing inequality and investing in areas of greatest need. Local authorities aim to achieve key objectives for child poverty reduction, and in education, health, and crime. Participatory budgeting offers positive benefits for those living in poverty; in Brazil, where participatory budgeting was first pioneered in the 1980s, the pattern of local authority expenditure shifted towards the priorities generally perceived to be the most relevant to those living in poverty 2. Section Three: Budget analysis This section of the guide explores different types of budget analysis with a step by step guide. It may not be possible to undertake all the main types of budget analysis; you may have to concentrate on examining the money allocated (budget inputs) because this is the stage where the most reliable data exists. If this is the case, you should think about how systems can be put in place (within the context of the Assembly Government s Commissioning Framework) to enable you to also collate and analyse data relating to actual spend and the goods and services produced from these inputs (budget outputs) and how these in turn are linked to any improved outcomes (budget outcomes). Children s budgeting involves monitoring government budgets and influencing spend to support the realisation of children s rights under the Convention and the improvement of outcomes for the most disadvantaged children and young people. Influencing budgets requires an understanding of the budget setting process as timing can be crucial. The section therefore also provides an outline of the budget setting process. 2 Bringing Budgets Alive: participatory budgeting in practice. Community Pride Initiative/Oxfam UK Poverty programme. Available at: particpatorybudgeting.org.uk 9

10 What is Government budgeting? Governments have to budget in much the same way as households do. Like most households, governments have limited amounts of money to meet all the needs and wants before them. They have to make choices and decide which needs are more important or urgent than others. They have to plan how much they are able to spend against how much income they expect to have (for direct and indirect taxation etc.) over a period of time. The Welsh Assembly Government s budget and the budgets of local authorities are plans of how to balance expected government income against expected expenditures over the coming financial year. Governments budget on behalf of people including children and young people. 10

11 Undertaking a budget analysis a step by step guide STEP 1: Defining the focus of analysis Identify the problem or the area of policy, provision, need or right you want to examine and the purpose of your examination. For example, the Children and Young People s Partnership may be concerned to look specifically at the spending on alternative curriculum provision by the local authority and its partners (including Cymorth and any other hypothecated funds available) and how that has changed over time or how it is targeted to benefit particularly disadvantaged communities. The Partnership may wish to examine the realisation of the right of Gypsy Traveller children and young people to have an education (article 28 of the UNCRC). Alternatively they may wish to produce a children s budget 3 to accompany their Children and Young Peoples Plan identifying more broadly, both direct and indirect public expenditure on all children and young people within the local authority area Direct spending is spending targeted exclusively on children and young people. It could include spending on schools and children s (social) services. Indirect spending is concerned with funding directed to benefit a particular population as a whole (e.g. transport, economic development) where a population breakdown and other relevant data will be needed to ascertain (approximately) how much of this particular spending line is potentially benefiting children or young people. Other indirect spending is targeted on others but intended ultimately to be of benefit to children and young people as well, e.g. parenting support or maternity services. As part of the process of clarifying the focus of study you should identify the relevant government polices and programmes (i.e. relevant to the problem or area you have chosen to focus on) and the desired outcomes of those polices and programmes. STEP 2: Analysis of budget inputs Budget Inputs refer to the resources that are allocated to and used for a specific purpose. E.g. in education, budget inputs might include all the money that is allocated to and spent on teacher s salaries, classroom equipment and supplies, educational materials, school building etc. Budget input analysis seeks to identify: what is being allocated to and spent on children Budget input analysis seeks to identify: what is being allocated to and spent on children. A child rights budget input analysis of the overall local authority budget will be concerned to assess: 11

12 Is budget spending in line with the rights contained in the UNCRC and/or with the targets set in national policies or action plans for children? What proportion of the overall budget does this represent? Has the budget balanced the interests of children and young people against the competing needs of other stakeholders? How much is being allocated in relation to specific child rights for example in relation to education or health? How well are budget inputs targeted to benefit disadvantaged or vulnerable children and young people? All children s rights budget analyses will need to consider the key cross cutting principles of the Convention (see box on page 13). In order to analyse budget inputs, reliable budget data is needed. This is one of the biggest challenges. It is particularly difficult to get breakdowns of expenditure disaggregated by the circumstances of the child, for example: disabled children, or looked after children. Some budget lines for example, GP services, are not even disaggregated for children. Where possible efforts should be made to discern spending on disaggregated groups of vulnerable children within overall policy for children e.g. poor children, traveller children, asylum seekers/refugees, juvenile offenders, looked after children, black, minority, ethnic children, disabled children. See practice examples (internal link) TOP TIPS: It is impossible to track all the allocation of government monies that impact on children. Some spending on children is difficult to discern being hidden in expenditure that benefits people in a more general way, for example, spending on roads or public transport infrastructure. Some spending categories are easier to analyse, for example all expenditure on schools can be seen to be benefiting children. It is important to look at both allocated and actual expenditure. Budgets are not always spent as planned: a certain degree of variation is to be expected but large discrepancies might mean that during budget implementation, funds were being directed away from the programmes for which they were intended and used for other purposes. It could also mean that a government s budget planning was unrealistic. STEP 3: Analysis of budget outputs Budget outputs: refer to all the goods and services produced by the budget inputs. In education, budget outputs might include, for example, the number of learners who received schooling, the number of teachers trained and so forth, the number of beneficiaries received. Budget output analysis seeks to identify and understand: What is being delivered to children 12

