Most of the people having participated in children’s rights training in the spring came from the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division, and from professional groups in family and social services, where it has been outlined that all permanent employees will undergo the introduction to children’s rights training by the end of this year.
However, the training is intended for all divisions in the city. Children’s rights are also promoted in city development, decision-making and administration. Children and their rights must also be taken into account in urban or traffic planning, for example. It is important that not only all those who work with children and young people, but also all those who prepare and make decisions concerning children have sufficient knowledge about the rights of children and young people.
The training also challenges people to think and discuss in work communities how well children’s rights are respected and looked after at work and in the organisation.
Comprehensive understanding of the obligation to observe children’s rights
One person who has already participated in the children’s rights training is project coordinator Susan Demirtas from the Educational Division. She is the coordinator of the Finland Model for leisure activities in Helsinki and responsible for the digital and other hobbies.
“I have completed the Introduction to Children’s Rights and Children’s Rights in Leisure Time and Hobbies training. My intention is to also complete at least the Children’s Rights - Involvement and Participation training. I was already somewhat familiar with children’s rights. It is a topic I have not delved deeper into before, though I have been aware that there are international children’s rights that are binding and also known a little about their themes. I knew that a safe everyday life should be ensured for children on the basis of the rights and that children should have a say or at least be heard in matters of custody related to their place of residence, for example. The training both confirmed my previous knowledge and expanded it,” Susan Demirtas says.
“With the help of the training, I understood how comprehensively children’s rights oblige us as municipal employees when we exercise public power; children’s interests should be kept to the fore in everything related to them. However, this is not always straightforward, as pointed out in the training.
“At my work, I acquire hobbies for children and young people. I work as a basketball coach for children and young people in my leisure time. Especially the training on the whole made up by leisure time and hobbies was useful for me in many respects. The training strengthened my own role as a coach – I act in many cases in ways that were highlighted in the training.
In addition to individual participants, the training also benefits the working communities more broadly.
“The training made me think about what we could do in the Finland Model for leisure activities team to ensure that children’s rights are better taken into account. The hobbies in the Finland Model for leisure activities are already chosen based on hearing those involved. However, with regard to the survey used in the hearing, we should consider whether it is accessible to everyone and whether all children or groups of children are genuinely heard with the help of the survey,” Demirtas continues.
“Another possible aspect to think about whether children’s rights are looked after is related to how to communicate about hobby opportunities and how children can participate in them. Is the prohibition of discrimination, for example, actually realised? With the training, I also thought about how the instructors in the hobbies we acquired would know how to act in compliance with children’s rights. I also gave advice on training to our hobby organisers, who are responsible for recruiting instructors and implementing hobby contents.
Children also benefit from training when information on children’s rights is acquired by employees who are not in direct contact with children and young people at work.
“I find it important and useful that these themes are considered when providing services for children and young people, even though we are not guiding the children ourselves. Operating models should be built in such a way that they support and enable the realisation of children’s rights,” Susan Demirtas concludes.
Helsinki involved in Unicef’s Child-Friendly Municipality model since 2021
Unicef’s Child-Friendly Municipality model is a tool that helps municipalities make the right decisions with regard to children’s well-being in the municipality’s administration and in everyday services for children. The model helps municipalities ensure that the rights of children in the most vulnerable position are looked after.
With the help of the model, municipalities can identify in which aspects of children’s rights they need to develop. The model also helps municipalities define what they must do to ensure that children’s rights are looked after in their work as thoroughly as possible. With the model, municipalities can also systematically monitor the progress of the work.
Unicef can grant a municipality the Child-Friendly Municipality award for successful development work. Helsinki’s success in developing child-friendliness and achieving results will be evaluated by Unicef in 2024.
Children’s rights training has been produced by the Prime Minister’s Office.