Helping children join in

All practitioners must pay attention to, and record children’s views and wishes when they are providing services and support. Even very young children can clearly express views about themselves and their world to adults who are willing to take time to listen to them, observe and who do not give up easily.

Achieving real involvement means that practitioners must spend time with, talk with and listen to and get to know children. Children and young people need relationships in order to feel confident about approaching adults and asking for help.  

Every detail of communication with children counts and helps to build a positive working relationship with them. Children’s views on their situation are integral to assessment, planning and review. All children have a right to have their views taken seriously, regardless of age and stage of development.

There are five essential components in direct work with children: seeing, observing, engaging, talking and doing:

1. Seeing children: an assessment cannot be made without seeing the child, however young and whatever the circumstances.
2. Observing children: the child’s responses and interactions in different situations should be carefully observed wherever possible, alone, with siblings, with parents and/or caregivers or in school or other settings.
3. Engaging children: this involves developing a relationship with children so that they can be enabled to express their thoughts, concerns and opinions as part of the process of helping them make real choices, in a way that is age and developmentally appropriate.
4. Talking with and listening to children: although this may seem an obvious part of communicating with children, it is clear from research that this is often not done at all or not done well. It requires time, skill, confidence and preparation by practitioners.
5. Activities with children: undertaking activities with children can have a number of purposes and beneficial effects. (Department of Health et al. 2000).