6. Children’s Participation and Voice

Professionals often feel more comfortable communicating with other adults, rather than speaking directly to children. Talking to children and listening to what they say sends a message that you value their involvement:

“We feel more involved in our hearing when adults speak to us directly whenever possible, rather than choosing to speak to adults. When you speak to us and listen, it shows that you value what we have to say and will take our thoughts into consideration when making important decisions about our lives.” – OHOV board member

Central to effective and meaningful participation is a willingness on the part of adults to simply make the time to listen to children:

“I was at the centre- sat in the middle of the sofa, given the chance to speak, everything came back to how I felt and what I wanted.” – Abbie G, OHOV

“My lawyer makes me feel heard- he’ll go out of his way to do it.” – George, St Mary’s Kenmure

“The court and sheriffs and judges all spoke to me beforehand. They made sure I understood what was going on and asked if I needed anything. I could have a break, and if I needed any other help, my lawyer was able to speak up on my behalf.” – Lisa, OHOV

“Take the time to sit down with me. Make sure I’m comfortable and ask me questions and listen when I open up to you.” – OHOV board member

“We might be thinking and feeling things that adults haven’t thought about. You can help by checking in with us about how we’re feeling and if there’s anything we’re uncertain of. There might be something we really want to tell you, but we aren’t given the opportunity to do it.” – Andrew, OHOV

Children and young people repeatedly state that a considerable barrier to their participation in decisions about their lives is the overly technical, confusing, and jargon-heavy language that is often used in meetings and in paperwork:

“Sometimes plans are put in place, about me and my life, and I don’t understand them” Ciaran, Quarriers

Use clear, simple language that’s appropriate to the age and stage of the child and avoid complex terms that children might not understand. If there’s a simpler word you could use, use that instead. Try not to use jargon or acronyms – ‘GIRFEC’, ‘SHANNARI’, ‘compulsory supervision order’ and ‘bereavement’, are some examples of language that children might not understand. If you have to use a particular term for legal reasons, e.g. compulsory supervision order, take the time to explain this term to children and check their understanding:

“Before you write something about me, check with me what it means and how I feel about it. This makes it more relevant and useful.” – Rhiannon, Shetland Crew

Along with overly complex or technical language that prevents children from understanding what’s happening, other barriers to communication could include English as a second language, learning and processing differences, literacy levels, additional support needs and neurodivergence. Some children are naturally less confident than others and might find it difficult to communicate in a way the adult has asked for. Adults should take a personalised approach to communication, providing a range of ways in which children can take part:

“Have lots of different ways for me to tell you about what’s important to me.” – OHOV, 40 Calls to Action

“There are lots of ways children’s views can be gathered, like writing, talking, drawing etc. These should be personalised to suit the child’s needs, preferences, and abilities, and all methods should all be treated as equally important.” – OHOV’s Response to Children’s Care Bill Consultation

See the ‘language’ section of this guide for more information on this.

Listening to children is important, but their voices and choices must also be actioned, where possible and appropriate. What use is voice without influence? 

“You tell them what you want or what you’re interested in, and they pretend to listen, then you get told what they’ve decided you want and need.” – Quarriers board member

If children’s requests cannot be actioned, or if there will be a delay in doing so, take the time to inform them why this is the case. If a child has shared information or requests with adults, they deserve to know the outcome: 

“Involving children in decisions is not possible in every case, and if so, this should be explained to the young person and they should be supported to express their views. If this can’t happen, explain to the young person why decisions were made then listen and support the young person in a way that suits the situation” – Ryden, Experts by Experience. 

