Listening to children - The Voice of the Child

Voice of the child 

7 minute breifing on the Voice of the Child

Why is it important? 

Capturing the voice of the child is a principle of good practice to ensure that children and young people’s views are heard and recognised.

When we use the term ‘the child’s voice’ we not only refer to what children say directly, but rather to many ways that children communicate with us, including both verbal and nonverbal communication. 

Children want to be respected, their wishes, feelings and views to be understood, to have stable relationships with professionals, built on trust and for consistent support to be provided for their individual needs.

Research tells us that professionals and children themselves think that the meaningful engagement of children in the decision-making process leads to improved outcomes for children.

Information gathered from child learning practice reviews in cases where Children are looked after or for those who are subject to child protection plans or child in need plans and audit of documentation of care of all children and young people tells us that professionals often struggle to capture the “voice of the child”.

Key findings from serious case reviews found that:

• Children were not seen frequently enough by the professionals involved, or was not asked about their views and feelings
• Agencies did not listen to adults who tried to speak on behalf of the child and who had important information to contribute
• Parents and carers often prevented professionals from seeing and listening to the child
• Practitioners focused too much on the needs of the parents, especially on vulnerable parents, and overlooked the implications for the child
• Agencies did not interpret their findings well enough to protect the child

How to keep the child in focus/capture their voice

• A good start is to explain your own role and listen actively and openly without advising or judging. Make sure the child knows what we will do with their information and what steps we may have to take to avoid losing their trust. It’s important to remember to seek consent where appropriate.

• Every child is unique- therefore be creative in ways you capture their voice (tools, Makaton, Signalong, direct questions, language line, observation, body language, play/drawing)
• Talk to the child about their likes and dislikes. Identify what is important to the child, and what is important for the child.
• Record how the child interacts with other people, in different settings and at different times (of day, before and after placement). These times should be appropriate to the child.
• Consider location where you have engagement with a child, safe neutral places can often encourage improved communication; Try and see children in places that are familiar to them
• If English is not a child’s first language, then utilise the trust recognised language line when communicating with that child, it is not best practice to utilise a family member to interpret
• It’s easy to forget that a child’s behaviour is a form of communication. Behaviour can mean as much as words, even in our verbal children. We need to closely observe a child’s body language, posture, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
• We need to ask ourselves is what is the communication behind the behaviour? Children who can’t speak any words (due to age, additional needs, or any other reason) are still communicating with us – use your observation skills!
• For children with limited verbal communication, recognise who is in the best place to interpret sounds, gestures, and behaviours, what is normal or concerning behaviour for that child. Never be fearful to ask for a parent’s/carer’s views when you’re trying to interpret the child’s behaviour as they know the child best. However, remain cautious as in certain cases it’s not always best to rely on parental views, we could ask school, nursery, or anyone else who knows the child well.
• VIPER - Voice, Inclusion, Participation, Empowerment, Research. Link below.
• Consider the child’s overall presentation, environment, and interaction with their carer’s. Observing how the child interacts and responds to parents shows us a lot about how they see their parents.

Record Keeping

• Recording the voice of the child is not a one-off event and should be a golden thread throughout all documentation made about a child. Every contact counts!
• Practitioners should ensure that they record exactly what they have seen and exactly what a child has said. Analysis of what you have seen (child’s behavior, presentation, home environment, interaction with parents etc) and interpretation of behavior in records is key.
• Record views of other significant people in the child’s life who may have contributions to the child’s experiences.
• Record keeping should ensure that a child only needs to tell their story once (should they wish to), make sure that another practitioner reading your records can understand the child’s lived experiences and can interoperate their vulnerabilities, strengths, and individual resilience.
• Any tools for communication used can be attached to the records