The voice of the child in social work practice | NSPCC Learning Podcast

Julian Fabian introduces Emily and Damian, who define the 'voice of the child' as understanding a young person's experiences, worries, and wants. They emphasize that capturing this voice is essential for professionals to act in the child's best interests and promote their welfare effectively, avoiding oppressive practices.

Damian and Emily discuss common barriers, including non-consent from parents, communication difficulties (e.g., learning disabilities, non-speaking children), and age-appropriateness in communication. They also highlight social workers' over-reliance on verbal communication and the challenge of building meaningful relationships quickly due to time constraints, as well as professionals' potential difficulty in accepting the reality of abuse.

The discussion shifts to the evolution of terminology from 'non-verbal' to 'non-speaking' to encompass diverse communication methods like augmentative communication, communication books, and Makaton. This change promotes openness among professionals to recognize various forms of communication, including behavior and observations, which are crucial for understanding a child's experiences and informing practice.

Emily shares a practical example of a professional acting as the 'voice of the child' in meetings to ensure the child's perspective carries weight. Damian stresses the importance of treating children as experts in their own lives, involving them in assessments and work plans, and consulting other professionals for better communication strategies, fostering collaboration and effectiveness.

The conversation addresses how to capture a child's voice when direct communication is not possible, such as with unborn children. Observational skills are highlighted, looking at parental preparation and interactions. They also discuss offering alternative communication means like video calls, voice calls, or even text messages to suit the child's comfort and preference.

Julian raises the issue of biases. Damian emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and utilizing supervision to address assumptions related to a child's identity, background, sexuality, and culture. Emily adds that acknowledging personal biases makes professionals more effective and constructive, fostering an environment of high support and challenge.

They discuss the critical role of record-keeping, especially for children who may access their records later. Records should accurately reflect the child's voice, showing how their wishes influenced decisions. Prompts in systems help remind social workers to record observations beyond verbal statements, ensuring records are comprehensive, sensitive, and reduce the burden on children to explicitly state abuse.

The panel underscores that a child's voice is indispensable for accurate assessments. Speaking to the child alone helps ascertain their views on specific subjects. Social workers must use appropriate language and avoid leading questions, ensuring the child's perspective is central to the assessment, leading to more robust outcomes and building a trusting relationship.

Damian's key takeaway is to 'go straight to the child,' emphasizing that children, regardless of speaking ability or disability, are a rich source of information. Emily offers two takeaways: recognize that the child's voice is more than just speaking, involving observations and interpretations, and accept that 'the child is the expert in their own world,' which should be a guiding principle for all social work.