A practical barrier to children’s participation is their ability to physically attend meetings if they are scheduled at times that aren’t suitable for children, or take place in locations that are difficult for them to get to. As far as possible, try to schedule meetings at a time and place that suit children. Ask about barriers to travel and support children to overcome this. For instance, paying for travel and providing information about public transport can help children get to meetings. Some meetings might take place over video call. Ensure children have access to the required technology in order to do this. Some children don’t feel comfortable meeting online, whereas others prefer it. As far as possible, adults should offer children a choice:

“The times of my Hearings should be more flexible to fit around my life. I should have a choice about the date/time/location…” OHOV, 40 Calls to Action

“The timing as well, I think that’s like a big thing. Because if the child or young person has just finished school. They might just need an hour to relax before they go. Or if it’s, like, the other way round, some children might think school’s like a safe place. And then they’ve been anxious waiting the whole day and dreading speaking to the social worker.” – Lisa, OHOV

When considering the location of a meeting, adults should speak to children and young people first to find out how they feel about meeting in certain places. As well as being difficult to travel to, some locations might be problematic for children and young people for other reasons an adult may not have considered:

“You don’t want to meet at the Council building – somewhere you used to go with your family all the time. That could bring back memories.” – Lisa, OHOV

“When you’re about to be given bad news, a social worker takes you to Starbucks.” -Ryden, Experts by Experience

Ongoing steps are being made to ensure the environment of the children’s Hearings centre is better suited to children’s needs. For example, children and young people have been involved in re-designing meeting and waiting spaces in many hearings centres. Based on children’s feedback, big tables have been removed from hearings rooms and books, fidget toys and VOICE magazines are available to help relax and distract children. 

If a child is unwilling or unable to attend a meeting about them adults should seek to gather their thoughts to ensure the child’s voice can still be represented on the day. The outcome of these meetings should be clearly explained to children: 

“An advocate or trusted adult can communicate your views, including for sisters and brothers. This can be done non-verbally too through letters or drawings. Decisions can also be broken down for you to understand.” – Gemma, Experts by Experience

“Support the young person to express their views in advance. Be honest and clear. Offer choices if possible. Tailor this to the person, it’s not ‘one size fits all’” – Liam, Experts by Experience 

Children and young people should have a say in decisions that affect their lives. Adults can help ensure this happens effectively by speaking directly to children and making time to listen to what matters to them. If requests can’t be actioned, children and young people would like to be informed about this. When working with children consider their individual communication needs and personalise your language, accordingly, ensuring it is clear and easy to understand. As far as possible, try to remove barriers to children and young people taking part in meetings about their lives. 

It is so important that participation is done authentically and isn’t simply a tokenistic nod to children’s right to be listened to. As previously stated, genuine participation begins with adults valuing and respecting children’s unique insights, experience, and expertise. In making decisions or driving improvement that affects children it makes sense that we should involve them in a meaningful way:

“We need to keep involving young people in helping adults solve these issues, based on the well-known views of children with experience of care and hearings. It is not the responsibility of young people like me, but it is incredible what we can achieve together when you stop ignoring what children tell us, stop delaying the action needed to change and keep paying attention to children!” – OHOV board member

“Always ask me about my experience…and use this feedback to make things better.” – OHOV, 40 Calls to Action

“They changed the hearing rooms based on what young people thought…we had discussions about making rooms more relaxed, less formal, with couches, bean bags – more comfortable to young people and children – and we felt listened to.” – Alesha, OHOV

“I’ve seen good examples of taking children’s feedback and making changes in Falkirk – they are being heard.” – Gemma, Experts by Experience

“I ask all of you to now use your voices as we have used ours to personalise your approach to make young people feel seen in your practice. By actively involving young people in decisions that affect our lives, it can truly make a real difference … just lead with compassion, always lead with compassion.” – Achilles, OHOV

To support children’s participation and voice in their Hearings, board members Ciara and Achilles from OHOV designed scrapbooks for children and young people to take to their Hearings with them. There’s a scrapbook for young people and another one for children – take a look inside both!