13 Budget output analysis seeks to identify: what is actually being provided or delivered as a result of the budget inputs. A children s rights budget output analysis of the overall local authority budget will be concerned to assess: Was the money used for what it was allocated for? What goods and services have been provided in relation to the budget linked to a particular programme, policy, right or need and/or the problem identified? Has service delivery expanded to reach larger numbers of children or young people or specific groups of children? Did services reach the people who really need it? Do children have equal access to services, and if not is access becoming more equal over time? Once again it will be important to ensure the analysis considers all the key cross cutting principles of the Convention (see box on page 13). It will be challenging for Children and Young People s Partnerships to identify all the budget outputs relating to the priorities in their Children and Young People s Plan, however it should be relatively straightforward to collate and analyse information on the outputs of their Cymorth expenditure given existing reporting arrangements. The data and information needed to analyse budget outputs is sometimes even more difficult to find and less comprehensive or reliable than budget inputs but there is a logical flow between analysing budgets inputs and budget outputs. Once we know how governments have allocated and spent funds on children it makes sense to ask what goods and services were produced for children and young people by using budget inputs in this way. Budget output analysis asks how well government is using the resources it has available for children. TOP TIPS When planning budget analysis work it is important to remember that there are time lags between budget inputs and budget outputs: the budget inputs you analyse now will only produce outputs in the future. There is also a time lag between budget outputs and outcomes. 13

14 STEP 4: Analysis of budget outcomes Budget outcomes: refer to the changes brought about by budget outputs. E.g. in education the outcomes flowing from the delivery of schooling services might include higher literacy and skills levels among children and young people etc. Budget outcomes are difficult to measure. Budget outcome analysis seeks to identify and understand: The results and the outcomes that have been achieved Budget outcome analysis seeks to identify: the results or outcomes of the budget. It is about assessing the impacts of the expenditure on the desired outcomes. Has the money made a difference? Work on developing an Outcome Measurement Framework (OMF); the new Framework for Commissioning and the results based accountability approach 4 favoured by Children and Young People s Partnerships across Wales will support improvements to budget outcome analysis. However, budget outcomes are not easy to track and measure. In the example illustrated below, it is impossible to know what might have happened had preventative provision not been delivered. It is also problematic to assume too much about cause and effect. Other changes in a children s environment may have contributed to the outcome. In children s rights budget work, thinking about budget outcomes is therefore quite different from analysing budget inputs and outputs. It involves discussion and cautious interpretation rather than exact measurement and analysis. Budget Outcomes : An example from children s health BUDGET OUTPUTS In the health sector, budget outputs to looked after children might include: Medical consultations provided to children in a child and young person friendly setting Counselling services provided in schools Immunisation performed against infectious diseases BUDGET OUTCOMES Because these services were delivered, the outcomes for children might include: Fewer children have untreated medical conditions due to early detection and intervention Fewer children suffering from mental health disorders and referred to CAMHS Less children contract infectious diseases TOP TIPS: 4 Friedman, M. (2005) Trying Hard is not Good Enough how to produce measurable improvements for customers and communities. Trafford 14

