Onwards & Upwards – Involving disabled children and young people in decision making is a training manual for professionals on involving disabled children and young people in decision making. The manual was produced by Children in Scotland.

The purpose of this manual is to promote the involvement of disabled children and young people in decisions that affect them. It aims to do this through providing training and discussion materials for a wide range of professionals. The materials aim to encourage multi-agency working which includes parents. An underlying principle is that each child or young person should be regarded as an individual, whose individual needs must be taken into account.

Teachers, social workers, other education and social care staff working directly with children and young people in community and residential settings including volunteers; head teachers, managers of services for children and young people; medical personnel, including Gps, nurses and speech/ occupational/ physiotherapists; parents, family short-break carers; educational psychologists; art and music therapists.

The materials relate to three levels of decision making:

Decisions which directly affect the lives of children and young people

Decisions about the running of services they use

Decisions at resource planning level

For more information or to obtain copies of the manual contact; Children in Scotland, Tel: 0131 228 8484 or Email: info@childreninscotland.org.uk