We asked children and young people about barriers to participation work that they’d faced in the past and examined potential solutions. The term ‘participation’, in the case of this research referred to specific participation work such as consultation, research, youth groups, improvement-driving, and more.  Here are some of the most cited barriers to participation, along with potential solutions the children identified:

Barrier: Lack of clarity around the purpose of participation

Children aren’t always made fully aware of the purpose of participation:

“At school they put random kids together in groups they don’t even want to be in. One day they gave us a questionnaire about how we were feeling. They didn’t tell us what it was for, so I answered honestly. Next thing you know I’m getting put in some group for depressed kids. It was actually called the Blues Group! We worked out we were the 30 kids with the lowest scores. We didn’t even get a choice whether we were going to be in the group or not, we were tricked”. – Alix, Quarriers

Facilitator: Clearly explain to children the aim and purpose of participation work

Right from the start, explain to children why you’re asking for their input and why it’s important and valuable. This is a bare minimum for participation and sharing power between children and adults. Where possible, the momentum or initiation of this work should be based on issues or changes children have identified, not solely ideas from adults. Ensure you are transparent about the aim and purpose of the participation work and check that young people are fully aware of what they are consenting to. 

Barrier: Children are unsure of the impact of sharing/taking part in participation

Children might enter into participation work with unrealistic expectations about the amount of influence their voice might have. They might doubt that their voice will be listened to/acted upon, or they could assume that everything they ask for will happen. 

Facilitator: Open and honest communication about the realistic impact of sharing/taking part in participation. 

Ensure you’re clear about exactly what type of participation you’re aiming for; there is a difference between consultation and co-production. Be open and honest about the power of children’s voice and keep them informed about how you’ll act on it, without overpromising. Ensure children receive feedback about how the information they’ve shared will be actioned. If you’re unable to action their idea or request, explain why this is and ensure they understand.

Barrier: Unclear expectations around conduct and agenda

Children and young people might feel unsure about exactly what the participation work will look like

Facilitator: Sharing an agenda and co-producing a code of ethos

As you would with a group of adults, share a clear agenda outlining the structure of the day and invite children to add to it, or change it. This helps children know the rough timings for activities and manage their energy appropriately. They should know when breaks are scheduled and where they can go during breaks. 

It’s important to agree on a code of ethos for the group. This should be created at the start of any work in collaboration with the children and young people to ensure they are aware of the conduct that is expected of them, and the adults in the group. Some examples might include using inclusive language, not speaking over each other, involving everyone, ensuring everyone has time to speak and be listened to. 

Barrier: Confusion or fear over privacy and ownership of information

Children are sometimes asked to share parts of ‘their story’ with adults. This could be to better understand the child’s history and needs, or it could be to inform and drive improvement work. Children may share personal information about themselves and later regret this decision, wondering what will happen with their ‘story’. 

“I feel like when sharing a story, children may reject sharing a part due to feeling judged or degraded. Due to other people making decisions or opinions on the story.” – Gemma, Experts by Experience

Facilitator: An open discussion about how children’s information will be used and the option to withdraw at a later date

Explain to children why you’re asking them to share certain information and how it will be used. Be upfront and clear about who exactly will have access to this information and how it will be shared. Obtain informed consent for all information gathered, whether this is in written form, voice recordings, photographs, artwork, videos, or other types of information. Before sharing the results of participation work out-with the project, ask children whether they are comfortable using their full name, first name only, a pseudonym, or simply ‘anonymous’. Give children the opportunity to redact their information at a later date, if possible, and check whether they need support after sharing emotive personal information with you: 

“When a child opens up about their experiences of care they should be given extra support if they need it. Questions should be asked in an understanding way.” – Poppy, OHOV board member

Take the time to thank children for sharing their story, as knowing the positive impact of sharing their experience to drive improvement can be rewarding:

“I used my story to change the system.” – Liam, Experts by Experience

 For more information about privacy, see the ‘Children’s Stories and Personal Information’ section of our guide.

Barrier: Risk of re-traumatisation 

When asking children about their experiences there is a risk of re-traumatising them, particularly if discussing difficult or emotive topics. Ensure children don’t feel pressured to share their story. 