15 Access to a robust evidence base regarding the outcomes of the selected provision or intervention along with data from assessments of outcomes using Results Based Accountability models (add reference) can provide important corroborative information on budget outcomes. BEST INTERESTS Proofing government budgets against the general principles of the UNCRC (see page 3) Does the budget promote the best interests of all children and young people? If the budget has negative implications, what action might be taken to mitigate such an impact? NON-DISCRIMINATION Is national/local government budgeting in such a way that all children are treated fairly? Does the budget discriminate against children and young people as a distinct group and/or in particular groups of children, according to variables such as: Socioeconomic status; Geographical status; Ethnicity; Gender; Language; Sexual orientation; Disability; Refugee/asylum seeker children; Children living in alternative care; young carers PARTICIPATION Where are children and young people in the budget setting process? What are their views? Does this include the views of children and young people who are less likely to be heard? SURVIVAL AND DEVELOPMENT Does the budget promote the overall physical, mental, social and emotional health of all children and young people? Are some children excluded or discriminated against? STEP 5: Make changes The analyses undertaken should then be used to make changes to budget allocation, and commissioning arrangements. In some cases, the policy or programme may need to be revised. Sometimes polices do not solve a problem they are aiming to address. Budget analysis can be used to illustrate the impact of not providing a particular service as well as costing the benefits of a particular approach. When trying to influence the budgets of government and its partners, timing is particularly important if key decisions are to be influenced. Children and Young People s Partnerships will need to have some understanding of the 15

16 relevant budget setting processes within their local authority and within the National Assembly. The budgeting process in both national and local government broadly reflects four key stages: Figure 1: Influencing budgets: the budget setting process in government 5 Budget formulation: the planning phase Government works out how much money they expect to have available in the upcoming year and draws up plans on how to spend. Budget enactment: the legislative phase The executive presents its plans to the elected representatives (to the National Assembly or full Council). Members of the legislature have time to examine and debate the budget proposals and decide whether to approve them. The budget is authorised and enacted into law, intact or with amendments. Budget auditing the evaluation phase Once the budget has been implemented, this phase looks at the way the money has actually been spent. All the allocations made in the budget are accounted for and ideally assessed in terms of the outputs and outcomes they produced. Budget execution: the implementation phase Budget resources are distributed to the relevant levels of government and to departments in line with the authorised budget. Departments implement the budget plans by providing infrastructure, organising and managing programmes and delivering services. This phase also involves recording and reporting on actual expenditure 5 Save the Children Sweden (2005) 16

17 Further information on the National Assembly for Wales budget processes is available in a guide produced by the National Assembly for Wales 6, along with other information on government budgeting (including the Barnett Formula). See resources section (internal link) Details of the budget process in your local authority may be available on the local authority s website. WLGA s website provides general information about local authority budget setting processes at: Section Four: Participatory budgeting Participatory Budgeting is about helping those receiving public services to play a part in how and where money is spent. This means agreeing priorities together; investigating what needs to be done; making proposals for new expenditure; voting or otherwise agreeing on how resources are distributed; tracking and monitoring how the work is delivered and what it achieves. The Children and Young People s Partnerships are required to consult with children, young people and parents in formulating the local Children and Young People s Plan (internal link) Children, young people and parents should have opportunity to contribute to setting the priorities and a voice in determining budgetary decisions. Participatory budgeting provides a mechanism for enabling stakeholders to be involved in setting budgets in line with their priorities and concerns. Participatory budgeting can take place at many different levels: at the level of the local authority or Children and Young People s Partnership budget; at the level of the budget for a particular service or project, or even in determining the budget for a single activity. There are a number of examples of participatory budgeting involving young people in Wales at all of these different levels, some are illustrated here at practice examples (internal link). Further examples of involving children and young people are to be found in other parts of the UK, Europe and worldwide (see resources section (internal link)). What is participatory budgeting? Participatory budgeting schemes vary but a useful working definition characterises the practice as: 6 The Budget Process in Wales (2008) available at: 17

18 a mechanism (or process) through which the population decides on, or contributes to decisions made on, the destination of all or part of the available public resources. 7 Participatory budgeting originally developed in Brazil and is now used widely throughout the world. It is recognised as an effective way of involving local people in making decisions about how and where to spend council funds. Participatory budgeting is recognised as an important tool for strengthening democracy, sharing power, reducing deprivation and improving public services. There are many ways of doing participatory budgeting: it is a flexible process that needs to be adapted to a local situation. All Children and Young People s Partnerships in Wales are supporting and linking in with a wide network of forums and councils involving children, young people and parents. These include school councils, community based and local authority financed child and youth forums including those targeted on children and young people in difficult circumstances. These fora provide a valuable vehicle for undertaking participatory budgeting as the Ceredigion and Vale of Glamorgan examples, illustrate see practice examples (internal link) Participatory Budgeting a step by step guide STEP 1: Planning and preparation As with any planned activity where the intention is to involve children and young people in decision-making, it is important to be clear at the outset about aims and objectives and the parameters of the decision-making. How much say will children or young people have? Who else has a voice in the decisions? What is negotiable/ non-negotiable? How are children or young people going to participate is it about responding to adult s suggestions or coming up with ideas of their own? Having agreement on these questions at an early stage is important whatever the level or type of budget being determined. The planning and preparation phase is also concerned with decisions about: Which children or young people are included. Who is eligible to take part? How will other affected children or young people be consulted? The methods how can the budget be made accessible? How will decisions be made and feedback given? Practical arrangements including staffing, venue, transport, costs and child safety issues Session plans 7 72 Frequently asked questions about Participatory Budgeting, Global Campaign on Urban Governance, UN-HABITAT, July

