Best Practice in Children's Consultation Award

The Commissioner for Children and Young People Award for Best Practice in Children’s Consultation recognises an organisation for excellence in listening to and using the views of children and young people to achieve significant outcomes.

The Commissioner’s award, established in 2022, is part of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) WA Achievement Awards which aim to recognise individual and organisational excellence in public service.

Visit the IPAA WA website for more information.

City of Melville received the Award for their youth strategy, which is four-year strategic road map for how the City will deliver initiatives and plans in partnership with young people to support their health, wellbeing, and connection to community, called ‘The Directions from Young People 2022-2025’.

This new strategy was developed by the Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia who worked with the City throughout the project.

A Special Commendation was awarded to YACWA Consulting, Youth Affairs Council of WA.

Telethon Kids’ Institute Sun Safe Project

Telethon Kids Institute recently developed a smartphone app Sun Safe with significant consultation and input by young teenagers aged 12 to 13 years, to address sunburn prevention while also supporting them to safely spend active time outdoors. The app was co-designed via a series of interviews and workshops with 24 young adolescents as ‘co-researchers’ and the app provides real-time UV index data, reminders to check the UV index, gamified quizzes, a sunscreen application timer and a video of a young person describing her experience of melanoma. Young people have also been involved in pilot testing the app and further development of the app is ongoing.

Nature Play WA’s Talk N Walk Program

The Talk N Walk app was co-designed and piloted by Nature Play WA with a diverse group of 103 children and young people. It focusses on the wellbeing benefits that come from connecting with friends and family while being physically active, rather than on fitness and body shape, and aims to encourage and support 11 to 14-year-old girls to swap catch-ups via social media with active ‘talking and walking’.