Let’s be honest. Most consultation is theatre.
We dress it up in good intentions, brightly coloured post-its, and feedback forms. But underneath, it’s control dressed as care.
We sit young people in circles, give them pizza and pens, and call it empowerment. Then the strategy launches, the decision’s made, and the young people who “shaped it” see nothing change.
That’s not consultation. That’s choreography. And if we’re brave enough to admit it — most of us have played a part.
It’s time for a collective confession. Which one are you?
1️⃣ The Extractor
You take…
…their stories, their time, their emotional labour and you call it engagement.
Reports get written. Presentations made. But the young people who gave their insight rarely see the result.
Extraction without exchange.
Redemption: Move from taking to trading. Young people’s insight is intellectual property — credit it, compensate it, co-create with it. Consultation should never be free emotional labour; it should be a partnership of equals.
2️⃣ The Ghost Listener
You nod, you thank and you promise to “take it forward.” Then you disappear.
The silent killer of trust.
Redemption: Always close the loop. Show what changed because of what they said. And, if something couldn’t change, say why.
Feedback is only meaningful if it’s visible.
3️⃣ The Preacher
You already know the outcome, so you design questions that validate it. Your consultation is a sermon, not a conversation.
Consultation confused with confirmation.
Redemption: Co-create the questions. Let young people shape the agenda. They’ll take you somewhere uncomfortable… and that’s where the truth lives.
4️⃣ The Collector
You’ve gathered hundreds of surveys, built dashboards, made word clouds… and nothing changes. Because data without direction is decoration.
And evidence isn’t impact.
Redemption: Don’t collect. Connect. Insights are only powerful when they shape budgets, policies and practice. If consultation data doesn’t drive decisions — it’s wallpaper.
5️⃣ The Tokenist
You recruit one or two “youth reps” and call it inclusion. They’re invited to board meetings but never to budget ones — only ever included when it suits you.
Representation without redistribution.
Redemption: Diversify and distribute. Create structures where many voices contribute and none carry the burden alone. Participation isn’t a spotlight; it’s a sound system.
6️⃣ The Protector
You say you’re keeping young people safe. But really, you’re keeping things comfortable.
You avoid hard questions, emotional truths and real challenge. You’re protecting your process, not their wellbeing.
Control mistaken for care.
Redemption: Create safe enough spaces where truth trumps comfort. Real safety is built on trust, honesty and courage — not silence.
7️⃣ The Imposter
You speak fluent “participation.” But your systems still whisper “control.”
You’ve got a Youth Voice Strategy, a shiny webpage, and maybe even a hashtag… But no youth in your budgets, hiring, or governance.
️ The right words. The wrong culture.
Redemption: Walk it. Embed youth voice in how you plan, spend, recruit and decide. Consultation isn’t a project — it’s a practice.
Public Consultation Is a Lie
Because if your “engagement” is a 20-page survey, a town hall of the usual suspects, and a 12-month wait for feedback… that isn’t consultation. That’s theatre.
Real consultation is scary. It’s uncomfortable. It means hearing things you didn’t plan for — and acting on them.
We’ve helped partners rip up pre-approved plans, scrap six months of work, and start again — because young people told them the truth.
And do you know what? It made everything better.
When Consultation Gets Uncomfortable
We’ve seen it first-hand.
When a borough asked young people about local transport, they expected talk of timetables. Instead they got: “Your buses are unsafe. We’d rather walk home in the dark.”
A health provider asked for insight on GP posters and young people said: “We don’t want posters. We want WhatsApp reminders and school holiday and evening clinics.”
These truths were inconvenient. They didn’t fit the comms plan, the budget cycle, or the political narrative. But they were real. As one client said afterwards:
“It was scary. We had to scrap six months of planning and start again. But it was the first time our consultation actually mattered.”
Fixing Consultation Takes Courage
If you’re going to consult with young people, you have to be ready to hear something that makes you uncomfortable. And, act on it.
Otherwise, don’t ask.
Here’s our top 3 tips to help you get braver.
1️⃣ Design with Young People, Not for Them
Scrap the 20-page survey. Build creative, digital-first activities and tools that make sense to the people you’re consulting: Hackathons, TikTok explainers, interactive polls, and digital games.
Meet them where they are.
2️⃣ Close the Loop — Fast
No more “you’ll hear from us in 12 months.” Consultation without feedback is theft of young people’s time. Instead, use “You Said /We Did” — closing the loop in weeks, not years.
3️⃣ Own the Scary Data
Don’t smooth out the rough edges. Don’t water down the truth. Lean into it. If young people say “scrap it” — scrap it. If they demand bold change, be bold.
That’s leadership.
From Box-Ticking to Bravery
Young people aren’t apathetic. They’re exhausted by being ignored. What they want is simple: To see their fingerprints on the decisions that shape their lives.
As one partner told us:
“We thought consultation was about refining our plan. Participation People showed us it’s about being brave enough to frame the problems from young people’s perspectives and co-design it, ground up.”
Consultation can be transformative — but only when it stops being a performance and starts being a partnership.
If your consultation doesn’t change your budget, strategy, or mindset, it wasn’t consultation. It was theatre.
The ultimate test: If young people can’t track how their voice shaped decisions — start again. Because listening without change isn’t participation. It’s PR.