19 What the children or young people can expect to get from the experience? At the very least it should be an enjoyable experience for the children or young people! How decisions made will be taken forward and followed through in the budget allocation process Arrangements for evaluation and learning. STEP 2: Making budgets accessible and building capacity It is best to begin any session with developing the children and young people s and practitioner s understanding on children s rights then to move onto the connection between children s rights and budgets. For education and training on children s rights for young people and practitioners go to Education and Training area of website to find out more. Children and young people will need time and support to learn about the budget and budgeting. These are daunting ideas for many people and local authority budgeting has become very technical. But experience of doing budget literacy workshops with children and young people in the UK has shown that a level of understanding can be built up everyone already applies complex budgeting principles in their daily lives. Budget processes can be de-mystified and presented in an accessible manner. In workshops imaginative uses of creative methods, e.g. quizzes and discussion groups and using pie charts and monopoly money to illustrate how the budget cake is or can be cut has proved useful in work with children and young people. Some local authorities (e.g. Devon) have successfully used on-line scenario based activities. Information on an issue or problem the council faces is provided and respondents are asked to select where they would choose to invest the county council s resources and what they would choose to withdraw funding from (from a limited choice of options). Once the respondent has made their choices the programme demonstrates a new range of resulting scenarios. Information will need to be shared about the policy and local context. Participatory budgeting often involves working groups spending time finding out about the problem or service they are concerned with and listening to the views of those most affected. Children and young people will want to understand how best to go about these tasks and develop the necessary skills. They may also need support in developing negotiation and decisionmaking skills, depending on their previous experience. STEP 3: Consultation Participatory budgeting will usually involve children or young people consulting others to find out what s currently happening. For example, finding out how a particular problem affects them? How they experience existing services? As well as their priorities for public expenditure or what ideas they have for spending the allocated budget. 19

20 STEP 4: Analysis and decision-making Having gathered information, participants will need time and support to make sense of all the information and decide on their proposals. It may be helpful to decide on a shortlist of options which are subject to more detailed costings, and then further discussion and negotiation. Voting may be used if there are still competing priorities. STEP 5: Making changes The decisions of the working group are taken forward usually by a staff member. It is important that arrangements for follow through are agreed in the initial stages of the process (see STEP 1) and enacted promptly and efficiently. Participatory budgeting does require political will to be open with information and to accept new ideas about how to make decisions with others, demonstrating a commitment to follow through on what has been agreed. STEP 6: Evaluate and feedback Feedback should be given to all children and young people who participated, advising them on how their views have been taken into account. The participatory budgeting process should be evaluated with input from all key stakeholders including children and young people. The learning should be used to improve the process next time around. Different approaches at different levels are used in different places as our examples below illustrate, in Rhondda Cynon Taff, officers meet with young people across the Borough twice a year to consult them on the local authority s budget and to get their views on where they think resources should be directed. This is then reported to Elected Members when they are considering the draft budget. In the Vale of Glamorgan, a specific group of marginalised young people are enabled and supported to allocate a small, ring-fenced budget on relevant activities aimed at improving their well-being. In Ceredigion, young service users have a broad role in evaluating the Cymorth Programme which includes consideration of budget allocations and outcomes. A note on timing If children and young people are really going to influence the local authorities spending plans, their views need to be heard at the beginning of the planning process, to influence new expenditure (see Figure 1, page 14). In Wales, consultation on resources available for new services typically occurs in the one or two months prior to the annual budget meeting of the council. This key meeting happens once a year, usually in March when the ruling party s budget proposal is approved. In reality most local authority expenditure is constrained by existing pressures, such as salaries, service charges and national targets 20