Facilitator: Take a trauma-informed approach to participation work

The young people at OHOV spoke about the principles of a trauma informed approach: safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment. You can read more about what this means to them in practice by visiting our trauma informed guide for adults working with children. 

Barrier: Working with people with whom the young person has no relationship

Children might feel intimidated or uncomfortable working with adults, or other children, who are unknown to them. Don’t assume that a child will automatically be willing to speak to you or trust you. 

Facilitator: Take the time to build a trusting relationship with children and between children

In any participation work the importance of taking time to get to know the child, learn about them, and help them feel comfortable with you cannot be underestimated.

“It’s hard to trust adults. It’s important to me that there’s a connection first.” – Jamie, OHOV 

This can be done through ice breaker activities, having food together, and doing less intensive ‘fun’ activities. You can also supply relaxing and fun resources such as fidget toys or art materials suitable to the age and stage of the children and young people. 

“Help me to relax by having sensory and digital items…that will entertain me and keep me calm.” – OHOV, The 40 Calls to Action

It can be intimidating to walk into a room full of strangers; factoring in a ‘soft start’ – a period of time before the meeting starts – gives children and young people a chance to arrive, look around the space and settle in. 

For more information on this, see the ‘relationships with key adults’ section of the guide 

Barrier: The physical space 

Children and young people might not feel comfortable in traditionally adult-dominated settings such as offices and meeting rooms: 

“To me, it seems sitting in a room (no matter how homely or slightly clinical/buisnessy it could be) it could trigger memories and emotions related to hearings or interviews where the lighting is always the same and there’s a comfy chair or couch there but someone asking you questions with a bit of paper. It just seems really unnatural…it feels a bit forced or pressured, and I’d be triggered by the environment.” – Abbie G, OHOV 

Facilitator: Child-friendly spaces

Ask children and young people what kind of spaces they feel most comfortable in. They might feel more relaxed in a less-formal setting. Take the time to ensure they know how to get to the meeting location and offer to meet them from the train or bus, if need be. Show young people around the space and make sure they know how to access the toilet, and how to leave the building if they choose to. Children have repeatedly emphasised the need for quiet/breakout spaces they can access if they need a break from the work. 

Barrier: The practical cost of participation 

Travelling to and from meetings can be expensive, and meetings can take up a lot of the young person’s free time

Facilitator: Remuneration 

Covering transport costs allows more children and young people to participate in projects and shows that you value their participation Where possible, children and young people should be paid for their work, either in the form of monetary payment, vouchers, or rewarding experiences such as a meal or a trip to the cinema. They can also be rewarded through learning new skills or receiving formal accreditation for their work. Adults are not expected to facilitate participation work on a voluntary basis, neither should children be expected to give up their time to contribute their voice without remuneration. 

Barrier: Negative aspects of participation work aren’t picked up 

A child or young person might have reason to feel unhappy with the way participation work has gone, and the facilitating adults may be unaware of this

Facilitator: Factor in time for feedback

Ensure there are opportunities for children and young people to speak to adults if they feel unhappy. At the end of each session, you can take the time to ask children for feedback about how the day has gone, what went well, and what could be improved upon. Children might not wish to do this openly, so provide the option of giving feedback anonymously if possible. You can use this feedback to ensure future sessions are improved upon. 

When carried out well, participation work can be mutually beneficial for both adults and children and young people. Adults can learn from the expertise and experience of children and young people, while children and young people have the opportunity to learn and develop new skills, such as talking and listening, considering the needs of others, negotiating, debating, giving feedback, and evaluating, to name a few examples. At OHOV, our board members are working towards formal accreditation for their work and learning. Young people at OHOV have also spoken about how empowering it feels to be part of work that drives improvement for other children and how rewarding it can feel to make a difference to the lives of others. Finally, and equally importantly, young people state that they enjoy building their confidence and developing meaningful friendships with others.