Workshop on Co-Designing a Resource for Ethical Collaboration with Children and Young People in Research
On a frosty morning on Tuesday 30th January 2024 55 attendees made their way from across Ireland to Barretstown Castle in Co. Kildare. After a welcome from John Mitchell (Barretstown), Veronica Lambert (PPI Ignite at DCU) and Marian Brattman (TUSLA Child and Family Agency), Dr. Harry Shier delivered a riveting discussion with examples of PPI through a child rights lens internationally across the course of his career. Dr. Shier brought us through the nine requirements for effective, ethical and meaningful participation from the UN and how this is applied to PPI with children and young people and through a matrix for developing partnerships with children and adolescents. Professor Suzanne Geurin (UCD) continued this focus with an overview of best practice when it comes to conducting PPI in research with vulnerable children and young people. With a detailed discussion of what it means to be vulnerable, what this means for PPI, what challenges this presents and how these challenges can be overcome.
Dr Niall Muldoon (Ombudsman for Children) facilitated a lively, impassioned and practical panel discussion with Roisin Farragher (TUSLA Child and Family Agency), Cameron Keighron Co-researcher, University of Galway) and Shannon Carey (Barretstown). Those working in this space were encouraged to do what they can to include PPI with children and young people in their work- even if it is not perfect- we all have to start somewhere. Speakers shared their experience of PPI and tips for how to ethically collaborate with children and young people and the difference that this can make.
After lunch Niamh Dillon (PPI Ignite Network at RCSI) brought attendees through the development of PPI Ignite Network statement on research ethics committee approval for PPI activities. With discussions framed by the PPI Ignite Network statement on research ethics committee approval for PPI activities not being required, attendees imparted of their wide, varied and valuable expertise and knowledge through a series of roundtable discussions. Attendees were asked to share their thoughts and ideas in relation to: what is good ethical practice in PPI in research with children and young people?; how do you ethically engage children and young people in research? ; and what do you want a resource for ethical collaboration with children and young people to look like?
This has provided us with a wealth of ideas, suggestions and knowledge to begin the process of developing a resource for ethical collaboration with children and young people. We will be back in touch as this resource develops further with more opportunities for involvement.
Thank you to all those who organised, spoke, presented, and facilitated at this event. Most of all thanks to those who attended, engaged and contributed on the day.
This event, initially as part of the PPI Ignite Network Festival 2023, was organised by Barrestown, TUSLA Child and Family Agency, PPI Ignite Network at UCD and the PPI Ignite Network at DCU with funding from the PPI Ignite Network at DCU (Health Research Board, Irish Research Council and DCU).