21 and statutory requirements but within that framework there are lots of important decisions to be made on allocation. See practice examples (internal link) TOP TIPS: The Local authority or Children and Young People s Partnership should define the rules of participatory budgeting as clearly as possible at the outset. Resources that are not already constrained need to be identified. Participatory budgeting requires a long lead in in most successful examples of participatory budgeting meetings will begin up to a year before the budget is to be improved A mix of people with knowledge and experience of working with children or young people as well as people with knowledge of how the budget setting process works can be invaluable. Managers and practitioners will need to see the value of dialogue and of involving children and young people. They need to see that participatory budgeting enhances their ability to plan and deliver efficient and effective public services. Conclusion The budget is one of the most powerful tools a government has. It affects the lives of those living in a country; such as availability of transport, education and health care. To realise children s rights and improve outcomes for all children it is essential that we understand what is actually being spent on children and enable children and young people themselves to participate in budget decisions. Section Five: Practice examples Examples of Budget Analysis A Child s Portion: An analysis of spending on children in the UK Budget input analysis has been used to monitor government spending on an identified group or category of vulnerable children. It is not always easy to track what portion of government spending on all children will benefit particularly vulnerable groups. To understand better how governments are targeting the eradication of child poverty around the UK, Save the Children commissioned an analysis of public spending on children living in poverty in 21

22 the UK. The analysis focused on key sectoral budgets including education, early years and tax and benefits; spending by the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations and changes over time since The analysis reveals that since the UK government made its pledge in 1999 to eradicate child poverty, changes in public expenditure have delivered more money to low-income families with children and contributed to the decline in child poverty between However, the analysis suggests that the redistributive impact of these changes since then has been negligible and as we have seen in 2007 and 2008, the levels of child poverty in the UK have started to rise again. A Child s Portion accessed at this link: Examples of Participatory Budgeting Young people s participation in the evaluation of Cymorth in Ceredigion As part of Ceredigion s Cymorth Evaluation Strategy, young people aged who are supported by a range of Cymorth funded projects have been involved in evaluating aspects of the Cymorth programme in Ceredigion. In 2006, young people were invited to be part of a reference group and trained in using participatory evaluation methods. As part of this process, creative methods were used to inform the reference group about the Cymorth budget and the amounts spent on the different projects e.g. using pie charts. Young people were enabled to critique the spend against the perceived outcomes of individual projects and activities and make representation to senior managers about their priorities for the Cymorth budget. As a result of their representations changes have been made to the Cymorth plan and spend including: changes to an alternative curriculum project to ensure that younger pupils could benefit before disaffection became more difficult to turn around; and increased options and improved collaboration between alternative curriculum provision and the Pathway Programme. Users of a mentoring service offered to give up their free lunch because they felt that the funding to this project was inappropriately high compared with that going to disabled children and young people. With some additional Assembly Government funding for play provision for disabled children and young people, the reference group advocated exactly what this money was spent on and made their case to the Welsh Assembly Government Finance Minister. This work continues and has further developed with young people now participating in the recruitment of staff, including the Lead Director for Children and Young People. For more information please contact Raywyn Law on raywynl@ceredigion.gov.uk. Involving young people in budget setting in Rhondda Cynon Taff 22

23 As part of its commitment to democratising the Local Authority s budget, young people in Rhonda Cynon Taff are consulted every year during the budget setting process. The Local Authority also consults with other groups including older people and the voluntary sector, Workshops on the budget are held with young people in three comprehensive schools in November each year to inform them of the budget setting process and find out young people s priorities for spend. Creative methods are used to render the budget process understandable, including the use of paper money to illustrate allocations and the choices that politicians are faced with when determining a local authority budget. In January or February, Rhondda Cynon Taff re-visits the young people to advise them of how their priorities have been taken into account in the budget strategy. Some young people are invited to the council over the summer to show them how the money is being spent. Young people have previously prioritised the need for more facilities and activities for young people to take part in after school to supplement existing services such as youth clubs and libraries. Rhondda Cynon Taff responded by insuring that its new investment of 2.5 million annually in its E3 Agenda (Energise, Enrich and Engage) included provision for a range of after school activities. As a direct result of this programme, school attendance has improved across the Local Authority. For more information contact: Catrin.S.Edwards@rctcbc.gov.uk Young carers project in the Vale of Glamorgan This project is funded via Cymorth and involves users in the budgeting process. A budget for activities is set at the start of the year, representatives of the various young carers groups across the authority then meet regularly to agree how the money should be spent. Representatives put forward proposals from their group and negotiate with representatives of other groups to ensure that the planned programme of work and activities meets the needs identified. Young people are learning to manage a budget, balancing wants and needs amongst their peers. For further information contact: Jane.Weeks@actionforchildren.org.uk Section Six: Resources National Assembly and Local Government Budgets Welsh Assembly Government s budget process and information on government budgeting (including the Barnett Formula) is available at: 23