Good Practice in Supporting the Voice of the Child
Effective safeguarding systems must be child centred. Problems can arise in safeguarding systems when practitioners in agencies lose sight of the needs and views of the children within them, or place the interests of adults ahead of the needs of children. Everyone working with children, young people and families must seek the voice of the child and reflect and respond to it in all aspects of work. This is rooted in legislation and good practice.
Children and young people want to be respected, to have their views heard, to have stable relationships with practitioners built on trust and to have consistent support provided for their individual needs. This should guide the behaviour of practitioners. Anyone working with children and young people should see and speak to the child/young person; listen to what they say; observe their behaviour; take their views seriously; and work with them and their families and the people who know them well when deciding how to support their needs.
Legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 must be complied with, including putting special provision in place to support dialogue with children/young people who may not be able to convey their wishes and feelings as they may want to. This might include, for example, those who have communication difficulties, unaccompanied children, refugees, those children who are victims of modern slavery and/or trafficking and those who do not speak English or for whom English is not their first language.
A child-centred approach is supported by:
- The Children Act 1989 (as amended by Section 53 of the Children Act 2004). This Act requires local authorities to give due regard to a child/young person's wishes when determining what services to provide under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, and before making decisions about action to be taken to protect individual children/young people under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989. These duties complement requirements relating to the wishes and feelings of children/young people who are, or may be, looked after (Section 22 (4) Children Act 1989), including those who are provided with accommodation under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 and children/young people taken into Police protection (Section 46(3) (d) of that Act);
- The Equality Act 2010 which puts a responsibility on public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and promote equality of opportunity. This applies to the process of identification of need and risk faced by the individual child/young person and the process of assessment. No child/young person or group of children/young people must be treated any less favourably than others in being able to access effective services which meet their particular needs. To comply with the Equality Act 2010, safeguarding partners must assess and where appropriate put in place measures ahead of time to support all children, young people and families to access services, overcoming any barriers they may face due to a particular protected characteristic;
- The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This is an international agreement that protects the rights of children and young people, and provides a child-centred framework for the development of services to children/young people. The UK Government ratified the UNCRC in 1991 and, by doing so, recognises children/young people's rights to expression and receiving information;
- The Domestic Abuse Act 2021, section 38 recognises that a child/young person is a victim of domestic abuse in their own right if they see, hear or experience the effects of domestic abuse and are related to either victim or perpetrator of the abuse, or either the victim or perpetrator of the abuse has parental responsibility for that child/young person;
- The Children's Social Care National Framework is statutory guidance that sets out the purpose of children's social care as existing to support children, young people and families, to protect children/young people by intervening decisively when they are at risk of harm and to provide care for those who need it, so they grow up and thrive with safety, stability, and love.
See Working Together to Safeguarding Children.
Page 60, Chapter 161 Assessments should be child-centred and responsive to the voice of the child. This means decisions should be made in the child's best interests, rooted in child development, age-appropriate, sensitive to the impact of adversity and trauma and informed by evidence. Observation can be an important way to get the perspective of babies, infants, and non-verbal children. In the case of disabled children, practitioners should consider whether any specialist communication support is required and consider how advocacy services can support the child to communicate their views.
- Vigilance: to have adults notice when things are troubling them;
- Understanding and action: to understand what is happening; to be heard and understood; and to have that understanding acted upon;
- Stability: to be able to develop an on-going stable relationship of trust with those helping them;
- Respect: to be treated with the expectation that they are competent rather than not;
- Information and engagement: to be informed about and involved in procedures, decisions, concerns and plans;
- Explanation: to be informed of the outcome of assessments and decisions and reasons when their views have not met with a positive response;
- Support: to be provided with support in their own right as well as a member of their family;
- Advocacy: to be provided with advocacy to assist them in putting forward their views;
- Protection: to be protected against all forms of abuse, exploitation, and discrimination, and the right to special protection and help if a separated migrant child/young person.
- Listening to the child/young person's wishes and feelings - about their situation now as well as plans and hopes for the future;
- Providing children/young people with honest and accurate information about the current situation, as seen by practitioners, and future possible actions and interventions;
- Involving the child/young person in key decision-making processes;
- Providing appropriate information to the child/young person about their right to protection and assistance;
- Inviting children/young people to make recommendations about the services and assistance they need and/or are available to them;
- Ensuring children/young people have access to independent advice and support (for example, through advocates or children's rights officers) to be able to express their views and influence decision-making;
- Considering with them, issues arising in relation to identity, diversity, culture, faith, sexual orientation language, disability, low confidence and trust;
- Using culturally appropriate approaches to engage children, ensuring that their heritage and lived experiences are valued and reflected in decision-making.
