Subsidiarity - Young People, families and stakeholder involvement in decision making

FDYS is deeply committed to the principle of subsidiarity, ensuring that decisions are informed by those affected by the decision. This approach is embedded throughout the organisation and reflected in how we engage with young people,  communities, deliver services, and shape organisational priorities. By empowering local stakeholders through decentralised cluster groups (one for each of our 7 Strategic Themes, in our Org Chart above) and community-based decision-making structures, FDYS ensures that those closest to the issues affecting young people and families have a meaningful role in identifying needs, influencing responses, and shaping outcomes.  The CEO is supported in the roll-out of the Strategic Themes, by listening to stakeholders through these structures.

At the heart of this approach is a strong belief in grassroots participation and community ownership of our organisation. Rather than relying on top-down directives or centrally imposed priorities, FDYS works collaboratively with young people and local communities to identify emerging needs and co-design relevant, targeted responses. This enables FDYS programmes and supports to remain flexible, responsive, and rooted in the lived realities of the people they serve across County Wexford. Community development within FDYS is therefore not something done “to” communities, but something developed “with” them, recognising the expertise and insight that exists within local networks and lived experience.

A central aspect of subsidiarity within FDYS is the importance placed on the voices of service users. Young people, families, staff, volunteers, and partner organisations are actively encouraged to share their experiences, perspectives, and ideas. FDYS has developed ongoing engagement and feedback mechanisms that create safe and accessible spaces for participation at both policy and practice levels. Teen Advisory Groups (TAGs), Youth Advisory Groups (YAGs) and service user feedback help with this.  Importantly, this feedback is not only gathered but genuinely listened to, reflected upon, and acted upon in meaningful ways by the CEO, the Management Teams and FDYS youth worker, community workers and early years workers. This approach strengthens trust, accountability, and transparency across the organisation.

Through these inclusive participatory processes, FDYS continually works to ensure that stakeholder voices directly inform organisational planning, service delivery, and future development. This commitment to listening and responding allows the organisation to remain relevant, adaptive, and impactful within rapidly changing social and community contexts. It also reinforces a culture of shared responsibility, collaboration, and empowerment across all levels of the organisation.

Ultimately, subsidiarity is not simply a guiding principle within FDYS; it is a practical and values-driven approach that shapes how the organisation operates every day. By including communities and our stakeholders in our decision-making, FDYS strengthens local capacity, promotes participation, and ensures that services remain responsive to the real needs and aspirations of the people it serves.

FDYS Strategic Themes

 

FDYS youth and community work is organised under the following Strategic Themes and convened through Cluster Groups.

 

Theme 1: Mainline Volunteer-Led Youth Clubs (Peer Advisory Team)

Theme 2: Youth Work Practice (Cluster Group and Communities of Practice)

Theme 3: Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing (Cluster Group)

Theme 4: Community Based Drugs Initiatives (Cluster Group)

Theme 5: Traveller Community Work (Cluster Group)

Theme 6: Roma Community (Cluster Group)

Theme 7: Early Years Education (Cluster Group and Communities of Practice)