Building The Boat: Young People As Co-Producers Of Policy

Young Scot is the national youth information agency for Scotland, supporting young people aged 11-26 to:

• Make informed decisions and choices
• Take advantage of opportunities available to them
• Have the knowledge and confidence to take their place as active citizens - locally, nationally and globally

In September 2008 Young Scot, in partnership with the Scottish Government Alcohol Policy Team, commissioned a group of young people to investigate Scotland's relationship with alcohol and make recommendations for cultural and policy change.

This session will:

• Look at what co-production is and how it can help bring about policy change
• Share Young Scot's and the Scottish Government's experience of co-production by highlighting the work of the Scottish Youth Commission on Alcohol
• Key factors to consider when involving young people in co-production
• Give a young person's perspective on being involved in a co-production project

Alison Hardie, Information, Research & Strategy Director, Young Scot

Alison Hardie is Information, Research and Strategy Director at Young Scot, the national youth information and citizenship agency for Scotland. As part of this role Alison has a lead responsibility for the development of all of Young Scot's extensive information services and knowledge management system. This includes the national youth information portal at www.youngscot.org, Young Scot's information handbooks which are distributed in schools across Scotland and the free and confidential Young Scot InfoLine, phone service.

Alison's role also includes heading up Young Scot's research and consultation work, seeking the views of young people using a range of innovative online and offline methods.

Additional speakers: Siobhan Mackay (Scottish Government’s Alcohol Policy Team), youth commissioner