Practitioners should be aware that children/young people may find it difficult to always speak about what they need, what is happening to them or what has happened to them.
Even initial discussions with children/young people should be conducted in a way that minimises any distress to them and maximises the likelihood that they will feel enabled and supported in sharing their own information with the practitioners. Children/young people may need time and more than one opportunity in order to develop sufficient trust to communicate any concerns they may have, especially if they have a communication impairment, learning disabilities, are very young or are experiencing mental health problems.
Practitioners are encouraged to:
- Explain your own role, to listen openly and to seek the views/voice of the child without advising or judging;
- Remember to consider explaining to parents and carers in advance and seek consent where necessary;
- Consult with other practitioners working with the child/young person to ensure that confusing messages are avoided, and the child/young person is not asked to repeat their information unnecessarily;
- Avoid professional jargon and be clear about facts and opinion;
- Allow time for the child/young person to ask questions;
- Be clear about next steps;
- Be professionally curious when engaging with children/young people, exploring not just what they say, but also what they may be unable to express due to fear, trauma, or cultural awareness;
- Be mindful that some children/young people may not always feel comfortable speaking openly with professionals due to historical involvement and/or systemic mistrust. Building genuine, trusting relationships is key to ensuring their voices are heard;
- It can be helpful to provide parents and young people with written material to take away and consider and then offer another opportunity to talk again later.
See Children's Social Care National Framework 2023: Practitioners use professional curiosity and critical analysis to challenge themselves to consider all relevant evidence to understand and explore the circumstances of a child or young person's life, recognising that how their circumstances appear may not reflect their reality. Practitioners remain alert to the possibility that children and young people are experiencing abuse, neglect, and exploitation as a result of actions by parents, carers or other individuals in their lives.
The Race and Racism in Safeguarding Black children paper published March 2025, highlights how Black children are disproportionately overlooked in safeguarding assessments and decision making, Practitioners must ensure that bias does not prevent a child's voice from being heard and acted upon appropriately.
See: "It's Silent": Race, racism and safeguarding children - Panel Briefing 4
Adultification is when children, particularly Black children, are perceived and treated as being more mature than they actually are. This bias leads professionals to have higher expectations of them, minimize their vulnerabilities, and fail to provide them with appropriate safeguarding and emotional support.
For example, Black boys are often seen as older, more resilient, or even aggressive, rather than as children in need of care and protection. Black girls are frequently stereotyped as being more independent or less in need of support, which can lead to failures in recognising and responding to their distress or safeguarding concerns.
In the context of safeguarding and listening to the voice of the child, adultification means professionals may dismiss or misinterpret a Black child's experiences, failing to recognize their true needs. Addressing this bias requires practitioners to challenge their assumptions, apply professional curiosity, and ensure all children are seen, heard, and supported in an age-appropriate way.
Practitioners must also consider the additional barriers that children and young people from minorized groups may face in having their voices heard. These barriers can include adultification, and a lack of cultural competence from professionals. Understanding these dynamics is essential to ensuring truly child-centred practice.
See: Adultification bias within child protection and safeguarding - HM Inspectorate of Probation.
Practitioners must be aware of neurodiversity and ensure that voices of neurodivergent children and young people are heard in ways that best work for them. Consider using communication tools, where necessary, and allowing more time for their responses which may differ from neurotypical children/young people.
Capturing the voice of children with Learning Needs and Disabilities.
Practitioners must use creative, flexible and inclusive approaches to ensure the voices of children with learning needs and disabilities are meaningfully heard and recorded. This may include using visual aids, symbols, communication boards, Makaton, sensory tools or digital technology tailored to the child's communication style and preference. Wherever possible, practitioners should work at the child's pace, in familiar environments, and alongside trusted adults or advocates. It is essential to interpret both verbal and non-verbal communication and to revisit conversations over time to ensure understanding. Capturing the child's lived experience in their own words, or through their chosen method of expression, is central to inclusion, child centred practise.
The professional requirement to keep records should be explained and the child/young person should be supported to make comments too. This should be embedded in practice and in records and they should be updated regularly, particularly when circumstances change for the child/young person, or there is a change of plan. All records should be clear, separating fact, opinion and professional judgement so that when a child/young person becomes an adult and requests access to their records they should be able to understand how decisions were made about the services provided to them and they should be able to see any recording of their own contributions in whatever format.
The voice of the child/young person should be recorded within documents and exemplars in the electronic records. They can also be attached or scanned into records where the child has written their own views or tools have been used which are handwritten or completed by the child/young person.
Last Updated: November 5, 2025
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