‘Just another person in the room’: young people’s views on their participation in Child in Care Reviews

Clive Diaz, Hayley Pert, Nigel Thomas

Summary

The ExChange Wales article discusses research exploring how young people feel about their involvement in Child in Care Reviews. Many of the children and young people interviewed described the meetings as frustrating, stressful and impersonal — often feeling like “just another person in the room” rather than an active participant in decisions about their lives. Poor relationships with social workers and confusion about the purpose of reviews were cited as common barriers to meaningful engagement. Despite recognising professionals’ workload pressures, participants were sceptical about the value of the process and reported limited influence over outcomes. The article highlights the continuing importance of Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) for consistency and suggests that enabling young people to chair their own reviews or use creative participation methods could strengthen their voice in these key meetings.